Pioneer Press Names 2009 Boys & Girls Soccer Player of the Year
The Pioneer Press named their boys and girls Soccer Player of the Year on Wednesday.
David Rosenthal from the Boys 2A State Championship team Apple Valley takes the award home this year. According to the Pioneer Press, the senior forward had a breakout season with a school-record 33 goals and 22 assists in leading the Eagles to a 24-0-0 record and the school’s unprecedented eighth state championship.
The Pioneer Press’ Tim Leighton wrote this about the newly named 2009 Soccer Player of the Year: Rosenthal scored perhaps Apple Valley’s most pivotal goal of the season when he had the winner in the Eagles’ 3-2 victory over Northfield in last week’s Class AA semifinals. It was Rosenthal’s only goal of the state tournament, one that broke Chris Scanlon’s single-season record at Apple Valley. A one-timer into the far corner, it gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
Rosenthal, who carries a 3.9 grade-point average and scored a 34 on his ACT, plans to play soccer at St. Olaf or St. Thomas. He then hopes to study medicine.
Caitlin Grabowski, from the Girls 2A State runner up Woodbury Royals, is the winner of the 2009 Pioneer Press Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The two-time all-state center midfielder had a major impact in helping the Royals’ defense allow just seven goals this season. She also had 19 goals and four assists as Woodbury scored 87 times.
The St. Paul paper said: She was a vital link in the midfield for counterattacks and stopping opponents’ offense before it could gain any momentum.
Grabowski said, “I want to be remembered as … someone that the younger girls can remember and look up to.”
Graboswki has been recruited by Iowa State and plans on attending the school and continuing her soccer career.
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