After finishing second place in Class 2 and recording the most wins in program history since 2011 this spring, the St. Vincent girls soccer team had four players named all-state by the Missouri High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Only two of those Indians earned first-team all-state honors, though, as it was a pair of juniors in midfielder Lana Adams and defender Rylee Robinson.
Along with earning all-state, the Mizzou soccer commit Adams was named the Class 2 Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Lana notched a career-high 131 points as she registered an astonishing 53 goals and 25 assists.
However, St. Vincent’s defense was head-turning in its own right as Robinson led the unit to record a total of 12 shutouts while allowing less than one goal per game (.8) heading into the Class 2 Final Four.
“Receiving first team all-state for this season of soccer was a huge honor,” Robinson said. “All-state has always been a personal goal that I’ve set for myself, and receiving that honor meant a lot to me. All of the hard work and hours put in felt recognized, and that was a great feeling.
“As a defender, I take pride in winning tackles cleanly and communicating to the rest of my team,” Robinson said. “I believe as a center defender it is crucial to communicate to your teammates as you have the ability to read the field from the back.”
Outside of Adams and Robinson, fellow Indians sophomore defender Aubrey Emmendorfer (second team) and senior forward Abigail Schilling (honorable mention) were also tabbed all-state.
Defensively, with players like Robinson and Emmendorfer, the Indians only allowed five goals through their last 12 games before the state quarterfinals, which included shutting out opponents in the district tournament by a combined total of 11-0.
Back in April, St. Vincent also shut out each opponent it faced in the Windsor Tournament to win the championship, which were all Class 4 schools.
“Throughout the season, I focused heavily on reading the game better,” Robinson said. “I’ve always been a defensive player in every sport that I’ve played, so tactical awareness has played a big factor for my success as a defender. Playing with three other hardworking defenders on our back line has also contributed to my success.”
The other two primary defenders for the Indians besides all-staters Robinson and Emmendorfer were senior Mallory Patrick and junior Callie Schnurbusch. Patrick was actually a Class 2 Region 1 All-Region selection with all four of St. Vincent’s all-state selections. Robinson and Schnurbusch led the defense together once again, both manning the center back positions as multi-year starters.
The Indians defense was also led by senior goalkeeper Allie Patrick, who recorded five shutouts of her own and allowed less than one goal per game. Other St. Vincent defenders like freshman Olivia Winkler and sophomore Grace Jenneman were also crucial to the unit throughout the season.
“Our defense has a lot of chemistry, which I believe contributes to our success,” Robinson said. “We all have a drive to win, especially being that all of us have been to state in another sport this year. We all have the same goal — a state championship.
“Unfortunately, this year, we did not achieve that. However, I have very high hopes for next year. I’m looking forward to some impressive freshmen coming up next year!”
Prior to the soccer season, Robinson used her defensive prowess and 3-point shooting ability to help the Indians girls basketball team reach the state championship game for the first time in school history this winter.
Like soccer, Robinson was an all-conference selection on the basketball court while playing with fellow soccer teammates like Adams and the Patrick sisters. These four played also with the Rubel twins juniors Brie and Kate Rubel in basketball, who before that helped St. Vincent’s volleyball team place third at state in the fall.
Like Adams and Robinson, Brie and Kate were named all-state in both basketball and volleyball. In the same way as the Indians volleyball players did for basketball, Robinson and her soccer teammates used the momentum for nearly winning a basketball state title in the winter to have success on the pitch, too.
“Going to state in basketball was an experience like no other, and I was extremely grateful for the ride,” Robinson said. “After experiencing that, the soccer team came in with momentum. We knew the talent we had and what we were capable of achieving with hard work. For me it was everything.”
While the basketball team had never been to state before this year and volleyball not since 2014, St. Vincent girls soccer has had a very rich history. The Indians have won three state championships on the pitch — two coming back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, which Robinson saw firsthand as a young fan.
Seeing that success shaped Robinson’s athletic career as she one day wanted to also be playing for a state title, which she finally achieved, of course.
“When I was a little girl, I used to watch the 2017-2018 team, and after their state run, I gained a new dream,” Robinson said. “As a freshman, I came into a Class 3 program, which was extremely hard to compete in. This year, I had a good feeling as we were bumped down to Class 2 and that dream was fulfilled.”
While Rylee made her dream come true, she still has one left for both basketball and soccer, and that’s to win a state championship. Robinson is in what can only be described as the best class of female athletes — the Class of 2026 — that has ever walked the halls of St. Vincent. Not only are athletes like Robinson, the Rubel twins and Adams remarkable talents in their own right, but they all actually get along outside of sports, as well.
After combining for three state final four appearances with no first-place plaques, it’s safe to say they all have unfinished business this upcoming school year.
“Playing with your best friends is definitely something I wish everyone could experience,” Robinson said. “We’re a close-knit group with chemistry, which helps our performance tremendously! Losing two state championships in one year definitely took a toll on me. However, I believe it changed me as an athlete and as a person.
“It has created a drive in me as an athlete, and I know the same has happened for my teammates. We have a desire to win now more than ever. With one year left, many of us know what’s on the line and are ready to put in the work needed in order to fulfill our goal of a state championship.”
