NSR soccer standout Tabby Tindell named Florida’s Miss Soccer 2013

Trinity Catholic’s scoring machine was named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2013 Miss Soccer by a statewide panel of high school coaches and media representatives. Tindell, who had already earned the Class 2A Player of the Year award after leading the Celtics to Marion County’s first-ever soccer state championship, beat out Class 5A Player of the Year, Yulie Lopez of Palm Beach Central, for top overall honors in one of the closest votes in the 21-year history of the award.

“I was pretty shocked and surprised,” said Tindell, who heard about the award when school officials announced it over the intercom during Thursday classes. “It feels like a dream to be honest. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up any minute now.”

Tindell scored an amazing 52 goals along with 27 assists — both tops in the county — to lead Trinity to a 20-2 season. The gifted striker saved her best soccer for the postseason where she racked up 15 goals in five playoff games, including hat tricks in four of the five, culminating with three goals in a 4-1 win over Gulliver Prep in the 2A state title match.

If that wasn’t enough, Tindell also set the new mark for career goals in Marion County with 160, breaking former Forest High star Kristin Burton’s previous record of 140 set in 2006.

“Having all this happen my senior year — my last opportunity to get everything done — is really special,” Tindell said. “Going to states, then winning states, and now Miss Soccer … it’s insane. It feels amazing.”

The four-year varsity starter finished with 152 points, edging out Florida State-bound Lopez (142) and University of Florida signee Brooke Sharp (116) of Ponte Vedra. Tindell will take her talents to Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers this fall where she’ll play for head coach Jim Blankenship.

The 2012-13 academic year represents the 21st anniversary of the Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards program, which honors the state’s top athletes and coaches in 30 FHSAA-sanctioned sports.

By Byron Saucer, staff writer for Ocala.com