NTL BOYS SOCCER: ATHENS' QUINN NAMED 'OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR,' LEZAK 'COACH OF YEAR' (November 3, 2021)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS "" Athens senior Nate Quinn was the NTL "Offensive Player of the Year," and Jake Lezak was "Coach of the Year," in recent voting by the league's coaches, while seven other Wildcats earned all-star recognition, and one was an honorable mention.

A hard-nosed and athletic striker, Quinn has a high soccer IQ. He scored 21 goals and doled out five assists this season.

Lezak directed the Wildcats to a 9-1 league mark, and their seventh NTL title in eight years. The title was Lezak's 11th in his 17-year career at Athens.

Troy's Wyatt Hodlofski was voted the league's "Most Valuable Player," and is the league all-state selection.

Wellsboro junior Peyton McClure was named the "Defensive Player of the Year."

The 2021 NTL boys soccer all-stars are as follows:

FIRST TEAM
Strikers
Nate Quinn, senior, Athens: See above.

The other first-team selections are Wellsboro's Jack Poirier, NEB's Gavin Merritt, and NP-Liberty's Caiden Alexander.

Midfielders
Mason Hughey, senior, Athens: Fast with great foot skills, Hughey scored 15 goals and dished out nine assists.

The other first-team selections are Troy's Wyatt Hodlofski, NEB's Brandon Kuhn, and Wellsboro's Owen Richardson.

Defense
Tucker Brown, senior, Athens: Fast and physical, Brown was an integral piece of the Wildcat defense. He scored one goal and had two assists.

Alex Campbell, junior, Athens: A heady player, Campbell anchored the Athens defense.

The other first-team selections are Wellsboro's Peyton McClure and Brody Morral.

Goalkeeper
Wellsboro's Aiden Gehman.

SECOND TEAM
Strikers
Korey Miller, sophomore, Athens: Miller scored 10 goals and dished out three assists.

The other second-team selections are Wellsboro's Matt Richards and Sam Rudy, and Towanda's Logan Lambert.

Midfielders
Levent VanHelden, junior, Athens: VanHelden had four goals and three assists.

Brayden Post, junior, Athens: Post scored five goals and had two assists.

The other second-team selections are Wellsboro's Caden Smith and NP-LIberty's Derek Litzelman.

Defense
The second-team selections are Troy's Conner Faust and C.J. Stanton, NP-Liberty's Brody Burleigh, and NEB's Joe Stanton.

Goalkeeper
Troy's Eli Randell.

Honorable Mention
Strikers
The honorable mention selections are Towanda's Jack Wheaton, Galeton's Gavin Sykora, NEB's Josh Stanton, NP-Liberty's Jackson Brion, and Troy's Brady Spaulding.

Midfielders
The honorable mention selections are NEB's Cesar Alvarez, Towanda's Nate West, NP-Liberty's Zach Wilcox, and Galeton's Zach Pagano.

Defense
The honorable mention selections are Athens senior Ryan Thompson, NEB's Andrew Beers, Williamson's Glenn Barnes, and Galeton's Trey Kalacinski.

Goalkeeper
NEB's Garrett Cooper.

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IN PHOTO: Athens senior Nate Quinn. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.