Abby Chisdak and the Northwestern girls basketball team are ringing in the New Year with a tough three-game stretch in the first week of January. She also recently finished her third high school soccer season in the fall.

Whether Chisdak is running up and down the hardwood or across the soccer pitch, one thing remains consistent with the Tiger junior. No matter what sport it is, she’ll do whatever is necessary for the betterment of the team.

It’s that willingness to put the team before her personal accomplishments that has played a big part in her success thus far. And it’s that unselfishness that has earned her recognition as the 2016 Times News Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

“I see my role as wherever coach (Kelly) Bleam needs me most,” said Chisdak, who tallied 12 goals and nine assists in her junior season. “I started as a split between offense and defense, where I was able to help the team by scoring goals and assisting others.”

Chisdak has been a three-year starter under Bleam, playing both offense and defense. She’s thrived in whatever position she was needed most. This season it was on the Tigers’ defense.

“When captain Emily Renner got hurt, I was moved to defender where I had to expand my leadership roles to achieve the success of the team,” Chisdak said.

Along with Renner, Chisdak formed a solid backfield unit. Chisdak and Renner received First Team Colonial League all-star recognitions on the back line. Bleam made the difficult decision moving her from forward to defense, and Bleam is pretty confident Chisdak would have led the Tigers in scoring if she had played forward the entire season.

As a team, she helped Northwestern qualify for both the Colonial League and District 11 Class 2A tournaments. While 2016 marked yet another year in which Northwestern qualified for the postseason, it also was another season without a title for a program with a rich tradition.

“This past soccer season we had a lot of challenges because of the youth of the team,” Chisdak said. “But by doing a lot of team bonding outside of practices and games, we came together as a unit. Playing with two senior teammates (Renner and Karlie Bardonner) who I have played with for 12 years now for club and high school, we wanted to achieve as many goals as we possibly could.”

Northwestern may not have achieved its goal of obtaining a league or district title, but this young core has certainly made its mark in Tiger history. They’re hoping next year brings some gold hardware back to New Tripoli.

“Making it to both District 11 semifinals and league semifinals was bittersweet because we came together as a team and achieved some of our goals,” Chisdak said, “but we did not obtain all of our goals.

“I feel that we came up a little short this season. I think that because I know the capability of a lot of the girls on this team, I felt that we could have gotten a lot further. But I am still very proud of each and every one of them.”

Chisdak’s soccer days started when she was just 4 years old and played for her father in the Northwestern Youth Association. It not only started her soccer career, which includes playing for the Western Lehigh Jaguars in the club season, but her athletic career in general.

“My dad was the one who got me started playing soccer,” Chisdak said. “At an early age I loved playing with any kind of ball. I was able to hit harder with my left foot and loved running down the field.”

In addition to her main sport of soccer, Chisdak plays basketball in the winter. Not only does it keep her in shape after the high school soccer season, but she’s able to relate to soccer while playing on the hardwood.

“It has also helped me in a way because coming right from soccer I was already in shape,” Chisdak said. “Playing basketball helps me in soccer because shielding is like boxing out, and the passing lanes are similar in both sports.”

It won’t be long until her senior year and final high school soccer season comes around. Not that she is looking that far ahead just yet, but when next August does hit, Chisdak will be looking to play a leadership role for the Tigers one last time.

“My expectations will be to lead by example on and off the field for the younger players,” Chisdak said. “And to achieve both District 11 and Colonial League titles, and become a three-time Colonial League First Team All Star.”