9 for 9: Pitch power on display

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9 for 9: Pitch power on display

August 13, 2021 by David Svien

Jenn Spark had the mightiest leg in Wolf Nation. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 1-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

And there’s no goalie on my team…

Which is fine, because as much as I wanted to find a spot for Julie Myers or another netminder, the team of former Wolf booters I ended up with can score at such a prodigious rate, we might not need anyone in net.

Like with a lot of sports during this whole “9 for 9” thing, there’s an easily-named second squad out there full of talented young women, but (often brutal) cuts had to be made.

It’s why they pay me the big bucks.

What? I’m not getting paid at all, you say????

Oh well, these nine queens of the pitch still deserve all the praise they get.

Micky LeVine rumbles in the open field.

Amanda d’Almeida — Athletically-gifted from day one, but became a team leader and star by outworking everyone else. If you watched just her when she was in action on the pitch, you would never know if her team was ahead or trailing, as she played with the same intensity and passion in every moment.

Mallory Kortuem — State track champ speed, and tough as they come. She moved all over the field and dominated play whether she was in the backfield or allowed to run free on the attack. Never tooted her own horn, yet every thing about how she played, and the way she carried herself — calm, composed, confident — screamed superstar.

Micky LeVine — They called her “Two Fists.” Well, I did, so almost the same thing. A scrapper who could get you goals, but also a compact-sized enforcer who would brawl down in the trenches if you ever tried to mess with one of her teammates.

Kalia Littlejohn — The smoothest of silky-smooth supernovas, she was electric on the pitch. Had the razzle and the dazzle, and could flat-out embarrass any defenders dumb enough to think they could corral her when she was locked on the net.

Mia Littlejohn — A machine. Holds the program record for career goals, but actually spent the first part of her run in a Wolf uniform as a skilled set-up player, dishing assists left and right with quick, beautifully-aimed passes which split defenders like a knife slashing through melted butter.

Avalon Renninger — Arguably the most-underrated player on this list. Finished as the #5 scorer in program history, and got most of her goals by being in the right place at the right time, or working her tail off to win 50/50 balls. And yet she was happiest when celebrating her teammates goals. A perfect role model for young players.

Lindsey Roberts — Second-biggest leg of the last decade, trailing just the next young woman (and even then, only by a smidge). Could wreck folks while playing defense, or could batter the back of the net when she let fly with lasers while on the attack. Heck, if they had put her at goalie, the athletically-gifted Lou probably would have been all-world there as well.

Jenn Spark — The leg. Even when she was injured, even when she had to wear a bulky brace, she could smush the very life out of a soccer ball like no other Wolf before or after her. Launching rockets from midfield — including a couple which splashed home for scores — she kept rival teams on their heels at every moment.

Genna Wright — The #3 scorer in program history, and that’s even with a lost season to injury, and a cut-down senior year thanks to the pandemic. Opened her career as an explosive scorer who would run foes into the ground, closed as a wily vet — all done with grace, style, and class.