Black Hills scorer Joslin Lindsay named The Olympian All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Her last match as a prep player was hardly one for the Black Hills High history books.
Joslin Lindsay will survive. She was all over those books already.
Any sadness over a season-ending 6-0 loss to Squalicum last week in the state Class 2A playoffs had more to do with realizing it was the last high school soccer match she’d play with her two sisters.
And the last chance to play with teammates who grew together through a state quarterfinal season — the first in school history.
“Us seniors helped lead that,” Lindsay said. “It’s a good feeling for my last year.”
Though well-chronicled, Lindsay’s accomplishments bear repeating.
She is the leading scorer in Black Hills history with 78 goals; she scored five goals in a district playoff win over Highline; she scored her career record-breaking goal, a game winner against local rival Tumwater in virtually the last tick of stoppage time; she was the 2A Evergreen Conference offensive MVP as a junior.
Now, Lindsay can add another laurel: She is The Olympian’s 2015 All-Area Player of the Year for girls soccer.
Her speed and ability to change direction are the athletic gifts she brings to the field, said Black Hills coach James Corbin. But there’s more going on.
“Joslin’s competitive nature is infectious,” Corbin said. “It’s like any great player — when they get the opportunity they go for it; they can turn it on.”
Lindsay says it this way: “I’ve kind of always had that drive, like I’m hungry just to score. It’s instinctual, kind of God-given.
“I want to be a game-changer and help the team. It’s a cool feeling.”
There was maybe no better feeling this season than the “storybook” mid-October win over Tumwater, she said. The player whose career record she broke, Melissa Norton, was a prime source of encouragement in the days leading to the record-breaker.
And that the goal won the game against Tumwater, many of whose players she knows from club soccer?
“It played out perfectly,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay first played soccer with Steamboat FC, started by her parents. At about 14, she joined Black Hills Football Club in Tumwater. Soccer wasn’t her only sport, she said, but it’s the one that stuck.
This season, she played on the Wolves team with her twin sister Sam and her sophomore sister Emma.
“It’s sad to have that ending,” she said.
Lindsay’s soccer career has no ending in sight, though it’s not settled where she’ll play at the next level. Saint Martin’s University is looking like a possibility, she said.
There will be soccer.
“When I’m playing, nothing else matters,” Lindsay said. “It’s a cool feeling, for sure.”
THE OLYMPIAN’S ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER TEAM
Player of the year
Joslin Lindsay, Black Hills, sr.: Lindsay netted a season-high five goals in the first round of the Class 2A state tournament to cap a school-record 78-goal career at Black Hills. She tallied 22 goals and six assists this season.
Coach of the year
James Corbin, Black Hills: In his first year at the helm, Corbin coached the Wolves to their first 2A state quarterfinal appearance in program history.
FORWARDS
Bella Foos, Tumwater, jr.: Described as a tireless worker and battler by coach Brett Bartlett, Foos scored 15 goals and racked up six assists for the T-Birds this season.
Savannah Hakes, North Thurston, sr.: No stranger to the net, Hakes tallied 21 goals and seven assists for the Rams. She consistently finishes chances at the goal and has a knack for being at the right place at the right time.
Madison Midstokke, Capital, sr.: Quick with a good feel for the ball, Midstokke had 20 goals and 15 assists for the 3A Narrows runner-up Cougars.
Rachel Wofford, Capital, sr.: A first-team 3A Narrows selection for the second year in a row, Wofford led Capital with 25 goals and 15 assists. She often creates scoring opportunities with more than one defender on her tail.
Midfielders
Grae Hill, North Thurston, sr.: Hill is able to set the pace of play through her unconventional style and commands control of the field. She netted eight goals and had seven assists for the Rams.
Joni Lancaster, Rochester, sr.: A four-time 2A/1A EvCo first-teamer and four-year varsity starter, Lancaster was the backbone of the Warriors team this season with 16 goals and 18 assists.
Jaylen Corbin, Black Hills, sr.: Corbin was a crucial element in the buildup to many of the Wolves’ goals this season while netting three of her own. She also had eight assists.
Sydney Wilson, Capital, so.: A 3A Narrows first-teamer, Wilson is aggressive and hungry, often taking on multiple defenders at a time. She tallied 12 goals and six assists this season.
DEFENDERS
Kayse Smack, Tumwater, jr.: Known for physicality, Smack is a fast central defender who makes a point of squeezing attackers out of space and winning possession of the ball.
Delaney Trotter, Black Hills, sr.: Posted seven goals as a central defender and was the designated PK taker. She made the Wolves dangerous on corners and frustrated opposing offenses while managing back line rotations.
GOALKEEPER
Rachael Cumberland, Capital, sr.: Quick reflexes and a loud vocal presence helped Cumberland average less than one goal allowed per game this season while tallying 93 saves for the Cougars.
Lauren Smith: lsmith@theolympian.com
This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Black Hills scorer Joslin Lindsay named The Olympian All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year."