EJ girls soccer earns handful of Nisqually All-League honors

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The East Jefferson Rivals girls soccer team recieved a handful of Nisqually All-League awards after a solid season of soccer this year.

Junior Iris Mattern was handed the Defensive Player of the Year award as the anchor of EJ’s backfield with consistent leadership and athletic ability throughout the year. While Mattern only shifted to the back field in the second half of the year, she more than earned the accolade with her defensive capabilities.

“Iris rightfully claimed the award after a tactical shift mid-season necessitated her move from midfield to defense and helped to stabilize the team,” Rivals girls soccer Head Coach Robert Cantley said. “She finished the season with eight goals and four assists and was vital to the team’s success in many areas.”

“Her leadership and skills on the field earned the Team MVP vote from her teammates,” Cantley added.

For the Nisqually League First Team, EJ’s Ava Shiflett and Kaylen Pray made the cut with incredible plays on offense throughout the season. Shiflett’s shifty dribbling and Pray’s pace provided EJ with plenty of goals and assists in their matchups.

Shiflett finished as the Rivals’ top scorer and assist leader with 13 of each.

“Always the crowd favorite with her close control dribbling skills and fearless ability to take on multiple defenders, she was a constant menace to opposing teams and was frequently the target of double- and triple-team marking tactics by opponents,” Cantley said of Shiflett.

Pray notched 12 goals and three assists this year at the forward position, with the striker netting four goals in one game against Vashon Island High School in the Rivals’ home opener game.

Pray’s prolific goalscoring abilities provided critical goals in multiple games when the team needed her the most, Cantley said.

“Despite being deployed primarily as a striker, she performed admirably in a variety of positions whenever she was called upon to fill in due to injuries or illnesses elsewhere,” Cantley added. 

EJ’s Mi Amada Lanphear Ramirez and Akili Clevenger were awarded honorable mentions for stellar performances in the backfield this season.

“Mi Amada was the unsung hero of the team, often performing the dirty work as a defensive midfielder, breaking up attacks, winning tackles, and generally being a nuisance to opposition players,” Cantley said. “Her work-rate on the field was second to none as she covered the most ground during games in search of the ball.”

Lanphear Ramirez also tallied an assist this year.

“Akili earned the honor on the basis of her performances at the tail end of the season as an emergency back up goalkeeper, a duty she willingly volunteered for,” Cantley said. “Despite being one of the shortest players on the field, she stood tall in goal with minimal training and experience but was completely reliable, being on hand to make several notable reflex saves to keep the team in the game.”