By Paul Lecker
For Wausau Pilot & Review
Conference champion D.C. Everest had four first-team selections, including WVC Player of the Year Jacob Lorge, on the 2022 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Soccer Team, as voted on by the seven conference coaches following the season.
Lorge, the Evergreens’ goalkeeper, had a .918 save percentage, allowing just four goals in nine conference matchups.
Defender Colin Belton, and midfielders Evan Peak and Raul Rosales were also named first-team picks for D.C. Everest. Rounding the first team were defenders Deacon Young of Stevens Point and Sean Roenius of Wisconsin Rapids, midfielder Ben Omernik of Stevens Point, Marshfield forward/midfielder Maahir Patel, and Wisconsin Rapids forwards Zilfi Aliu, Aiden Dunn and Ben Weidman.
Weidman led the conference with 12 goals, Aliu had nine goals and a WVC-best six assists, and Dunn finished with eight goals and four assists.
Wausau West midfielder Nick Knezic, Wausau East midfielder George Vang, D.C. Everest midfielder Colin Abbiehl, and D.C. Everest defenders Tyler Goertz and Jonah Vesper were among the second-team selections.
Wausau West goalkeeper Beckett Teske, defender T.J. Sondelski and defender/midfielder Ben Schuler, Wausau East goalkeeper Connor Smith, defender Erek Ross, midfielder Noah Reha and forward Kaedyn Kelly, and D.C. Everest midfielders Hezekiah Mletzko and Lucas Rickert were among the honorable mention choices.
2022 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Soccer Team
(*denotes unanimous selection)
First Team
Goalkeeper: *Jacob Lorge, sr., D.C. Everest.
Defenders: *Colin Belton, sr., D.C. Everest; Deacon Yang, jr., Stevens Point; Sean Roenius, so., Wisconsin Rapids.
Midfielders: *Evan Peak, jr., D.C. Everest; *Ben Omernik, sr., Stevens Point; Raul Rosales, sr., D.C. Everest.
Forwards: *Zilfi Aliu, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Aiden Dunn, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Forward/midfielder: *Ben Weidman, jr., Wisconsin Rapids; Maahir Patel, sr., Marshfield.
Second Team
Goalkeeper: Dalton Petersen, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Midfielders: Brett Mannigel, sr., Marshfield; Nick Knezic, sr., Wausau West; George Vang, jr., Wausau East; Cole Anderson, jr., Stevens Point; Colin Abbiehl, sr., D.C. Everest.
Defenders: Ben Klingforth, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Jonah Vesper, jr., D.C. Everest; Andrew Falkavage, jr., Stevens Point; Tyler Goertz, jr., D.C. Everest.
Defender/midfielder: Ethan Hafenbredl, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Honorable Mention
Goalkeepers: Efrain Jaimes-Patino Jr., jr., Stevens Point; Beckett Teske, sr., Wausau West; Kekoa Schuetze, jr., Merrill; Connor Smith, sr., Wausau East.
Defenders: T.J. Sondelski, so., Wausau West; Jonathon Kracht, jr., Merrill; Erek Ross, sr., Wausau East; Lucas Bean, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Midfielders: Hezekiah Mletzko, fr., D.C. Everest; Noah Reha, jr., Wausau East; Caleb Lemieux, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Keegan Fredrick, so., Marshfield; Lucas Rickert, jr., D.C. Everest; Mathew Uphoff, so., Marshfield.
Forwards: Kaedyn Kelly, jr., Wausau East; Diego Mata, jr., Stevens Point; Omar Mata, so., Stevens Point.
Defender/midfielders: Jorden Szelagowski, so., Wisconsin Rapids; Ben Schuler, jr., Wausau West.
Player of the Year: Jacob Lorge, sr., goalkeeper, D.C. Everest.
