Meet the top defenders and goalies in Michigan high school boys soccer

Palmer didn’t begin playing competitive club soccer until his freshman year, but has blossomed in the past two seasons.

A team captain, Palmer was named Division II’s Defensive Player of the Year, appearing on the all-state first team as well as the all-region, district and conference teams.

For the past two seasons, he has not missed a single off-season workout or practice for his high school team or club team, said coach Jacob Derby. Palmer led Mason to the state finals in 2023.

Chene, a team captain, led the defense for the 14-1-3 Eagles in 2023.

He was an all-conference, district and region player as well as a second-team all-stater. 

Conkling was named as his team’s Defensive MVP of the Year and, according to coach Edis Maric, has been a “brick wall” for his team.

The junior, Conkling, was named all-district in 2023. 

An all-state first team member, Ceithaml has been a captain for the last two seasons, in which he has also received all-district and conference nods.

“He plays with intensity, skill, and power,” coach Greg Ceithaml said. “He keeps the team organized on the field, and is a great role model off the field.”

Steenwyk, a goalkeeper made 130 saves this season, a mark that landed him top four state-wide. He was named to the all-conference and all-district teams, as a result. 

Manor recorded six clean sheets in goal for the Ramblers in 2023. He allowed less than one goal per game and three of his 17 total came by way of penalty kicks.

Despite his atypical size at 5-foot-7, Manor has been integral to the Ramblers’ success.

“He has raised our standard for performance in his position, which he mastered,” head coach Michael Agostini said.

“If we could define a student athlete as having the character and performance that Noah does, the world would be a better place.”

A center back, Zviblemen is a multi-year captain who coach Maisson Fennig called “incredible.”

He has scored multiple game-winning goals for Ferndale.

Curran, a keeper, was a first-time captain this season and helped Ferndale outscore opponents 59-31 on the year. He also scored three goals of his own this season.

“He was the keeper that everyone wanted to score on,” coach Maisson Fennig said. 

Medvecky allowed 1.69 goals per game this season in net, adding 105 saves. He is a two-time all-conference and district keeper.

“Ian is a bonafide shot stopper,” coach Ryan Smith said. “We play in arguably the toughest conference in the state… as a keeper, he never gets an easy game. Night in and night out he’s challenged. He’s played just about every minute of every game each of the last two seasons without a complaint. He consistently keeps us in games with his stellar play. 

Dershem allowed just 16 goals in 23.5 games played in net. He also pitched 10 shutouts, en route to being named first-team all-state, all-conference, district and region.

“Plays well with his feet,” coach Aric Dershem said of the 6-foot-1 keeper. “(He) serves as a pivot for us in the back.” 

Frantz was named his District’s top defender as just a sophomore for the Black Hawks. Coach Doug MacAulay called him a, “very calm player who's timing is excellent.”

Krupka was a standout for the Panthers at central defensive midfield in 2023. He was voted all-conference, area and district while serving as a captain.

“Nick Kruka is the heart and soul of the team this season,” coach Hoa Nguyen said. “He would run through a brick wall for the team. He was very fit and strong on the ball to be the anchor of our midfield. Nick is dedicated to the program and the guys look up to him for advice and comfort when situations get tough. He is the type of captain who any coach would love to have as he leads with his heart.”

Davidson was one of two keepers named to the Division I all-state first team. The senior’s presence in goal helped lead the way to a 18-2-2 record for his Bears. 

Ethridge joined Davidson as the lone keepers on the Division I first-team all-state. Ethridge’s Red Hawks finished the 2023 season 15-4-2

Sawyer’s play on the Shamrocks’ backline in 2023 earned him a spot as one of three defenders named to the first-team all-state in Division I.

The Shamrocks finished 10-8 this season.

Settle was another defender named to the Division I all-state first team in 2023, and one of two Mustangs to receive the honor.

His Mustangs fell to Athens in the state playoffs. 

The Wildcats finished 12-7-3 in 2023, in large part due to the defensive ability of Cady. For his efforts, the defender was named to the all-state first team. 

Eby was one of the top defenseman in Division 3. He was named to the Division 3 First Team All-State.

Dersham was named to the Division 2 First Team All-State.

“I’ve been playing keeper as long as I can remember,” Dersham told MLive.com. “My dad was a keeper in college, and my brother is a D-III keeper out in Washington right now. It runs in the family, and I’ve always [wanted] to be like them, so it just felt natural.

“For me as a goalie, the pressure’s really not on me. It’s 100 percent on the shooter to score because they’re 12 yards out, and they should score every time. We practice that all the time, and I’ve been able to read players because I’ve been doing this for so long. I knew he was going to my right, and so I took a step early, then went and got it.”

Burchfield was a goalkeeper named to the Division 1 second team all-state for Brighton this season.

Veresh was also named to the Division 1 second team all-state.