CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ashley Meier knew what she wanted to do more than a year ago.
After losing to Walsh Jesuit in a 2010 state semifinal, the Strongsville standout and her teammates made up their minds to get the job done in 2011. That's just what the Mustangs did in winning the school's fourth state championship and first since 2005.
With 17 goals and 13 assists, the senior midfielder did her part once again and has been named The Plain Dealer's Girl Soccer Player of the Year.
"I think that loss [to Walsh Jesuit], how close we were, I think we came out so much harder," said Meier, who will be playing at Virginia Tech next season. "We were a great team last year. But we were a lot closer this year. We had a very strong attack and a great defense."
The Mustangs (21-2) scored 79 goals and allowed 16 -- only two in the postseason. They suffered their two losses in September, which knocked them out of the No. 1 spot in the ESPN Rise national poll.
"You are going for that perfect season, but maybe it was good for us," said Meier, named the state's top player by the coaches' association. "We knew we had to come out and work harder and did not have that huge target on our back. It was a bump in the road, and we didn't want to have that feeling again."
The Mustangs didn't.
After the 1-0 loss to Dublin Coffman on Sept. 10, they reeled off 17 straight victories. The final was a 1-0 win over Dublin Jerome.
"I remember walking into Crew Stadium as a freshman," said Meier, whose club lost that final to Cincinnati St. Ursula, 1-0, in 2008. "I got to play two years with my sister [Alyssa, now at Pittsburgh], and that was good. But this year was the best.
"Walking into Columbus Crew Stadium with my best friends and teammates, it was an indescribable feeling."
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ASHLEY MEIER
Strongsville
Senior midfielder
College: Virginia Tech.
Notable: Named Ohio player of the year by state coaches' association. Led the Mustangs with 17 goals and 13 assists for a two-year total of 41 goals and 24 assists. Strongsville went 41-4-2 during that span.
OTHER ALL-STARS
KATIE GEORGE
Walsh Jesuit
Senior defender
College: Akron.
Notable: Shutdown defender was named the Division II player of the year. Credited with helping the Warriors allow only six goals in going 18-1-2, with the loss in a shootout in the state semifinal.
KIM LEITCH
Rocky River
Senior goalkeeper
College: Undecided.
Notable: Holds school mark with 31 shutouts to best the career mark of sister, Molly. Kept the Pirates in the hunt as they lost only twice in a record-setting season.
SARAH MOLINA
Rocky River
Senior midfielder
College: Maryland.
Notable: National-level player earned Division II first-team honors. Capped four-year career with nine goals and 11 assists in helping Pirates go a school-best 18-2-1 and reach regional final.
ERIN O'TOOLE
Holy Name
Senior defender
College: Cleveland State.
Notable: Earned Division II first- team laurels as Green Wave reached district final. Played against top competition as shutdown defender for young club that went 12-4-3.
REAGAN ROBISHAW
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
Senior midfielder
College: Illinois.
Notable: Moved into defensive role in scoring 10 goals. Named to the Division II first team and finished with 75 career goals. Will move on to Big Ten champion Illini.
LYSETTE ROMAN
Hathaway Brown
Junior midfielder
College: Undecided.
Notable: Scored game-winning goals in both the district semifinal and final as the Blazers went 11-6-2. She finished with nine goals and 11 assists in emerging as a team leader.
HANNAH SCHIPPERS
Solon
Junior midfielder
College: Miami (Ohio).
Notable: Paced the Comets with 17 goals, as they reached the district final to finish the season at 15-3-1.
ALLIE SENDER
Strongsville
Senior defender
College: Charleston.
Notable: Solid backliner was instrumental with strong defensive play in going against top offensive players. Named to the Division I second team.
ALYSON SMIGEL
Walsh Jesuit
Senior forward
College: Dayton.
Notable: Led the nationally ranked Warriors with 16 goals and 15 assists. Counted on to spearhead attack that produced 73 goals.
JASMINE WAUGAMAN
Brecksville-Broadview Hts.
Senior forward
College: Undecided.
Notable: Named to the Division I first team. Scored 12 goals and had three assists as the Bees went 14-2-2 and reached the regional semifinals.
COACH OF THE YEAR
JON FELTON
Strongsville
Record: 21-2.
Notable: Since taking over the program in 1997, Felton has had his teams in contention. Strongsville this fall became the first public school to win four Division I state championships, adding to the 1998, 2002 and '05 titles. The Mustangs have been runners-up three times (2003, '07, '08). The Elyria High and Bowling Green graduate has compiled a 258-38-28 record in 15 seasons.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168
On Twitter: @JoeMaxse
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