The Malibu High School girls’ soccer team concluded its most successful season by holding its year-end banquet at the Malibu West Beach Club on Thursday.
The team—the first to win a Frontier League championship-advanced farther in the playoffs than any other girls’ soccer team in school history. Moreover, its players enjoyed unprecedented representation on the All-CIF and All-League teams.
A record three players earned All-CIF Southern Section Division Six recognition. Claire Haft was named first-team All-CIF, Samantha Holstmade the second team, and Caysie Beetley took honors on the third team.
“It was a great way to end the season,” Holst said about being named on the All-CIF teams with two of her teammates.
Junior forward Claire Haft, who scored 13 goals during the season, was also named Frontier League Most Valuable Player. “I am really excited. It is nice to get such a big honor,” Haft said.
The Sharks set a record with five players being named first-team All- League. In addition to Haft, senior goalie Sonja Van Solen, and juniors Caysie Beetley, Samantha Holst and Kelcie Meyer were honored. This constituted the third appearance by Van Solen as a first-team All-Leaguer, where she was the lone representative from the Sharks in the previous two years.
Junior Dakota Gross, sophomore Claire Kiefer, and freshmen Maddie Clarfield and Paige Stoker were named second-team All-League. Seniors Jamie Samuel and Mariah Downing, and sophomore Gigi Wooller earned honorable mention All-League honors.
“Last year, only a few people were recognized. This year it was nice to see us represented so well on the All-League team,” Haft said.
Malibu coaches John Johnstone and Lloyd Kinnear were named Frontier League Coaches of the Year for their roles in leading the Sharks to the league title.
The Sharks also announced their team awards. Claire Haft was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Samantha Holst was honored as the Offensive Player of the Year, and Kelcie Meyer was the Defensive Player of the Year. Maddie Clarfield and Paige Stoker were the Rookies of the Year. Caysie Beetley was recognized for leading the Sharks with 19 goals.
With so many juniors on the team, the Sharks hope to achieve continued success next season. Clarfield should replace the graduating Van Solen in goal, and freshmen Stoker and Coral Silverberg played well in critical playoff games despite their inexperience, which should give them confidence going into next season.
“The core players are all coming back, so they have a chance of winning CIF,” Van Solen said. “I do not know what will happen once the current juniors leave, though.”
Haft added, “I think we can be better and go farther than we did this year. We can win CIF.”