Paly senior midfielder Teresa Noyola was named as the 2007-08 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year by The Gatorade Company, with RISE Magazine, today at a ceremony in the Boys’ Gym.

“I didn’t know until yesterday,” Noyola said. “I’ve played with some of the players in contention before and I know how good they are. And so I am really honored.”

The award recognizes athletic and academic excellence, as well as exceptional character, according to the press release.

“Teresa is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school girls soccer player based on her statistics on the field and the tremendous ability she’s demonstrated,” said Jeff Urban, Gatorade senior vice president of Sports Marketing. “She is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student athlete should be.”

Coach Albertin Montoya, Noyola’s coach at the Mountain View/Los Altos Mercury Soccer Club also had many words of praise.

“I was more excited then anything else,” Montoya said. “I think that she deserves everything she’s recieved. She makes everyone around her better on and off the field.”

During the announcement ceremony, Noyola’s parents were recognized for their support of Noyola’s career.

“I really admire her commitment to hard work, honesty discipline, generosity and humbleness,” her father Pedro Noyola said.

Noyola’s soccer accomplishments are numerous. In 16 games this season, she scored 18 goals and made seven assists, according to the press release from Gatorade. In the culmination of her high school soccer career, Noyola has scored 40 goals and made 27 assists.

Noyola also plays competitively for the Mountain View/Los Altos Mercury Soccer Club and has led her team to three United States Youth Soccer State Cup titles in her career.

At the age of 17, Noyola became the youngest member of the United States Soccer Federation Under-20 Women’s National Team and finished as the team’s second-leading scorer at the Pan American Games in Brazil last summer. She may also earn a spot on the United States Roster for the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, according to the press release.

Her academic achievements include maintaining a 4.0 GPA as well as being a national Merit Scholarship Finalist, according to the press release.

Noyola’s Paly varsity teammates praised Noyola for her leadership.

“She deserves it [the award] because she works hard and is amazing,” junior teammate Sarah Brown said. “She gets everyone to play together. I think she brings the best out of the team.”

Noyola thanked all her family, friends, teammates, coaches and The Gatorade Company for their support in her soccer career.

“It’s hard to receive this award as an individual because soccer is a team sport,” Teresa said in her acceptance speech. “Even when I was at the national team, I was representing you guys [the Paly and Mountain View/Los Altos Mercury Soccer club teammates].”

Past award winners of the award include LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for basketball, and Peyton Manning for football.

Voice reporter Seung-Yeon Choi contributed to this story.