Former Emmaus soccer standouts Charlie Jerry and Esther Younger enjoyed successful 2016 seasons on and off the field at DeSales University.

Jerry, a junior, was recently earned an honorable mention selection to the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom All-Conference Team.

Jerry is a 2014 Emmaus graduate and made his first appearance on the All-Conference team. He played in all 19 games, making 17 starts on defense, and contributed one assist on the offensive end. He ranked third on the team in minutes played.

“Being recognized for the MAC Freedom All-Conference Team is an incredible honor,” Jerry said. “It is always nice when you know the people selecting the team see how much you’ve improved. The most important things I credit for attaining this honor are fitness, staying injury free and allowing my teammates to rely on me and be able to look to me at any point in any game to step up.”

DeSales wasn’t the first team that Jerry played for following his four years as a Green Hornet. He played in four games as a freshman at Lycoming College and made one start. But a coach at another school had Jerry’s interest since his days in high school.

“Coach [George] Crampton always showed interest in me and DeSales was always on my short list,” said Jerry. “It was a simple transition because the team atmosphere is so friendly and upbeat. Coach Crampton has done a great job bringing a great team environment year after year.”

Jerry came right in and made an immediate impact as a sophomore, starting all 18 games and scoring one goal. In the classroom, he was named to the MAC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

“It worked well for me because I always want to improve,” Jerry said. “Being motivated is always beneficial.

“I also played many different positions (midfield and defense) during my two years at DeSales and having the versatility and respect for every position and its difficulties will never hurt and it helped me get on and stay on the field.”

The Bulldogs’ mens team finished the year 9-9-2 and reached the MAC Freedom postseason tournament for the first time since 2011. It fell to top seed Misericordia in the league semifinals.

Jerry’s credits to his time in an Emmaus uniform under head coach John Cari for preparing for the next level.

“Playing under [Emmaus head] coach [John] Cari is one of the reasons I continue to love soccer and improve my game to this day,” Jerry said. “Playing at Emmaus was always demanding in terms of meeting the expectations he set. Having such high goals always makes the team better. We were always the most fit team in the league and we never gave up. Those are principles coach Cari instills before you even make it onto the team. He knew how to get the most out of each player and that is exactly why Emmaus’ program will continue to be so successful as long as he is there.”

Younger saw the field early in her time in Center Valley. As a freshman she was one of just six players to start all 18 games, tying for the team lead in minutes played at the center of the Bulldogs defense.

Younger continued to be dependable for her entier career at DeSales. She started every game as a sophomore (21) and a junior (20). This past fall, as a senior, she started 18 of 19 games for the Bulldogs.

“The main way I stayed healthy was by making sure I was taking care of myself in the offseason,” she said. “I worked out a lot to make sure that I came to preseason in shape,

“I think I was able to contribute to the team right away because I played with older girls on my club team in high school so I was used to faster play. Another huge reason is that my sister Lydia was a senior playing soccer at DeSales when I was a freshman. I wanted to be able to play next to her and she pushed me to work harder.”

Younger is the epitome of a student-athlete. Her standout play on the field earned a spot on the All-MAC Freedom First-Team for the second straight year. She was an Honorable Mention as a sophomore. She was also named to the MAC Fall Academic Honor Roll twice, and a third time may be imminent, but has not been announced yet.

“Being named to the academic team was a proud moment for me,” said Younger. “To have been able to be successful on the field and still work hard in the classroom and be successful there as well was always the ultimate goal for me. So to have been recognized for that was very special.”

In 2016, Younger also garnered recognition as a National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) Division III Women’s Soccer College National Player of the Week. She also achieved MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week honors. She anchored a Bulldogs defense that allowed just 32 goals in 19 games.

DeSales won the conference title in 2015, but finished 2016 just short of a repeat, falling to Misericordia in the final.

“Being able to win the conference championship as a team last year was very exciting because it was the first time we had ever done that and gone to the NCAA tournament,” Younger said. “But the most meaningful thing to me, and what I think contributed to our success, was all the support our families showed us by following us to every game that season and being there for us constantly.”

Younger’s playing career is finished, but she plans to continue her academic career. After graduating from DeSales with a degree in biology, she will continue postgraduate studies t Penn State University.

Another Emmaus High School graduate, Damian Grycel was a senior member of the DeSales mens team. Grycel played in five games this year and had one assist. In his career he played in 23 games and had one goal and two assists.