Girls Soccer: Two area players named to All-Ohio team

Two local high school girls soccer players have been recognized among Ohio’s best this season.

West Liberty-Salem High School senior Gabby Hollar was named the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Division III player of the year.

“I was very shocked,” Hollar said. “It was a big surprise for me.”

Shawnee High School senior Lena Jenssen was named first team in D-II, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor.

“I had no idea,” Jenssen said. “Shawnee is such a small school in the state for soccer. I wasn’t expecting to make first team.”

Hollar missed the first four games this season with an injury which saw the Tigers start 1-2-1. But from that point forward, the Tigers won 14 of their next 16 games, securing their third straight Ohio Heritage Conference title. Hollar had 25 goals and six assists this season, earning conference player of the year honors.

“Soccer is a team sport,” she said. “None of this would’ve been possible without great teammates and good coaches. It’s more of a group effort than an individual effort.”

Hollar finished her career with 99 goals and 32 assists. She went 63-10-0 during her career. She’ll play for Locker Soccer Elite in the spring and signed a national letter of intent to play soccer collegiately at West Virginia University on Wednesday.

“I really enjoyed my four years,” Hollar said. “I’m a really competitive person, so I always think I can do better, but I had a really fun time playing for Coach Cotrell and with the other girls. I really enjoyed it.”

This year, she played with her sister Emily, who scored 15 goals this year as a freshman.

“It was so fun, I loved it,” Hollar said. “We became so much closer. She’s my best friend so I love playing with her.”

Hollar’s work ethic played a major role in her success, Cotrell said.

“It’s been easy to coach the last four years because she was my best player and my hardest worker every day in practice” he said. “As a coach, when everybody is looking at her going, ‘Man, she works hard and she’s really good.’ You don’t have a lot of excuses in practice when you have a player that does that. No matter who the next opponent she was, she got ready in practice like we were playing the best opponent possible.”

As good of a soccer player as she is, she’s an even better person, Cotrell said.

“It’s been an honor to coach her,” he said.

Jenssen tallied 32 goals and 14 assists for the Braves (10-6-2) this season, earning Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division Player of the Year. She finished her career with 78 goals and 57 assists for a total of 213 points, all of which are school records.

“She’s worked really, really hard,” said Braves coach Mike Gannon. “She hasn’t had an easy journey. I couldn’t be more proud of the young lady that she is, but also the soccer player that she is. She’s earned and deserves to be first team all-state.”

Most importantly, the Braves won 48 games during her career, including two CBC Kenton Trail Division titles and two district final appearances.

“I would’ve like to have gone to the district finals one more time, but it’s been a great journey,” Jenssen said. “I couldn’t have asked for it to end any other way.”

She plays in honor of her father, the late Lars Jenssen, who spent many years coaching youth soccer in the area before his death in 2016.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my Dad,” she said. “He was my coach from when I was three until I was 15.”

Gannon promised her father he would continue to challenge her to become a better player and maximize her potential, he said.

“(Coach Gannon) was my support system and helped me through everything the past two years,” Jenssen said.

Jenssen also signed a national letter of intent to play soccer collegiately at Wright State University. She’ll play for a familiar face in Raiders coach Pat Ferguson, who also coaches Jenssen’s club team, the Ohio Galaxies.

“I love the coaching staff and the players,” Jenssen said.

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