Millbrook Blazers Division 9 Champs

Millbrook Blazers Division 9 Champs
Millbrook mid-fielder Sadie Krueger can be seen in action  during one of the games from the team’s winning season. Photo submitted

MILLBROOK — It takes a lot of training, a lot of team work and a lot of good coaching — put that all together and in this challenging pandemic year the Millbrook High School Blazers Girls Soccer Team was able to make the goal that really mattered — becoming Section Champions for 2020-21. 

The team celebrated its victory on Monday, April 18, following a season that started after having just one week to prepare due to a COVID-19 pause that was placed on high school athletics. It could easily have turned out to have been a dismal season, but instead became one for the record books. 

With a tremendous amount of will, hard work and leadership from senior players Sam Erdt, Haley Kozero and Rebecca Quick, the Blazers started their season playing the Pine Plains Bombers, winning 8-0.  

They next beat number four Rhinebeck High School, 2-0, with goals by Millbrook’s Hudson Heitmann, with assistance provided during the game from Sam, Rebecca and Sadie Krueger. The only two shots on goal made by the Rhinebeck Hawks were saved by Millbrook’s Ella Wilson; Rhinebeck’s Sophia Schofield had no saves. 

The Blazers went on to celebrate a phenomenal, if short, season with 9 wins, 0 losses and only 1 tie. 

“That’s the best soccer season in Millbrook history,” said the girls’ soccer coach, Jerome Cazoneri. “They were really looking forward to the season. In spite of the COVID pause, they worked hard and they were ready, in great physical shape. Everyone contributed.”

The coach added that 10 out of the 11 starters were juniors or seniors; the juniors will hopefully return to play next year. 

“They’ve been a very good team and made it last year to the finals and lost the final game to S.S. Seward,” said Cazoneri. “Seward would have been their final game this year, but  dropped out when they found they had been exposed to COVID in a previous match.” 

He noted that it was a major team effort that afforded them the victory, and then named his exceptional players this year: Hailey Kozero was honored for playing exemplary All-Section; Emily Grasseler for being a superlative Mid-Fielder; Hudson Heitmann for Scoring; while Rebecca Quick was named All Star Player. 

“They earned the number one seed in the playoffs, and shut out Rhinebeck 2-0 in the semi-final,” Canzoneri added. “While the players were disappointed to not play the final game, we celebrate a truly remarkable season.”

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