Every time the Pioneer High School girls soccer team recorded a shutout, it received a brick inscribed with the date, final score and opposing school from its head coach, Lumumba Shabazz.

The bricks symbolized Pioneer’s quest to build an undefeated season.

Arguably the cornerstone of the Pioneer squad was senior midfielder Lauren Fearday, AnnArbor.com’s Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Fearday helped lead Pioneer to a 13-3 overall record, including a perfect 10-0 league mark, to win the Southeastern Conference Red Divisoin title and an MHSAA Division 1 district championship.

“We ended up with a ton of bricks,” said Fearday.

Eleven bricks to be exact, including four that were earned by dominant 8-0 shutouts.

“We had really good team chemistry and that helped us throughout the season,” said Fearday. “It’s the best team I’ve ever played on.”

Fearday’s statistics don’t jump off the page (one goal, five assists), but it was the intangibles she brought - hustle plays, clear-outs, crossing passes, slide tackles - that turned the heads of every team, and coach, she faced.

So much so that Fearday was voted the No. 1 player in the SEC by its coaches.

“Lauren was simply the best player in the SEC because she was the most complete player,” says Shabazz. “Her work rate and consistency are remarkable. She played almost every minute of every game without a drop in her quality.”

Earning that honor, however, wasn’t on Fearday’s senior season bucket list. She wanted her team to advance as far as possible in the MHSAA postseason. That quest ended in a 2-1 loss to Canton in a Division 1 regional semifinal.

But that’s not the game Fearday keeps closest in her memory bank. It’s the game prior, Pioneer’s 2-0 district final victory over cross-town rival Huron.

A year ago, Pioneer was on the losing end of a district final with Huron, making this year’s title even sweeter.

“It was the best feeling ever,” she said. “Our team was almost in tears because we were so excited. We couldn't have been happier. It was definitely the highlight of the season.

“Winning it for each other and for our coaches my senior year was the best feeling you can imagine, especially playing against our rival.”

Fearday’s play throughout Pioneer’s postseason earned the senior all-district and all-region, and second team All-State accolades. She was also named All-SEC in the regular season.

The bricks, however, were the awards she enjoyed receiving the most.

“My team is definitely what I played for this year,” said Fearday, who will join the Western Michigan University women’s soccer team this fall. “I could not have asked for a better team, coaches and atmosphere. I was playing with people I love, my best friends.”

Kaleb Roedel is a sports writer for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734)623-2562 and e-mailed at kalebroedel@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kaleb_R.