‘She does not have an off button’: Tireless captain leads Quaker Valley girls soccer

Annabel Miko is entrenched firmly and decidedly in her captaincy role on the Quaker Valley girls soccer team.

She served as a co-captain last year with then-seniors Ari Bosh and Emma Currier.

This season, Miko is the Quakers’ only captain as a senior attacker.

“For Annabel, or ‘AB’ as we call her, soccer is always top priority,” QV coach Maggie Behun said. “She yearns to be on the field. AB is well-rounded and has a bit of everything you could ask for in a player; she’s strong, fast and technically savvy with a high soccer IQ.

“AB inadvertently forces her teammates to match her own high standard simply by example.”

Behun and Rachel Loudermilk have shared the team’s head coaching duties at QV since 2021.

“AB has been a leader since she stepped on the field as a freshman,” Loudermilk said. “Maggie and I could always look at AB and tell her that the team needed to step up or lock in and she would get the job done.

“Girls have always looked to her for guidance and respected her. They look up to her as such a talented player but also see her as someone they can confide in and turn to for advice and support.”

Miko is a fourth-year starter for the Quakers, one of the top players in the district and a Delaware commit. She has a long and impressive list of soccer accolades, some of which include being named team MVP in 2024 and offensive team MVP in 2025, leading the team in scoring for three years and receiving all-WPIAL and all-section recognition twice.

She is a three-time preseason player of the year nominee, has been on the Moe Rosensteel Player of the Year watchlist in 2025 and 2026, was chosen as a Sports Illustrated National Girls Athlete, a Dave and Buster’s WPIAL Athlete of the Week, a Gotham FC ID Camp invite and Academy National Talent ID invite and was named as one of the Top Draw Soccer GA Playoff U17 Stars to Know in 2025.

Miko’s academic awards are as follows: National Honor Society, Rotary Student of the Month, Distinguished Honor Roll and Hope Squad.

“She was a captain for us as a junior and now her senior year because the team unanimously voted for her,” Loudermilk said. “Every single player voted for AB. That speaks volumes to her character, leadership and the respect the rest of the girls have for her. As coaches, we share the same sentiment.

“Annabel has made a huge impact on this program. It was amazing to hear that she was approaching 50 wins as a Quaker. She is also on pace to notch at least 75 goals for her career and probably more. We are excited for her to reach these milestones with her team.”

Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Miko had accounted for 64 total goals in her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She tacked on four more through four games this year, boosting her career total to 68 goals.

“AB is our most talented attacker and her strength is undeniable,” Behun said. “If she doesn’t have the ball, she goes and gets it. Her movements are calculated and smart, making it nearly impossible for opponents to mark her.

“It’s been fun these last four years to see her maturity and growth as a player and young woman.”

The 2-1 win at home against Central Valley was the Quakers’ 49th victory of Miko’s career. But the highlight of her career so far undoubtedly was the 2024 season when QV captured the WPIAL Class 2A championship with a 2-1 win against Burrell at Highmark Stadium.

The Quakers advanced to the PIAA semifinals and ended up 19-3-2 overall.

QV has qualified for the postseason in all three of Miko’s seasons, finishing with 11-7-1 and 16-4-1 records in 2023 and 2025.

“AB is the type of player that does not come along often,” Loudermilk said. “Players with D1 talent often isolate themselves to only associating with the top players on the team. Even as a freshman, AB always included and socialized with everyone. If a developmental player didn’t have a partner, AB would step up.

“As a senior, she leads the team and encourages everyone to push themselves. She would spend every minute with her team and training for soccer if she could. She makes sure that we operate as a team from the top down.

“She also is the type of player who always wants more — to push herself and her teammates. If she thinks she has a 1% chance of winning a ball, she is going to go for it with 100% effort. If there is a soccer ball in front of her, she does not have an off button. It is impressive to see and fun to coach.”