With the new year fast approaching, PennLive is releasing its selections for boys soccer all-stars from the 2019 season.
The central Pennsylvania area saw several players named all-state players by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association, and Lower Dauphin represented the area with a state championship at the PIAA Class 3A title game.
Players from the Mid-Penn Conference, Lancaster-Lebanon League and Tri-Valley League were considered for this list, and coaches were asked to submit nominations for players on their rosters, in their division or league.
Our player of the year follows our selections for first-team all-star selections. We also have listed our picks for second-team and honorable mentions. Players are listed by position and then alphabetically by school.
First Team
Eric Leach, Cumberland Valley
Eric Leach celebrates his second period goal as Cumberland Valley boys beat Wilson 2-0 in the 2018 District 3, 4A championship soccer match at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa., Nov. 3. Mark Pynes | mpynes@gmail.com
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: One of only three boys soccer players in the region named to both the all-state team by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association and the All East Region All-Star team by the United Soccer Coaches, Leach turned in yet another standout season after being named to PennLive’s second-team all-stars last year. He was the leader on the field for the Eagles scoring 12 goals and 15 assists during the Mid-Penn regular season in his senior campaign.
Tad Shellenberger, Juniata
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: The race for the top of the scoring leaderboard in the Tri-Valley League was not particularly close with Shellenberger running away with the regular-season scoring lead with 63, 13 higher than the next closest on the list. The Juniata forward cashed in on 27 goals during the year — leading the league — and contributed nine assists, good for fourth in the league.
TJ Hershey, Pequea Valley
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: If it weren’t for injuries, Hershey might have finished the season as PennLive’s player of the year. He missed some time with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, but still finished the season as one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s leader in goals with 17. He also contributed three assists during the campaign.
Sam Hershey, McCaskey
Class: Junior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: McCaskey had an offense to be reckoned with in 2019, and no one was more feared than the junior midfielder. He recorded 23 goals and 11 assists en route to a season in which McCaskey reached the district playoffs for the first time since 2009. Still with one season left at McCaskey, Hershey was named an all-state player by the PSCA and joined Leach and CD’s John Axtman as players named to the All East Region All-Star team by the United Soccer Coaches.
Connor Swope, Northern
Class: Junior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: Swope was another of the Mid-Penn’s three all-state players per the PSCA as one of the more offensive-heavy midfielders in the conference in 2019. He finished the year with 14 goals and 14 assists as he helped lead Northern York to a state playoff appearance in the PIAA Class 3A tournament. He’ll have another season with the Polar Bears to continue to establish himself as one of the Mid-Penn’s best players.
Joshua Mark, Palmyra
Joshua Mark of Palmyra boys soccer during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: The region was heavily represented at midfield in the PSCA’s all-state players list with five players from the three conferences earning selections. One such player was the center attacking mid for the Cougars. Mark tallied 11 goals in his senior season and was an efficient passer, racking up 13 assists on the year.
Parker Rice, Camp Hill
Parker Rice of Camp Hill boysÕ soccer during high school football media day on July 31, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Rice caps off his Camp Hill career with his second placement on the PennLive first-team all-star list following a season in which his stellar defensive play helped the Lions post 10 shutouts. His speed allowed him to play up to midfield as needed, but the starting centerback was at his best when he was orchestrating the defense from the back line in 2019.
Aaron Maynard, Chambersburg
Aaron Maynard of Chambersburg boys soccer during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Maynard entered the season with lofty expectations having been named a 2018 Commonwealth Division first-team all-star the prior campaign, and he did not disappoint. Leading the defense and earning the first-team all-star honors for a second straight season, Maynard helped the Trojans average just 1.42 goals per game — a number which dips down to 0.88 discounting 12 goals given up in two games against a powerful Central Dauphin offense. Chambersburg posted seven shutouts in 2019.
Liam Wright, Manheim Township
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: It’s rare that a defender scores any goals in a season, but such was the case with Wright. In his final season with the Blue Streaks, Wright scored 10 times and assisted on two more, while helping the Manheim Township defense post six shutouts during the year. Wright was recognized as an all-state defender by the PSCA in a season in which his team won the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
AJ Stutzman, Mechanicsburg
AJ Stutzman of Mechanicsburg boys soccer during high school football media day on July 31, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Stutzman makes his first appearance on PennLive’s All-Star list after having a dominant season in the backfield for the Wildcats in 2019. In his third campaign as a starter, he was an ever-present force in front of the goal for Mechanicsburg and helped the team have nine clean sheets in his final season on the team.
Jordan Smith, Palmyra
Class: Senior
Position: Keeper
All-Star Profile: Smith became nearly impossible to score on for the Cougars in 2019, posting 14 clean sheets during his final season starting in net for Palmyra. Without Smith’s stellar play in net, it would have been an upward battle for Palmyra to reach the quarterfinals in the PIAA, Class 4A state tournament.
Player of the Year
John Axtman, Central Dauphin
Central Dauphin’s John Axtman during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: Shortly after the 2019 season came to a close, a year in which the Rams won the District 3, Class 4A championship, the accolades began to pour in for Axtman. First it was Mid-Penn Conference first-team all-star. Then it was an all-star selection by the PSCA. Then it was an all-region honors by the USC. And why not? Axtman was near the top in all categories in the conference, scoring 20 goals in the regular season and adding 12 assists.
Second-Team
Aaron Weitzel, Cocalico, junior, forward
Gershon Bangura, Greencastle-Antrim, senior, forward
Travis Bigham, Shippensburg, junior, forward
Hayden Oldham, Waynesboro, junior, forward
Nick Hamilton, Bishop McDevitt, junior, midfielder
Nathan Tanner, Halifax, senior, midfielder
Peter Chol, McCaskey, senior, midfielder
Peyton Stakem, Bishop McDevitt, senior, defender
Beck Zimmerman, Cumberland Valley, senior, defender
Alex Berger, Hershey, senior, defender
Josh Bailey, Pequea Valley, senior, defender
Luke Snyder, Cumberland Valley, junior, keeper
Honorable Mention
Daniel Fombu, Lower Dauphin, junior, forward
Colton Pierson, Manheim Township, senior, forward
Sheppard Soisson, Northern, junior, forward
Michael Giordano, Palmyra, senior, forward
Peyton Blain, Central Dauphin, senior, midfielder
Ryan Nguyen, Lancaster Country Day, senior, midfielder
Casey Ahern, Lower Dauphin, junior, midfielder
Colson Hunt, Hempfield, senior, defender
Mackenzie Fairs, Palmyra, senior, defender
Ryan Dang, Penn Manor, senior, defender
Nick Scherr, Trinity, senior, defender
John White, Northern, senior, keeper
-- Follow Ed Sutelan on Twitter, @EdwardSutelan
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2019-12-24 10:30:00Z
https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2019/12/meet-pennlives-2019-boys-soccer-all-star-team.html
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