BEA’s Thompson named Girls Soccer Player of the Year after outstanding season
Bald Eagle Area’s girls soccer team put together a solid campaign this year. The Eagles went 13-5-1 overall and finished fourth in the Laurel Highlands Conference with an 11-4-1 record.
And a large part of that success flowed through talented forward Sybil Thompson. The senior was a threat to score anytime on the field. And if Thompson wasn’t scoring, she was helping the Bald Eagle Area offense open up for teammates.
All of that wrapped together is why Thompson was named The Express Girls Soccer MVP for 2024.
Bald Eagle Area scored 72 goals this year en route to a District 6 playoff berth, and of those 72 goals, Thompson was responsible for 38 as she had an impressive team-high 27 goals and dished out 11 assists. Thompson averaged 1.4 goals per game and 0.6 assists per game as she constantly helped put the Eagles in position to win games.
The senior Eagle had a breakout senior year. As a junior she had 15 goals and four assists before nearly doubling her goal output.
Thompson came up just shy of reaching 50 career goals (47) and almost reached 20 career assists (18).
While Thompson was named The Express Most Valuable Player, the area had a ton of talented players throughout the region.
EXPRESS GIRLS ALL-STARS
Sydney Miller,
Bellefonte, forward
Miller had a breakout sophomore season this year and had a team-high 20 goals for the Raiders, averaging 1.1 per game. She also dished out eight assists. Miller was part of a dynamic 1-2 scoring duo alongside teammate Madelyn Fallon and was a key part of the Raiders offense.
Madelyn Fallon,
Bellefonte, forward
Like Miller, Fallon was a key piece of Bellefonte’s success this year and also like Miller, is just a sophomore. Fallon played all 18 games for the Raiders and scored 16 goals while dishing out five assists. She averaged 0.9 goals per game and Fallon was a threat every time she stepped on the field.
Savannah Albright,
Bald Eagle Area, forward
Albright was a player who could score when needed, or help get defenses out of position to allow her teammates to find the back of the net. Albright ended the year with seven goals and five assists and, as a sophomore, came on strong this year after getting experience last year at the varsity level as a freshman. Albright improved a lot from last year to this season and fans can expect her to improve even more her junior season.
Makenzie Bickle,
Bald Eagle Area, forward
While Thompson had an outstanding season for Bald Eagle Area with 27 goals and 11 assists, Bickle helped the team’s offense flourish as well. Bickle, a senior, scored 10 goals this year and dished out six assists and was a scoring threat for the Eagles.
Laila Packer,
Bellefonte, midfield
Packer helped control the midfield this year with the Raiders and while she had just three goals and two assists, her biggest strength on the field was her soccer IQ and ability to help control a game. Bellefonte went 12-6 this year and was 11-5 in the Laurel Highlands.
Addisyn Burns,
Bald Eagle Area, midfield
Burns could score if needed for Bald Eagle Area, or she could play defensively in the midfield. Either way, she helped the Eagles have success. Burns ended the year with seven assists — third most on the team — while she scored three goals.
Adrienne Hacker,
Bald Eagle Area, midfield
Like Burns, Hacker could do a lot in the midfield from various formations whenever she had to. She was a weapon offensively for Bald Eagle Area and a player defenses had to take into account when game planning. Hacker, a senior, ended with a team-high 13 assists for Bald Eagle Area this year and scored eight goals as well, third-most on the team.
Adalie Pringle,
Bellefonte, defender
Bellefonte played well from a defensive perspective this year. The Raiders allowed just 21 goals and posted six shutouts and Pringle was a big part of that defensive unit playing well. Just five teams this year managed to score multiple goals against Bellefonte as Pringle helped keep opposing forwards from scoring.
Alexa Thomas,
Bald Eagle Area, defender
Bald Eagle Area was the top seed in the District 6 Class AA playoffs this year, and the team’s defense was a big reason why. The Eagles fell unfortunately in the district quarterfinals, but Thomas was a big part of the team’s defensive unit.
Madison Donley,
Bald Eagle Area, defender
Like Thomas, Donley helped strengthen Bald Eagle Area’s back line and make life difficult for opposing forwards. The team recorded six shutouts en route to earning the top seed in the District 6 Class AA tournament. Donley and Thomas were a solid duo defensively.
Makayla Spicer,
Bald Eagle Area, goalie
Spicer ended her senior year with 100 saves for Bald Eagle Area and averaged 5.6 per game. To say Spicer was battle tested by season’s end would be an understatement. Spicer kept the Eagles in every game they played in by playing great between the pipes and recorded six shutouts as she had a 13-4-1 record. She recorded 1,410 minutes in goal this year in Bald Eagle Area’s 18 games. The Eagle keeper also reached 228 saves for her career.
SECOND TEAM
F–Jazzy Anderson, Central Mountain
F–Brooke Whitman, Bellefonte
F–Cayman Hill, Central Mountain
F–Addalyn DeWeese, Bellefonte
M–Sydney Thompson, Bald Eagle Area
M–Madyson Miller, Bellefonte
M–Heidi Eveleth, Bald Eagle Area
M–Eva Mitchell, Central Mountain
D–Sophia Hoy, Central Mountain
D–Alyssa Ford, Central Mountain
D–Lily Spicer, Bald Eagle Area
GK–Rory Pelipesky, Bellefonte