Lake’s Savannah Little, pictured here in the season-opening win over Toledo Central Catholic in which she scored three times, was named the Northern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year this week. (Nicholas Huenefeld | Sentinel-Tribune)
By Nicholas Huenefeld
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
MILLBURY — Just one year ago, Savannah Little was a freshman defender on a Lake girls soccer team that finished 5-7-5 overall.
Fast forward one year later, the now-forward just led the Flyers to a 13-0-3 regular season and the program’s first Northern Buckeye Conference title since 2017.
Earlier this week, Little was named this year’s NBC Player of the Year, joining her teammates Adeana Cowell, Brooke Wiley and Lauren Tobias in achieving First Team All-NBC recognition.
“It’s an honor,” Little said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my team. I’m super proud of us and our season that we’ve had. I’m excited for us to keep growing.”
Little’s 28-goal, 7-assist season wasn’t something anyone projected entering the fall.
“I don’t know if I would have believed it,” Little said. “I think we would have done well as a team, but we keep improving. It’s crazy to even be a part of. It’s unbelievable. But I’m very, very proud of everything we’ve done.”
First-year coach Lauren Colangelo had to replace the production of Brianna Braatz, a four-year varsity forward who broke Lake’s single-season goals record with 35 en route to Second Team All-Ohio recognition.
Enter Little.
“I didn’t know what we were going to get out of her at the beginning of the season,” Colangelo said. “To be honest, we put her up there for her speed. She proved to everyone that she also has skill. I think people look at her and see that she’s fast, but the amount of work she’s put in to be a fully-sound forward is impressive.”
Little transitioned to forward with ease, scoring in all but two games with three hat tricks while leading the Flyers to an undefeated regular season.
“No one can deny that she can score goals,” Colangelo said. “No one can deny that she can run. But truthfully what makes her a quality player of the year is just her attitude and her positivity. She’s constantly trying to uplift the team.
“I know that other coaches don’t see that stuff, but it’s a good representation of how well-rounded she is as a person.”
For Little, the move to forward required a change in mindset.
“Being a defensive player and then having to actually take all the shots and having to create opportunities for others, I was used to,” she said. “Having to actually finish those opportunities was something I definitely had to work on.
“It took me a while in the beginning but everything is different about it. You see the field in a whole different way.”
What does the future hold for Little?
“I don’t know,” Colangelo said. “She’s young. She’s only a sophomore. She’s hungry. She’s always willing to learn and if her attitude stays as positive and as good as it has been, the sky’s the limit for her.”
Little scored the game-winning goal in her team’s 1-0 win over Maumee on Oct. 2, which clinched the NBC title in the regular season finale.
The Flyers haven’t played since then, and they will conclude a 20-day layoff with a 5 p.m. district semifinal matchup against Eastwood on Wednesday at Genoa High School.
Lake hasn’t allowed more than one goal in a game over their last 10 contests. The last team to do so – and the only one – was Eastwood on Sept. 4, which resulted in a 2-2 tie.
Little scored both goals for Lake in that game, including the equalizer with just over seven minutes left, lofting a clutch shot approximately 35 yards over the keeper.
“I’m excited for us to see Eastwood again,” Little said. “With how we’ve been playing and the success we’ve been having, I think we have a chance to win. I’m excited for what we have in store.”
