Bloomington South girls soccer’s last line of defense will be as good as anyone in the state.
That’s the feeling Panther girls coach David Prall takes into this season and one that has grown stronger since 2023 when he first put Paloma Martinez in goal as a freshman for a team that played in the state championship game in no small part to her efforts.
As a junior, she had 73 saves, 13 shutouts and allowed just nine goals, seven of them coming in three games against top 10 teams Carmel and Center Grove. Martinez’ performance so far has earned her a spot next year at Marian, an NAIA powerhouse that went 20-1-2 in 2025, giving up just 10 goals all season before falling in the national quarterfinals.
That’s just the sort of work environment she’s thrived in since she took over the position.
“Just her athleticism and composure,” Prall said of what makes Martinez great. “She never seems to really nervous or the moment has not been too big for her. She kept progressing and now she’s committed to Marian. That’s a good program, so I’m excited for her.”
While she’ll continue to be stingy in goal, there’s more for her to give South this season.
“This year, we really want to use her feet a little more and play out of our back more,” Prall said. “She’s got good feet, but we’ve not done that before. She can do it. She played out in the field before she got to high school.”
South graduated six seniors, including defensive standout Izzy Sweet, who is now playing at Division I Long Island and top midfielder Val Bunde, now at Brandeis in Massachusetts.
So Martinez’s leadership, vocal and otherwise, will be a big deal as well this year, giving South a chance to play a high line, knowing she’ll be ready to handle long balls over the top with her feet.
“She can stop those (attacks) before they happen,” Prall said. “That’s another thing we’ve talked about is her anticipation and being a part of the defense back there.”
She’ll also play a bigger role in igniting the offense.
“As a freshman, we wouldn’t let her take goal kicks,” Prall said. “Now, she has the best long ball on the team. She worked on her weaknesses as well and kept getting better and better.
“It’ll be a young group back there, so she should give them confidence. If they make mistakes, she’ll pick them up. And she won’t give up a lot of soft goals, which can be a killer. You just don’t see her giving those up.”
South starts at No. 12 in the Class 3A ISCA poll. Here’s a look at all three of our area squads going into 2026.
Bloomington South
RETURNING STARTERS — Paloma Martinez, Sr. GK; Maddie Norman, Jr. F; Chloe Trinidad, Jr. M; Avery Schwartzman, Jr. CB; Lizzie Bucklin, Jr. D; Ali Stolberg, Sr. D; Bridget Malone, So. M.
OUTLOOK — If South (14-3-3 last year) is set on the back end, it feels just as confident up top with junior Maddie Norman, who had 29 goals and 19 assists last year. Prall expects both those numbers to rise, so it’s incumbent on the mid-field to keep the lefty well-fed. “If she can score 30 goals, we’re going to be pretty good,” Prall said. “She’s upped her fitness and gained a step. Overall, she understands when to run and to use her athleticism. She’s also taken a step forward with her right foot. It’s better. If she can stay healthy, she’ll be tough to stop.” Sophomores Ava Surdam (F) and Vivian Peterman (M) are stepping into the lineup with Carmen Van Rooy (M) in the mix as well with a couple freshman fighting to earn time. The midfield brings back Trinidad and welcomes back senior Addy Alexander from a knee injury.
On defense, Schwartzman will play more middle center back with Stolberg, Bucklin and Malone anchoring the back line. “We’ve got a lot of young girls hungry to compete for places,” Prall said. “We’ve had the best summer as far as participation goes, so that’s exciting. Talent is also better than others from year to year, but the expectations of competing to win and playing hard are still there. The girls know they have a lot to live up to.” The first 10 days of the season will show the Panthers where they are at with home matches against Jasper, Center Grove and Castle and a road trip to Carmel.
Bloomington North
RETURNING STARTERS — Isobel O’Leary, Sr. GK; Annie Davis, So. GK; Haeli Chambre, Jr. M/D; Camilla Ensign, Jr. M/D; Caroline Farmer, Jr. F; Lucy Bowling, So. M/D; Nina West, Sr. D; Merrill Gibbs, Jr. D.
OUTLOOK — The Cougars (8-7-1 last year) will build from back to front, set with two solid keepers and several returning starters on defense. Farmer (8 goals, 2 assists) and Ensign (2 goals, 4 assists) are top producers returning for a team with only 21 of its 42 goals back, so some new pieces will need to help perk on North’s offense. “We graduated a majority of our midfield from last year, along with half of our goals from last season,” coach Samantha MacNeil said. “This season we will be returning our backline, along with a lot of upperclassmen leadership and experience. This group has a lot of versatility, and I am looking forward to seeing what they will do.”
The Cougars also bring back more experience with juniors Quinn Wason and Maria Estivill-Kilmer (F/M), sophomore Ila Risner (M) and senior Lena Herschel (F, 3 goals), who will be one of three captains with O’Leary and Ensign. “We are pushing to be a well-rounded team, focusing on playing our game against our opponents,” MacNeil said. North also faces the challenge of entering the Mid-State Conference for the first time. Whiteland, Plainfield, Mooresville and Franklin were the top four last year, but none was able to win a sectional title.
Edgewood
RETURNING STARTERS — Lilly Padgett, Sr. MF; Vanessa Dimas, So. MF; Mae Love, Jr. F.
OUTLOOK — The Mustangs went 11-3-1 last year, graduating a fleet of seniors and bringing back just three starters with Padgett at outside mid, Dimas a center mid and Love (four goals, two assists), one of the top scorers back. That should be a recipe to rebuild. Not necessarily. “At the end of last year, we graduated so many seniors that what we thought coming into this year, that there will be a lot of rebuilding,” coach Brittany Tucker said. “But once we’ve gotten all the new players in, we think we’ll be able to pick up where we were last year. I’m impressed with the new players, and the one’s we had previously who are stepping and working hard. So we’ll continue to build on that. We’ll definitely lack experience, so we’ll just get better and better. Their work ethic and positive attitude and the way they are jelling together is cool to see.”
The new keeper is sophomore Kalynn Cross, like her predecessor, an add-on from the basketball team who is catching on quickly as a first-year player. The defense is a big question mark with some strong athletes but not much experience in sophomores Emma Curtis, Lilly Rayl and Delaney MacNiven and freshman Madeline Jackson. “The biggest thing for them is their resilience,” Tucker said. “In the past, we’ve had great defensive line and haven’t been scored on a lot. We may have more mistakes with new players, but it’s good that they’re making those mistakes because it means they’re trying. So they have to make sure they’re keeping their heads up.” Playing possession up top will help them out. A pair of exchange students will give the offense an immediate boost with Mille Harrow from Denmark at midfield and Manoela Daia from Brazil up top. “It’s so cool to see their football and ability to compete mesh with the rest of the team,” Tucker said. “They’re playing off each other well and I’m amazed at how quickly they’ve fit in.”
Dimas has stepped up to grab the role of playmaker and vocal leader in the middle of the field. Freshman Maggie Johnson, Love and seniors Sam Thompson and Jasmin Larios will also play important roles as Edgewood looks to be more offensive-minded this year in search of a third straight WIC title.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington area girls soccer players to watch in 2026
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
