Wisconsin Soccer Central

There are still plenty of matches left in the prep girls soccer season, but Waukesha Catholic Memorial standout Emily Cervantes already has earned one of the season's major honors.

The high-scoring forward was named the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the third sophomore to claim the honor in its 17-year history. The first two winners of the award, Madison West's Jenny Kundert in 1998 and Whitefish Bay's Gillian Hatch in 1999, also were sophomores.

The award recognizes excellence in competition, in addition to academics and character, as demonstrated on and off the field. As the state winner, Cervantes is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award.

Cervantes has 36 goals and 16 assists through 17 games for the Crusaders (15-2-0) this season. The 5-foot-9 striker scored 50 goals as a freshman last spring and was the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Spring All-American.

"I've yet to see her in a game where she didn't dominate," Milton coach Kayla Miller said in a news release. "What she's able to create for herself and for her teammates is amazing. She has tremendous speed and a soccer IQ that is far beyond her years."

Cervantes maintains a B average in the classroom and volunteers for the Waukesha TOPSoccer program, which helps children with disabilities play soccer. She is the third Catholic Memorial athlete to be named Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year, following midfielders Leslie Osborne (2000 and '01) and Jennifer Baumann (2007).

GATORADE WISCONSIN GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
1998: F Jenny Kundert, so., Madison West
1999: M Gillian Hatch, so., Whitefish Bay
2000: M Leslie Osborne, jr., Waukesha Catholic Catholic Memorial
2001: M Leslie Osborne, sr., Waukesha Catholic Catholic Memorial
2002: GK Kate Taylor, sr., Milwaukee University School
2003: M-F Heather Ferron, sr., Brookfield Central
2004: M Marti Desjarlais, jr., Brookfield Central
2005: M Marti Desjarlais, sr., Brookfield Central
2006: M Kelly Wepking, sr., Kenosha Tremper
2007: M Jennifer Baumann, sr., Waukesha Catholic Memorial
2008: F Laurel Ragalie, sr., Kenosha Bradford
2009: M Taylor Madigan, sr., Waunakee
2010: M-F Alex Melin, sr., Verona
2011: F Morgan LaPlant, sr., Madison La Follette
2012: M Josee Stiever, jr., Cedarburg
2013: M Josee Stiever, sr., Cedarburg
2014: F Emily Cervantes, so., Waukesha Catholic Memorial

• After blanking Milwaukee DSHA 1-0 on Friday for its seventh straight victory, Whitefish Bay moved into the Student Sports Fab 50 this week at No. 48. The Blue Dukes (12-2-3) also are eighth in the website's Great Lakes Region rankings, with DSHA (11-3-1) falling two spots to No. 10.
• Catholic Memorial dropped out of the Student Sports rankings after its 2-1 double-overtime loss to Waukesha West last week – the Crusaders suffered their second loss of the season Tuesday night, falling to Kettle Moraine 2-0.
• Whitefish Bay is eighth in the NSCAA Region III rankings, which also include Catholic Memorial at No. 10. No state teams are in the organization's Top 25.
• Sophomore Grace Lujan had two goals and an assist as Waunakee scored all of its goals in the second half of a 5-0 victory over host Baraboo on Tuesday night, extending its Northern Badger Conference winning streak to 57. Senior striker Emily Mouille, a Marquette recruit, added her 29th goal of the year for the Warriors (13-5-0), who will look to wrap up their 11th straight unbeaten league season Thursday against Sauk Prairie.