Slade Named Player of the Year

Memorial's Avery Slade earns Courier & Press girls soccer honor after a record-setting 2026 season that ended in a state title.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Soccer

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a female soccer player mid-strike on a grass pitch in red and white, with a distant treeline under a warm autumn sky. — Memorial's Avery Slade was named Courier & Press 2026 All-Southwestern Indiana Player of the Year for girls soccer after scoring 37 goals and recording 22 assists for the state champions. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Courier & Press named Avery Slade 2026 All-Southwestern Indiana Player of the Year for girls soccer. Slade scored 37 goals and recorded 22 assists for the state champion Memorial team.

Why it matters

The honor recognizes one of the most productive seasons in the region, as Slade's 96 points ranked third in Indiana per MaxPreps. It also highlights a championship program that won its seventh IHSAA state title.

Slade's 2026 output of 37 goals and 22 assists, with 10 goals and seven assists across seven postseason matches, is drawn from Courier & Press and MaxPreps season data. Her long-term trajectory beyond high school was not detailed in the reporting.

The players

Avery Slade

Avery Slade is a Memorial High School forward who was named 2026 All-Southwestern Indiana Player of the Year by the Courier & Press.

John Heeger

John Heeger is the coach of North High School who was named 2026 All-Southwestern Indiana Coach of the Year by the Courier & Press.

The details

Slade produced a goal or assist in 21 of Memorial's 23 matches and suffered a sprained ankle in the regional championship against Batesville. Memorial eliminated five straight ranked opponents en route to the state title, and John Heeger of North was named 2026 All-Southwestern Indiana Coach of the Year after leading North to a program-record 17 victories and a share of the SIAC title.

August: Memorial lost to Mater Dei, prompting the team motto.
2026 season: Slade scored 37 goals and recorded 22 assists.
Fall 2026: Memorial won the IHSAA state championship.

Season Trajectory

Slade's 96 points rank third in Indiana according to MaxPreps, placing her among the state's most productive attackers this season. North's shared SIAC title, its first since 2014, marks a notable turnaround for that program in the conference race.

Slade's 96 points and 37-goal season make her a strong reference for regional top-scorer comparisons. Fans tracking Indiana girls soccer can use the MaxPreps rankings to follow where Memorial and North stand heading into the next season.

The takeaway

Slade's production across two seasons, from 30 goals and nine assists to 37 goals and 22 assists, shows how quickly a young player can develop into a state-level scorer. Readers following high school soccer can track similar development through local leaderboards.