These all-stars stood out when it counted most

Most of the 2011 Inquirer all-South Jersey girls' soccer team could have been predicted before the season.

Most players, particularly on the first team, already had stellar reputations, and some already had Division I scholarships.

What's most significant, though, is that these players didn't just live up to their reputation by filling up stat sheets, but they did so in the season's biggest moments.

The best example of this is Lenape senior forward Katie Rigby (21 goals, 15 assists). Rigby, this season's South Jersey Player of the Year, netted eight of her 21 goals in the postseason.

The three other Indians on the first team - Rachel Johnson, Allison Johnson, and Tori Prager - also came up big in Lenape's run to its fifth consecutive Group 4 state title. Prager, a junior midfielder and Rutgers recruit, finished with 12 goals and 17 assists, including a goal and an assist in the Indians' 3-1 win over Eastern in the sectional final.

Junior defender Rachel Johnson made a name for herself by consistently marking and shutting down the state's top scoring threats and making life easier for her sister Allison, a senior goalkeeper. Allison Johnson might not have had to save a high number of shots, but she proved a commanding presence in the box and played a big role in running the Indians defense and in containing dangerous opportunities.

The only New Jersey team to beat Lenape this year was Eastern, as first-team forward Madison Tiernan scored the only goal in the Vikings' 1-0 win. Tiernan, a junior Rutgers recruit, finished the season with 21 goals and 13 assists. She also scored four goals through the team's four postseason games. In the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs, Tiernan tied a school record with four assists in a 6-0 win over Mainland.

Joining Tiernan as first-team forwards are Timber Creek senior Olivia McEachern, a St. Joseph's University recruit who recorded 25 goals and 10 assists, and Haddon Township senior Patrice Maro.

Maro, a Philadelphia University recruit, scored perhaps her biggest goal on a breakaway with two minutes left in overtime in a 2-1 win over New Egypt in the state Group 1 semifinals. She also netted a goal and an assist in the team's 4-2 win over Schalick in the sectional finals.

The first-team midfield includes William and Mary recruit Katie Johnston (26 goals, 15 assists), a senior who had a big year on both ends of the field in a historic season for Haddonfield; Absegami senior Erica Skroski, a Rutgers recruit who ended her stellar career with 15 goals (eight game-winners) and 13 assists; and Shawnee junior Erin Smith, a strong two-way midfielder who finished the season with 11 goals and seven assists.

Rounding out the first team is Paul VI senior defender Loren Reilley, a UNC Charlotte recruit who has consistently been among the state's top defenders in her high school career.