Pilgrim's Sarah Lynch named Gatorade RI Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Pilgrim High School's Sarah Lynch has been named the 2021-22 Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Player of the Year, making her the second Pilgrim player to be honored by Gatorade this year, and the first girls soccer player from Pilgrim to earn the award.
The 5-foot-3-inch senior midfielder from Warwick scored 21 goals and passed for seven assists this past season, leading the Patriots (15-2-1) to the Division I state semifinals. A two-time First Team All-State selection, Lynch led Pilgrim to back-to-back Division II state championships as a freshman and sophomore. A 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-American selection, she concluded her high school soccer career with 39 goals and 36 assists.
“Sarah just did so many things well on the field and really made her entire team run,” said Scott Rollins, head coach of South Kingstown girls soccer. “She was super-technical in the midfield and could beat you with a pass or a shot if she needed to. When we played Pilgrim, we knew that the only chance we had to beat them was to shut down Sarah.”
The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high academic standards and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. Lynch has maintained a B average in the classroom, has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and plans to attend Lasell College in Newton, Mass., where she will play soccer this fall.
Lynch was recently named The Providence Journal's Girls Soccer Player of the Year and is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June. She joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School in Michigan), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mount Carmel High School in California), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women iin New York) and others.
Previous Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year from Rhode Island include Catherine Clements (2020-21, La Salle Academy), Faith Hutchins (2019-20, South Kingstown High School) and Olivia Freitas (2017-18 and 2018-19, La Salle Academy).
This spring, Pilgrim's Alyssa Twomey was named the Gatorade Rhode Island Softball Player of the Year.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Gatorade RI Girls Soccer Player of the Year is Pilgrim's Sarah Lynch
