Meet the 2023 T&G Hometeam high school girls' soccer Super Team

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette, with the Central Mass High School Sports Awards program, is proud to announce the nominees for the Girls' Soccer Athlete of the Year. The winner will be announced during the live show on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 p.m. at the Hanover Theatre.

During the live show, these nominees will be honored, along with the athletes of the year in 30 other sports. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a free ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Additional tickets may be purchased on the show’s website.

The Central Mass High School Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. Last year’s show can still be viewed online at this link. This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its school’s athletic department. More details on that are coming soon.

Here are the nominees for the Girls' Soccer Athlete of the Year:

Yael Bugaev

Westborough High

Junior, Goalkeeper

Bugaev started all 17 games for the Rangers and posted 10 shutouts. She allowed just 10 goals while helping to lead Westborough to a Division 2 state tournament berth. The Rangers finished 9-2-6. Bugaev was a team captain. Her most memorable moments of the season include playing striker against Assabet Valley and scoring in the 7-0 win. Another highlight was rallying from two goals down to tie eventual Division 1 state finalist Algonquin Regional, 2-2. Bugaev had a string of six straight shutouts early in the season. She hopes to play soccer in college. She is the daughter of Valeria and Nikolay Bugaev of Westborough.

Sadie Candela

Algonquin Regional

Senior, Forward

Candela netted a hat trick in the Titans’ first-round Division 1 state tournament game, and from there, Algonquin rolled into the state final. Beating Newton South, 3-0, to advance to the state semis and sharing the joy and emotion of the achievement on the bus ride home was Candela’s most memorable moment of the season. The Titans defeated Wellesley, 2-1, in the semis before falling to Hingham in the championship game. Candela was a team captain and a Mid-Wach A all-star. In the fall, she will attend Villanova University to study biology on a pre-med track. She hopes to become a doctor or surgeon. She is the daughter of Vanessa and David Candela of Southborough.

Jessica Forbes

Tahanto Regional

Senior, Attacking Mid

Forbes scored 11 goals and added 11 assists to lead Tahanto to the Division 5 state semifinals, the program’s first state semifinal appearance. Helping her team make school history was her most memorable moment of the season. Forbes scored the winning goal in Tahanto’s 2-1 victory over Georgetown in the quarterfinals. She finished her career with 61 goals and 34 assists and was a three-time selection to the Central Mass. Soccer Coaches Association all-state team. Forbes was a two-year captain, two-time Mid-Wach D MVP and three-time league all-star. She was a T&G Super Team selection in basketball last winter. She is undecided on her college plans, but she would like to study biomedical engineering and play soccer at the college level. She is the daughter of Amy and John Forbes of Clinton.

Nicolette Kiorpes

Doherty High

Senior, Forward

Kiorpes scored 27 goals and added 11 assists to lead the Highlanders to a berth in the Division 1 state tournament. Kiorpes led the Inter-High in scoring and ranked among the leaders in Central Mass. Doherty claimed the Inter-High title and finished 14-2-1. During the Highlanders’ 9-0 start to the season, Kiorpes had two five-goal games. Kiorpes also made her mark internationally last fall as a member of the United States team that played at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India. Kiorpes was the only player from New England selected to the prestigious squad. In the fall, she will attend Penn State and she aspires to play soccer professionally. She is the daughter of Demetra Ourdas of Worcester.

Lydia LeBlanc

Gardner High

Senior, Forward

LeBlanc scored 29 goals and added 10 assists to lead Central Mass. in scoring and help the Wildcats reach the quarterfinals of the Division 5 state tournament. LeBlanc’s 29 goals were a single-season Gardner record. She set Wildcat career marks for goals (60) and assists (21). A team captain, LeBlanc led Gardner to a 14-4-1 record. She scored two hat tricks in the state tournament. Walking off the field after Gardner’s 2-1 loss at Sutton in the state quarterfinals, her final high school game, and being surrounded by her teammates was LeBlanc’s most memorable moment of the season. In the fall, LeBlanc will attend the University of Connecticut, where she will play soccer. She plans to become a physician’s assistant. She is the daughter of Cheryl and Chad LeBlanc of Winchendon.

