4 Colonial League 2016 Soccer All-Stars from Saucon Valley

Each year when the league games start winding down, all the coaches from the Colonial League vote to make up the First Team, Second Team and Honorable mentions for the league. The following Saucon players were chosen for the league’s First Team. These players were honored at the league final games at Northern Lehigh Thursday. Congratulations to all of them. They make us Saucon proud!

Girls Team

Name: Anna Opgaard (exchange student from Norway)

Parents’ Names: Magne Opgaard and Liv Opgaard (Host Family: Judy, Tom and Taylor Roney)

Year in School: Senior

Position: Center mid

Years on Team: (Unfortunately only) 1

Favorite game this year and why: When we beat Southern Lehigh, because it was a close game and everyone was so hyped! Always a good feeling to beat one of the best teams in the league.

Favorite soccer moment on this team: Every victory and the bus ride home after a good game.

What do you love about this soccer team? We act like a family, both on the field and outside! Everyone takes care of everyone and we have a really good time together.

What have you learned from this team? To enjoy every happy moment, because you will never get the exact same moment again.

Plans for the future: Graduate from school in Norway, play soccer as long as I can, visit Brooke in the U.S. and enjoy life.

Anything you’d like to add? To all Saucon players or future Saucon players: Have fun and enjoy your years on the team because you will miss it. And always play with pride!!

Coach Stevie Ochse’s thoughts about Anna: A pleasant surprise from Norway, Anna has tremendous control of the ball and is able to help our team maintain possession. She is a very smart player.

Name: Kimmy Polefka 

Parents’ Names: Sara and John Polefka

Year in School: Sophomore

Years on Team: 2

Position: Defense

Did you play in the Saucon Valley Youth Soccer League? If so, who was your coach? Yes, I did. I played for Coach Joe Long and Fernando Martins.

Favorite game this year and why: My favorite game this year was Southern Lehigh. It wasn’t just because we won, it was because we proved to not only everyone else, but ourselves. It gave the team a good boost of confidence.

Favorite soccer moment on this team: Anything with Katherine Naiburg

What do you love about this soccer team? I love the atmosphere. Every day after school it’s like coming to a second family. It really brightens up my day going to practice and just seeing my team.

What have you learned from this team? That even after a tough loss, a bad day or a tough time in life, that the sun will come up tomorrow.

Plans for the future: I’d like to do something with computers and travel the world. But most importantly try and positively help people.

Anything you’d like to add? I couldn’t have done a lot of things in life without my family, friends and team. Never walk alone.

Coach Ochse’s thoughts on Kimmy: Kimmy is a strong central defender who shut down many of the attacks up the middle of the field. She is also a great distributor of the ball to our attacking midfielders.

Name: Brooke Riefenstahl

Parents’ Names: Jill and Keith Riefenstahl

Year in School: Sophomore

Position: Outside mid and center mid

Years on team: 2

Club team: Harleysville

Did you play in the Saucon Valley Youth Soccer League? If so, who was your coach? Yes, Coach Joe Long.

Favorite game this year and why: Southern Lehigh or the first Salisbury game. Southern Lehigh was a close game that went back and forth and took a team effort to win. Salisbury was another really close game and we scored really late in the game to win.

Favorite soccer moment on this team: Bus rides and “As Long As You Love Me.”

What do you love about this soccer team? We are a family and work together well.

What have you learned from this team? The seniors say every year to not take these four years of high school soccer for granted because it goes by really fast.

Plans for the future: Finish my athletic and academic career at Saucon. Go to college and play soccer. Visit Anna in Norway.

Coach Ochse’s thoughts on Brooke: Brooke is a great defensive presence in the midfield and is also our leading goal scorer.

Sophomore Kiele Riefenstahl made Honorable Mention 

Boys Team

Name: Zach Harvey

Parents’ Names: Joe and Kara Harvey

Position: Center Back, Center Mid, Forward

Years on Team: 4

Club team: Lehigh Valley United

Did you play in the Saucon Valley Youth Soccer League? If so, who was your coach? Yes, Mr. Carl Nelson.

Favorite game this year and why: Palisades, (because it was) a great team effort (and) one of our best games of the year.

Favorite soccer moment on this team: Winning districts sophomore year and hanging out with the boys.

What do you love about this soccer team? Everyone’s a family and no matter how much adversity we face we always come together.

What have you learned from this team? How to be a leader and that backdoor scores.

Plans for the future: Play college soccer, get a degree, marry the love of my life, have a house in the sky and go to Mars.

Anything you’d like to add? I would like to thank my family, coaches, teammates, and especially my sister Erica for being my biggest fan.

Coach Mel Moyer on Zach: Harvey is one of the most versatile players that I have had the pleasure of coaching in high school and middle school. He is technical and strong in the air. He possesses quality leadership skills and is the only two-year captain that I have had in my tenure as coach. His abilities are reflective of the fact that he is one of the few players in the Colonial League to be named a 1st team All-Star for three years running. He will be greatly missed next year.

Senior Ryan Smith (Forward) and Sophomore Jared Thatcher (Defense) made the 2nd Team; Khoa Nguyen and Sean Freed, both Senior Midfielders, made Honorable Mention

Congratulations Anna, Kimmy, Brooke and Zach! You represent Saucon well!