By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – On Wednesday, it was Senior Night for the Noblesville girls soccer program. They celebrated and honored their 10 senior players prior to the conference match against neighboring Westfield.
The Class 3A No. 1 Millers were faced with a very tough defense from the 3A No. 17 Shamrocks, but were able to space out their scoring and keep the visitors out of the back of the net in a 2-0 defeat of Westfield.
It was also a welcome back to Westfield head coach, former Noblesville player Hannah (Mangus) Eggert, who played four years for the Millers and Mike Brady from 2009-2012.
Eggert is transforming the culture of the Westfield soccer program into what she knows from playing at Noblesville. The Shamrocks are a program that’s much-improved from what they have been in recent years and it’s showing with goalkeeper Kate Pallante.
“She is incredibly talented, has come up big for us in a few games, made some great saves,” said Eggert on her talented, aggressive backstop.
“As the season has gone on, she’s gotten better and more comfortable and become more of a leader, as well. We couldn’t ask for more from her,” continued Eggert on her junior keeper and leader.
“Their goalkeeper had a really nice game and that’s the first player I went and spoke to after the game and let her know that. A different goalkeeper, a different night, yeah, we probably get quite a few more. She stood us up over and over again and we had some good shots, had a really nice game against us,” said Noblesville head coach Mike Brady on Westfield’s tremendous effort in goal by Pallante.
The Shamrocks played and stuck to an aggressive, bump-and-run defense and they didn’t stop.
“We talk a lot about how we are talented and we just show up every game. It doesn’t matter if we’re not the number one team in the state, or if we are, we come and we get ready to play every day. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We just show up and put our best foot forward,” stated Eggert on the Shamrocks’ approach to each game and opponent.
“Hannah’s team, as I’d like to think we do, comes out and plays hard. The first time we played them, I really did say to an assistant that they’re playing Miller soccer. They’re aggressive, in a clean, competitive way,” said Brady, complementing his former player, who is now Westfield’s coach.
Noblesville was able to get on the scoreboard midway through the first half. Sophomore Lily Ault found the back of the net from a pass by sophomore Meredith Tippner for a 1-0 lead.
Senior Ava Bramblett sealed the win that would help keep Westfield away. She took a pass from the right foot of fellow senior Meskerem James, lofting a low shot to the left side of the goal in the 63rd minute for a 2-0 score that would wind up as the final.
The season is just past the halfway point and the top-ranked Millers have yet to yield a goal. This senior class will already go down as the most decorated in program history and they would surely love to add more team accolades in October.
Through Wednesday’s game, this senior class is 58-1-5 with three Hoosier Crossroads Conference titles, three sectional titles, and two regional, two semi-state and two state championships.
“Not only this year as seniors and what they have done for the program. They’ve been part of this culture for four years and the success is crazy,” said Brady on the impact of what this group of seniors has produced thus far in their soccer careers.
“It’s not just the wins. They get along with each other and lift up the younger players. There is no class system where the seniors are special. Tonight’s the only night they are honored, and it’s great that they are, but that’s not what they’re all about. They’re still about the idea of team, that they’ve bought into and the culture in this program is strong. They’re a special senior class and I don’t say that every year,” Brady continued praising this senior class on what they do and how they do it.
“Even coach (assistant coach Kristin Hetzel) was saying it earlier as well. They’re just a special group, individually they are, but then bring them together and watch them work toward the same goal and elevate others, you can’t be happier as a coach to have that in your program,” stated Brady, as he couldn’t stop boasting about this senior class and his team as a whole.
Westfield (4-4-1, 1-3 HCC) gets the weekend off and will next face Cathedral on the road on Monday.
Noblesville (8-0, 4-0 HCC) stays home on Saturday to host Harrison (West Lafayette). The junior varsity kicks off at 10 a.m. with the varsity to follow.
Mike Brady is the wrong coach for Noblesville. He has no experience playing the game. This team is too good for someone as in-experienced as Mr Brady. Coach Hetzel won Noblesville the game against HSE while Mr Brady got kicked out as he acted like a High School Football coach. You do not play your seniors first on senior night. Get ahead 3 goals, then start playing your subs. When playing West Lafayette this year, the team was up 6 goals and still Mr Brady wouldn’t sub in. None of the parents want Mr Brady as the coach, nor do the Noblesville girls. It’s time that Noblesville get a real coach, perhaps even a female coach who has experience playing. Oh wait, the assistant coach Kristin Hetzel played for Purdue University and is Hoosier native. Don’t let someone’s age or gender prevent them from being the coach of this great team Noblesville.
I agree with CiceroGuy. Brady is the worst coach any of my kids had at any level. We should have won many more state championships with the amount of talent we’ve had over the years.