The Albert Lea U-18 girls’ team completed the 2003 regular season with a record of 5-2-1, good for second place in the league and a No. 2 seed in the district tournament.

The team, coached by Paul Marka, is a combination of nine players who are 18 years old and 11 players who are 17. The 18-year-olds are Nikki Allard, Kelly Cook, Nicole Gilbertson, Steph Overgaard, Amy Ravenhorst, Liz Reynen, Shawnna Robertson, Sydney Staloch and Brie Woitas.

This group of players has had a very successful soccer career for Albert Lea. They made three trips to the state tournament, with two runner-up finishes, and have had outstanding high school soccer careers.

The 17-year-old players are Mandy Ardolf, Emily Bergstrom, Katie Dooley, Char Everhart, Amy Marka, Lacey Pederson, Brianne Plantage, Missy Reichl, Crystal Rentz, Emily Staloch and Katie Stenseth. This group has also been to the state tournament three times, with two state championships on their resume. Most of the players will play a big part for the high school team this fall.

The team was led by all-state honorable mention player Ravenhorst with eight goals, Amy Marka with four goals, Allard with two goals and Woitas, Sydney Staloch and Pederson with one goal each.

The key to the team’s success has been the goal keeping of Reynen and Emily Staloch, who have allowed only five goals in eight games, and the defense of Overgaard, Ardolf, Reichl, Bergstrom, Dooley, Plantage and Robertson, with strong midfield play by Ravenhorst, Cook, Everhart, Sydney Staloch, Stenseth Pederson. The forward position played very fast and physical this summer, led by Amy Marka, Woitas, Allard, Rentz, Gilbertson, Reynen and Emily Staloch filling in when not playing in goal.