Olivia Magierowski

Tantasqua Regional

Senior, Outside Mid

Magierowski scored 17 goals and added six assists to lead Tantasqua to a berth in the Division 3 state tournament. The Warriors finished 13-3-3. Magierowski was a team captain and SWCL all-star. Her most memorable moments of the season included putting on concerts on bus rides to road games, as well as scoring two goals in the first five minutes on Senior Night and leading Tantasqua to a 5-1 win over Quaboag Regional. In the fall, she will attend Worcester State University, where she will study nursing and play soccer. She is the daughter of Sherry and Paul Magierowski of Brimfield.

Ava Magnuson

Sutton High

Freshman, Forward

Magnuson scored 27 goals and added seven assists to lead the Suzies to their second straight Division 5 state championship, which was Magnuson’s most memorable moment of the season. She scored two goals in Sutton’s 3-2 win over Monson in the final. As Magnuson proved in 2021 by scoring 19 goals as an eighth-grader while playing a partial season, she will be a force for years to come. She was a Dual Valley Conference all-star and MVP of the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association (CMADA) Class C Tournament. Magnuson scored twice in Sutton’s 4-0 win over Littleton in the final. She is a high honor roll student. She is the daughter of Tanya and Chuck Magnuson of Sutton.

Gabriela Miranda

Algonquin Regional

Senior, Midfielder

Miranda helped lead the Titans to the Division 1 state final. She scored in the 75th minute to lift Algonquin past Framingham, 1-0, in a second-round state tournament game. The Titans went on to defeat Newton South and Wellesley before falling to Hingham in the final. Miranda was a Mid-Wach A all-star and league MVP while leading the Titans to a 16-2-6 record. Her most memorable moments of the season were the bus rides to and from games, singing and dancing with her teammates. In the fall, she will attend Liberty University, where she will study nursing and play soccer. She is the daughter of Joe and Kelly Miranda of Northborough.

Kaylin O’Meara

Littleton High

Senior, Center Midfielder

O’Meara scored 10 goals and added three assists, and helped the Tigers make history as the first team in program history to advance to the Division 4 state semifinals. O’Meara scored in the first half of Littleton’s 3-0 victory over Millbury in the quarterfinals. Littleton won the Mid-Wach C crown with a record of 12-0-0 and finished 20-2-1. O’Meara, a team captain, was the league MVP. Her most memorable moment of the season was scoring the tying goal against Tahanto Regional in the semifinals of the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association (CMADA) Class C Tournament and going on to win the game on penalty kicks. O’Meara also plays basketball and participates in musical theater. In the fall, she will attend Emerson College, where she will study marketing communication and play soccer. She is the daughter of Melissa and Marc O’Meara of Littleton.

Kali Tewksbury

Nipmuc Regional

Senior, Center Back

Tewksbury helped lead the Warriors to the second round of the Division 3 state tournament. Tewksbury anchored Nipmuc’s formidable defense, which allowed 19 goals in 21 games and posted 12 shutouts. The Warriors won the Dual Valley Conference title and finished 17-3-1. Tewksbury, a team captain, was the DVC Player of the Year. Beating Auburn, 1-0, to capture the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association (CMADA) Class B Tournament championship was her most memorable moment of the season. She is undecided on her plans for next year. She is the daughter of Michelle and Brent Tewksbury of Mendon.

Ava VanBuskirk

Marlborough High

Junior, Striker/Wing

VanBuskirk scored 33 goals to lead Mid-Wach B and earn league MVP honors. She opened the season with a four-goal performance against Hudson, and scored five times in the Panthers’ win over Tyngsborough. The Panthers earned a berth in the Division 2 state tournament, and qualifying for the postseason was VanBuskirk’s most memorable moment of the year. The Panthers finished 9-9-1. Last winter, she was a T&G Super Team selection in indoor track after starring in the 55- and 300-meter dashes. She volunteers with Best Buddies. She is the daughter of Pam and Joe VanBuskirk of Marlborough.

