SOERGEL NAMED KJCCC WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Hutchinson Community College freshman goalkeeper Chiara Soergel was named the 2019 Jayhawk West Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Soergel was one of seven Blue Dragons to earn All-Jayhawk West honors in a 12-4 season in 2019.
Six of the seven players were first-team selections … Soergel, Samantha Vaughn, Esther Karhayu, Naomi Waithira, Jenna Boese and Cheyenne Busker. Marah Franke was a second-team selection.
Waithira and Boese are two-time all-conference selections. Both were first-team all-conference as freshmen.
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CHIARA SOERGEL – DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The freshman keeper from Bensheim, Germany, posted a record of 12-4 this season with 12 shutouts and a 0.60 goals-against average.
Leading the nation for most of the season in GGA, Soergel ended up 10th in the NJCAA in that category and tied for third in shutouts.
Soergel had two streaks of five-straight shutouts. The first one lasted a school record 624 minutes.
Soergel was named Jayhawk Conference Goalkeeper of the Week three times and earned NJCAA National weekly honors once.
Her 12 shutouts were second most by a Dragon keeper in a single season. Her 0.60 GGA tied for eight best in a single season and her 12 wins were tied for fifth most in team single-season history.
Soergel is the fifth Blue Dragon to be named the league's Defensive Player of the Year and the 10th overall Player of the Year. The last time the Blue Dragons had a Defensive Player of the year was Madison Pollack in 2016.
NAOMI WAITHIRA – First Team, Midfield
Waithira had an exceptional season with 10 goals, 17 assists and 37 points. Her 17 assists were sixth most in Blue Dragon single-season history. Waithira also accounted for three game-winning goals.
Waithira scored at least one point in 13 of 16 games played this season. She had two goals each against Pratt, Garden City and Hesston College.
Waithira had two four-assists games in both games against Hesston College. The second matchup on October 9 led to a career-best eight-point game.
Waithira finished her career with 32 assists in two seasons. That ranked fourth in Blue Dragon history.
JENNA BOESE – First Team, Defender
Giving up goals didn't happen often in Jenna Boese's two years on the Blue Dragon back line.
Over her two seasons, the Blue Dragons allowed only 26 goals in 33 games, only nine in her sophomore season.
Boese was a steady and powerful defensive influence for the Blue Dragon defense in 2019. The 12 shutouts the Blue Dragons posted in 2019 tied for fourth most in team history. The nine goals allowed tied for second fewest in team history.
SAMANTHA VAUGHN – First Team, Forward
Vaughn scored 15 goals and had 12 assists in her freshman season at Hutchinson.
She had a six-goal, three assist, 11-point game against Hesston College on September 14. She had a four-goal game against Redlands on August 30.
Vaughn was credited with two game-winning goals.
ESTHER KARHAYU – First Team, Forward
The speedy Karhayu made life tough on opposing back lines as a freshman and tallied 13 goals and one assists this season.
Her best outing was a four-goal, nine-point game against Hesston College on September 14.
Karhayu had two game-winning scores.
CHEYENNE BUSKER – First Team, Defender
Another key piece to Hutchinson's league-leading defense, Busker was also a threat from the backline to add to the Hutchinson offense.
Busker finished the season with six goals and four assists as a freshman. She had a two-goal game against Redlands and had a two-assist game against Hesston College.
MARAH FRANKE – Second Team, Midfield
Franke was a solid contributor in the midfield for the Blue Dragons in 2019, but she quickly became known for her corner kick prowess.
The Blue Dragons scored goals on 10 of her 67 corner kicks this season.
For the year, Franke had six goals and 13 overall assists.