Sentinel Player of the Week, Sept. 10-16: Senior Jake Daniels, ConVal boys soccer
Sep. 24—ConVal senior Jake Daniels was voted by readers as the Sentinel Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 10-16.
Patch earned 522 out of the 1,540 total votes during the week (33.9 percent).
Daniels scored four goals in two games during the week to lead the Cougars to a 2-0 week. He scored a hat trick against Souhegan on Tuesday Sept. 13 in a 3-0 win, then scored again against John Stark on Friday Sept. 16 in another 3-0 win. Daniels also had an assist against John Stark.
"First game against Souhegan, we had a rough start to the game," Daniels said. "My dad (head coach Scott Daniels) brought us all over and talked about how we all needed to step it up. And I just found my confidence in the second half, ended up taking on a couple players and scoring and that just led to the next game where I did the same thing. Ended up scoring again and I think I had an assist that game as well. Just really started clicking for me there.
"I think the real difference from last year to this year is that a lot of our players have adapted and grown confidence into playing against varsity competition," Daniels added. "Overall we're starting to spread the wealth and everybody's playing confidently and that's what makes us better."
You can hear the full interview with Daniels at SentinelSource.com.
Daniels has seven goals and five assists through eight games so far this season.
"He can be a streaky scorer and right now he's in a good streak," said Coach Daniels. "He's our leading goalscorer on the season, but he also leads the team in assists. What he's developed and showed throughout the season but especially last week was the ability to both score and dish out assists, which are equally important. He's developing into a really well-rounded player. ... His confidence has really developed."
ConVal sits at 6-2 and has won its last four games going into Friday's matchup with Trinity.
"I think a lot of these guys have been waiting for this moment, and that includes Jake," Coach Daniels said. "They have high expectations for themselves and feel like they can potentially challenge for a state championship."
ConVal senior Lydia Cleveland finished in second place, not far behind Daniels, with 493 votes (32 percent). Cleveland made 42 saves in two games during the week against two tough opponents. She made seven saves in a 2-0 loss to Derryfield on Tuesday Sept. 13, then a whopping 35 saves in a 3-1 loss to undefeated John Stark on Friday Sept. 16.
Conant junior Irelynd AuCoin finished third with 270 votes (17.5 percent). AuCoin scored five times in Conant's 7-3 victory over Wilton-Lyndeborough on Wednesday Sept. 14. It was the team's only game of the week after their matchup with Hopkinton was postponed.
Keene freshman Sully Sturtz finished fourth with 225 votes (14.6 percent). Sturtz continued his impressive rookie season Saturday Sept. 10 at the Great Glen Invitational, winning the race in 17:22 — his third win of the season already. The boys finished second as a team at the invitational.
Nominees for Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 17-23 will be announced in Monday's Sentinel, online at Sentinelsource.com and on Twitter @KeeneSentSports. You can submit nominations until Sunday here: www.sentinelsource.com/site/forms/playeroftheweek/player_of_the_week/.
Any questions, email Chris Detwiler at cdetwiler@keenesentinel.com.
Chris Detwiler can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1411, or cdetwiler@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @Chris_Detwiler.