Nazareth Academy’s Taylor Capecci is one of many girls soccer players to keep an eye out for this season. GREG BEZANIS / FOR THE TIMES
In addition to Franklin Towne Charter, there are several other area teams that hope to be in the mix at the end of the season come playoff time. Here’s a closer look at some of them:
St. Hubert
Last season: Lost in Catholic League quarterfinals to Archbishop Ryan
Names to watch: Claire Alminde (an All-Catholic performer in soccer and softball); outside midfielders Vicki Formica and Marissa Fassnacht; defender Alyssa Bollard; sweeper Jess Breuning; forward Elizabeth Jones; center midfielders Elizabeth Klenk and Jill Osborne; freshman goalie Emily Jeffrey
Coach Mickey McGroarty (who is approaching his 400th career victory) says: “So far, we’re 3–2. We have 11 seniors on the team, and hopefully that will help us in the long run when we play the league powers to be. Up until Saturday (a loss to William Tennent), I’ve been OK with our effort so far. I think we’re going to be competitive against the usual suspects of Wood, Carroll, Ryan, Lansdale Catholic, O’Hara, Conwell-Egan and Little Flower. We’re hoping for the best, and with our seniors, we’re certainly capable. Considering the fact that we almost weren’t here less than a year ago (when the school nearly closed) and that the alternative would have been nothing, I’m just happy we’re here and still being a major factor in the playoff hunt.”
Archbishop Ryan
Last season: Lost to Archbishop Wood in Catholic League semifinals
Names to watch: Goalie Jazmin Gonzales (four shutouts in six games thus far), sweeper Kaitlin McFadden, outside backs Taylor Adair and Tayah Naudascher, midfielders Scarlett Walsh, Megan Manion, Mackenzie Hooven and Jules Blank; forwards Gina Luciano, Brittany Robinson and Briana Egenlauf
Coach Ryan Haney says: “We’re off to a great 5–0–1 start. We’re quicker than last year, and we’re scoring a lot of goals (35 in six games, including two double-digit outputs and another nine-goal explosion). From that standpoint, we’re improved and we expect to be right there, as it’s one of my strongest teams in the four years I’ve been here. We haven’t played some of the stronger teams yet, but what I’ve noticed is we’re really gaining control and putting teams away early, sometimes scoring six or seven goals in the first 20 minutes. Nothing is guaranteed, and we keep challenging our kids in practice and making it competitive so they don’t feel safe in their spots. It’s going to be a challenging league, as usual. If you don’t put the ball in the net and come up dry on a bad day, that could be the end. We’re still here, and we’re strong.”
Little Flower
Last season: Lost in championship game to Archbishop Wood
Names to watch: Ursula Coyle (the team’s top returning scorer, who scored both of Little Flower’s goals in the title game); Megan Petroski; aside from that, a lot of freshmen, as the starting lineup was gutted by graduation, including Northeast Times girls Catholic League Player of the Year Courtney Weidner.
Head coach Markos Pittalouis says: “We’ve got a lot of young ones. There are seven freshmen on varsity, so it’s an awful lot of youth. We need work, but so far, it looks like they can do something good. They’re still learning my game and learning to play real soccer. It’s hard at the beginning with so many new faces. They have promise, though. We have a few more weeks before we play the strongest league teams, and I think we’ll put it together by then. I think the league will be equal — good competition and everyone should have a similar chance. I got the players, and they’re good…we’ll get better before the playoffs, and we’ll be there.”
Nazareth Academy
Last season: 3–12–1
Names to watch: Goalie Paulina Rucci, a converted midfielder; senior defenders Tara Fritz and Lili Shuster; center midfielder Rosaria Capuano; Sam Black; Taylor Capecci
Head coach Dan Bradley (who takes over for athletic director and former soccer coach Danielle Wilson, now coaching volleyball) says: “We’re fortunate that we have a very strong senior class. The unfortunate thing is we’ve been bitten by the injury bug pretty bad. We have nine injuries, with four of them probably being season-enders. Getting players healthy has been the biggest challenge. Overall though, it’s been a great first year for me so far. The girls are responding to the new ways we want to do things and are buying into the system. As a coach, I couldn’t be prouder at how they’ve stepped up in the wake of all these injuries. We can’t use that as an excuse. We still have the same goal, which is to play as far and as long as we can. As long as we keep improving, we’ll get there. Our expectations haven’t changed, and we’re going to fight through it. Right now, our focus is on making believers out of them.” ••