Calista Vlahos

Shrewsbury High

Senior, Forward

Vlahos scored 11 goals and added five assists to lead the Colonials to the second round of the Division 1 state tournament. It was a memorable final high school season for Vlahos, who helped Shrewsbury improve from a 3-11-4 record in 2019, her freshman year, to 10-6-4, in 2022. Assisting on the winning goal in the Colonials’ 1-0 win over Arlington in the first round of the state tourney was a top highlight, and scoring her “favorite high school goal” two minutes into Shrewsbury’s game against Mid-Wach A rival Westborough on the Rangers’ Senior Night was another. Vlahos was a team captain and league all-star. She is the daughter of Greg and Angelica Vlahos of Shrewsbury.

Honorable Mention

Division 1

Meg Dowd, Shrewsbury

Mia Lochhead, Algonquin

Paige McLaughlin, Shrewsbury

Brigid Murphy, Doherty

Renee Rettig, Wachusett

Kylie Tomasetti, Algonquin

Division 2

Katherine Alicea, Shepherd Hill

Riley Allen, Westborough

Amelia Choi, Nashoba

Meghan Deneen, Marlborough

Lola Follansbee, Grafton

Kyra Forsberg, Leominster

Jill Hodgson, North Middlesex

Nicole Kelly, Leominster

Bridget Kennedy, Grafton

Sophia Kling, Grafton

Julia Klinkhamer, Nashoba

Chloe LaVigeur, Fitchburg

Mallory Morrill, North Middlesex

Lauren Torpey, North Middlesex

Solimar Rivera, South

Arianna Watson, Shepherd Hill

Division 3

Oceana Broome, AMSA

Lily Carlson, Quabbin

Nina Francois-Saint Cyr, AMSA

Abby Kaye, Auburn

Keelan Mader, Tantasqua

Mia Monje, St. Paul

Anya Montano, Nipmuc

Kyah Montano, Nipmuc

Zhunay Moulton, Auburn

Thuy-Tien Nguyen, Hudson

Cassie Prechtl, Groton-Dunstable

Haley Rutherford, Oakmont

Cadence Ryan, St. Paul

Lilina Shiers, Tantasqua

Jada Sibley, Oakmont

Mia Trawick, Groton-Dunstable

Megan Tucker, Bartlett

Division 4

Julia Acampora, Lunenburg

Ella Askren, Clintom

Sophia Balestracci, Bay Path

Karlee Battista, Northbridge

Lahey Beahn, Valley Tech

Abigail Billel, Narragansett

Cali Brouillard, Millbury

Kathryn Cahill, Uxbridge

Avery Carbonneau, Notre Dame Academy

Jenna DeFosse, Bay Path

Jackie Gilbert, Millbury

Ella Gumienney, Valley Tech

Hadley Heaphy, Notre Dame Academy

Neila Jerome, Valley Tech

Emily Kilbury, Narraganset

Chloe Koziol, Lunenburg

Ava Lemanski, Clinton

Neve Martin, Littleton

Kayla Nguyen, Bay Path

Lily Peterson, Leicester

Ella Price, Notre Dame Academy

Amy Proulx, Littleton

Erin Proulx, Littleton

Kasey Reeves, Valley Tech

Melissa Sabourin, Northbridge

Rachel Sawyer, Northbridge

Madison Thibeault, Northbridge

Rose Winston, Millbury

Division 5

Oliva Bagg, Quaboag

Elianna Barnett, David Prouty

Autumn Bella, Tahanto

Jamily Chaves, Tahanto

Ally Choquette, Tahanto

Allison Corrieri, Bromfield

Olivia DeFalco, Douglas

Marina Fernandez de Paz, Gardner

Tilly Fitzgibbons, Bromfield

Zahra Foladi, Worcester Tech/North

Addy Jerome, Sutton

Margaret Johnson, Whitinsville Christian

Anna Joseph, Sutton

Jenna Katsoulis, Oxford

Julia Kimball, Bromfield

Gillian McGee, Whitinsville Christian

Victoria Morgan, Quaboag

Meadow O'Connell, Whitinsville Christian

Sadie O'Toole, Douglas

Madison Pitro, West Boylston

Paige Samara, Worcester Tech/North

Meghan Sikes, Maynard

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Check out the 2023 T&G Hometeam high school girls' soccer All-Stars