OTTUMWA -- Indian Hills placed a total of 10 players on the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference all-conference soccer teams. Six players from the IHCC men’s squad and four from the women’s team earned all-league honors. And Warriors head coach Doug Seigle was named the men’s co-coach of the year.
Named to the men’s all-conference first team were midfielder Pedro Jurno (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and midfielder/defenseman Cheyne Reiter (LaPorte City), both sophomores; sophomore defenseman Caleb Bemis (Letts) and freshman midfielder Austin Kelly (Ottumwa) on the second team; and sophomore forward Damian Sheerin (West Point) and freshman midfielder Leonardo Teixeira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) on the honorable mention list.
Seigle said all six of the men’s players on the all-conference list played key roles in the first winning season in the history of the program.
“Pedro Jurno was our leading scorer this season despite being a marked man and he came through in the clutch in our big games,” said Seigle. “Cheyne Reiter did a great job making the adjustment from offense to defense this year, making that switch for the team. He can play anywhere, but we needed him to anchor our defense.”
“Caleb Bemis was a solid defender for us, playing all four defensive positions and being the vocal leader on our team,” said the IHCC coach. “And Austin Kelly was our workhorse, working up and down the flanks as a midfielder. He never quit fighting for the ball from the first minute to the last of every game.”
Of the two honorable mention choices, Seigle said, “Damian Sheerin was our second-leading scorer and led the team in assists. He is a scrappy player who works hard and created many opportunities for his teammates. Leonardo Teixeira started every game and played every position, except goalkeeper, for us this season. He was our most versatile player and did a great job of filling any role we asked him to play.”
The IHCC men’s team finished the year at 9-8, winning the first postseason game in the program’s four-year history and setting numerous team records.
Seigle said the Warriors reached many of their goals for the season and “improved a little every day.” “Although we started the season off slowly, we really came together as a team and it showed in our results,” said Seigle. “I am very pleased with the work we put in and the direction our program is going.”
On the women’s side, freshman midfielder Sarah Carver (Cedar Rapids) was named first-team all-conference, sophomore forward Ashley King (Hudson) was chosen for the second team, and sophomore forward Crystal Maldonado (Centerville) and freshman midfielder/defender Kaylie Tuttle (Mystic) were honorable mention selections.
“Sarah Carver came in as a freshman and worked hard in the midfield on both sides of the ball,” said Seigle. “She will be someone we look to for leadership for next season.”
“Ashley King returned from a knee injury last year to finish this season as our leading scorer, including two goals in the playoffs.”
Of the two honorable mention picks, Seigle said, “Crystal Maldonado and Kaylie Tuttle did a great job for us this season, sacrificing themselves to make the team better by playing any position that we needed because of injuries or adjustments.”
The IHCC women were 5-12-1 and finished the season strong, notching the first-ever postseason win and advancing to the region semifinals for the first time.
“It would have been easy for the women to let up at the end of a long season, but they did a great job of staying focused on our team goals and taking that first step forward as a quality soccer program,” Seigle noted. “Although we were short on numbers, we showed we were a team that did not give up and played with a lot of heart.”
Seigle said he was honored to receive the co-coach of the year award and that it should be shared with his team and assistant coach Rod Campbell. “Rod did a great job during the coaching change and throughout the season. The team bought into my coaching philosophy by working hard to get better every day and playing good defense.” Seigle added, “I had expectations when I was hired in August, but have been very pleased to see us move forward as a program in a very short amount of time.”
(Courtesy IHCC)
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