Arlington's Tess Belnap named Vermont's Gatorade girls soccer player of the year

Her high school's all-time leading scorer and an A-student to boot, Arlington's Tess Belnap has been named Vermont's girls soccer player of the year, Gatorade announced on Thursday. 

Belnap, a junior graduating a year early to play at Williams College in the fall, is the first Eagle to earn the award, which is based on athletic excellence, academic achievement and demonstration of exemplary character both on and off the field. 

The gifted attacker piled up 37 goals and 14 assists last fall for the Eagles as they went 17-1 to repeat as Division IV champions. Belnap's standout campaign landed her on Burlington Free Press all-state first team for the second time and earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors. 

More:29th Annual Free Press All-State Girls Soccer Team

Belnap is also a talented musician, an altar server at her church and a volunteer with the local U.S. Youth Soccer TOP Soccer program serving young athletes with disabilities.

“That’s two years in a row where including scrimmages … she is just hands-down the best player on the field by leaps and bounds,” Arlington coach Aaron Wood said in the fall. “For us as a small school, it’s pretty obvious if Tess isn’t scoring, we’re going to have a hard time trying to score.” 

Long Trail coach Kevin Murphy praised the Arlington star's sportsmanship.

“She’s not only a lethal offensive scorer. She’s equally adept at controlling the midfield and setting her teammates up for scoring opportunities," Murphy said. 

Belnap joins the list of recent winners that includes Champlain Valley's Natalie Durieux (2017-18), Burr and Burton's Georgia Lord (2016-17), Proctor's Abby McKearin (2015-16), Burlington's Madison Feeney (2014-15) and Peoples' Katie Stames (2013-14).

As a part of Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Belnap also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing.

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Contact Austin Danforth at 651-4851  or edanforth@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @eadanforth.