SANDPOINT — Sandpoint High School sophomore Lilliana Brinkmeier was named the Inland Empire League's most valuable player by the league's coaches.

"If anyone watched our district championship game against Moscow, they won't be surprised that the Moscow coach advocated for Lilliana to be MVP of the league," Sandpoint coach Conor Baranski said.

While Sandpoint was ahead 1-0, Brinkmeier made two separate game-deciding decisions to keep the Bulldogs ahead, Baranski said.

"And quite frankly, those two moments were nothing new - Lil had been saving our bacon all season long," he added. "In every single one of our games, Lil came up with something special."

Baranski said Brinkmeier is not only impressive technically but makes wise decisions well beyond her years.

"And she does what every single soccer coach wants in their keeper - to make saves to keep us in games," he added. "Now that we've been to state and seen other 4A keepers, Lil is easily one of the best goalkeepers in the whole state."

Brinkmeier was joined by five of her teammates on the IEL's first team: senior Kelsey Cessna, senior Kimbo Yarnell, junior Hannah Harvey, junior Aliya Strok and freshman Cecilia Dignan. Also named to the team were senior Hadley West, Lakeland; Evelyn Bowie, Lakeland; Jessika Lassen, Moscow; Megan Poler, Moscow; Makenna Knott, Moscow; and Araya Wood, Moscow.

Freshman Ellie Rainer of Moscow was named newcomer of the year and Moscow coach Jessica Brown was named the league's top coach.

As a freshman and sophomore, Kelsey Cessna was an absolute force as a defender, Baranski said. After missed her junior year due to a knee injury, Cessna returned to the pitch to lead the Bulldogs' frontline.

"Once we put her at forward, she played most minutes of most games," Baranski said. "She also scored a lot of crucial, game-winning, goals for us. Some of those goals were through pure grit and determination as she battled multiple defenders to score."

Cessna served as one of the Bulldogs' senior captains spending a lot of time organizing players off the field, calling everyone in for a team talk during warmups, and making sure the Bulldogs showed up in style every day of the state tournament with our big speaker. 

Her selection to the all-league team is a well-deserved honor, Baranski said.

One of the most positive individuals he's ever met, Baranski said Kimbo Yarnell also is a perfect addition to the all-league team.

"She used that [postivity] to great effect as one of our two senior captains this year," he added. "She lifted the team up after difficult losses, made everyone feel included from day one, and always makes those around her feel better when she's around."

Whether Yarnell was playing as a center mid or as a forward, Baranski said the Bulldog found ways to contribute to the team with goals and assists.

"She's a tireless worker every single time she steps on the field, and when she's not leading others through her positivity, she's leading with her workrate and effort," he added.

Another selection to the all-league team, Hannah Harvey had a lot of expectations placed on her this year, mostly by himself — and rose to the occasion, Baranski said.

"We had a lot of center mids last season, many of them upperclassmen, so Hannah had to battle for every minute of playing time she got," he said of the junior. "But I knew she was ready to break into a more pivotal role this season.

Harvey not only rose to the occasion, she was one of Sandpoint's driving forces in the midfield, dictating the pace of play, making tough tackles, and winning 50/50 balls out of the air all over the pitch, Baranski said.

"She takes soccer very seriously, so I am excited to see her next level of improvement between now and her senior year."

Baranski joked that Aliya Strok might as well be a Swiss army knife, "because she does well no matter what gets thrown at her."

During Strok's freshman and sophomore years, she excelled as an outside back, which is where she started the season.

But as coaches tweaked the lineup throughout the season, Strok would play as anything from center mid, outside attacker, or center forward.

"She's a fierce competitor that thrives in big moments, and so it's no surprise that she does well no matter where we put her," Baranski said. "But, we don't take her for granted. Her competitiveness, determination, and adaptability are all very much appreciated."

For a freshman to be recognized with selection to the all-league team is an impressive feat, Baranski said. Freshman Cecilia Dignan well-earned those accolades with strong play and impressive ability on the pitch.

"It's especially impressive because Ce is a phenomenal soccer player in all the ways that the casual observer would miss," he added.

A few games into the season, the Bulldogs moved Cessna to a forward, and "basically threw Ce to the wolves as a centerback," Baranski said.

And she excelled from the start in the position, saying he is pleased the league's other coaches noticed her abilities.

"As a defender, she reads the game so well that she makes it look effortless. And, she's so calm on the ball that she sees passes and spaces that most other players don't see," he added. "Our coaching staff is really excited about her ability to step up this season, and we're excited for her future, too."

Baranski congratulated Brown for her selection as the league's top coach.

"Moscow was ranked as one of the best teams in all of 4A, and she's a very quality individual," he said. "We've established a very healthy rivalry with Moscow, and I respect her and look forward to continuing the battle to get to the state tournament."