Ferm, Becker garner all-state honors

Izzie Ferm (l) and Ashley Becker with their all-state plaques

It was no secret to Tiger fans that one of the biggest reasons for their  team's success during the 2012 season was their ability to keep the other team off the scoreboard.

Farmington finished its school-best season with a 12-5-2 mark and during that run allowed a paltry 18 goals, a per game average of just 0.95.

At the recent Minnesota High School Girls Soccer Coaches Association awards banquet a pair of Tigers received recognition for their contributions to that stingy defense.

photo by Jim Lindquist

Junior defender Izzie Ferm (left) landed a spot on the all-state first team while sophomore keeper Ashley Becker received all-state honorable mention.

Ferm tallied just four points, two goals and two assists, this season but those numbers don't begin to measure her contributions.

She regularly drew the assignment of dogging the opposition's best forward and the team's 11 shutouts, 10 if them wins, speak volumes.

The reigning Missota Conference 400-meter dash champion is the only Farmington soccer player ever to be named to the first all-state team. 

"Izzie has incredible athleticism, but more than that, she has an engine that won't quit," coach Rob Carpentier said. "She works as hard as any player I have ever coached in any sport."

photo by Jim Lindquist

As for Becker (left), the numbers are gaudy. In addition to having a hand in all of the shutouts, she finished with a goals-against average of 0.80 and a save percentage of 0.893 in 1430 minutes of duty in the net.

"Ashley is our team goofball, and I say that with a smile," Carpentier said. "Once it comes time for warm-up or a game, however, she is all business. That is a very mature quality.

"She is competitive but incredibly loyal and caring to her teammates...She is a superlative talent."

Perhaps the best news for Carpentier is Ferm and Becker are both underclassmen.

"Both kids are incredibly mature and very, very humble," he said. "It is my honor to have coached both of them...and I get  them both for another year!"