A-K Valley girls soccer preview: Springdale returns strong core in bid for repeat

By: Michael Love
Thursday, August 24, 2023 | 8:40 PM

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Springdale coach Marc Bentley can’t help but smile when thinking back to last fall and his team’s run to the WPIAL Class A championship game at Highmark Stadium and its trip to the PIAA quarterfinals.

“It was such a great experience for the girls, especially knowing how hard they worked to make it to Highmark,” Bentley said. “Going up to Erie and beating a district champion in Mercyhurst Prep and playing so well, there were so many memorable experiences. The girls were able to see all the hard work pay off.”

With a core returning, led by All-WPIAL performer in junior forward Molly Hurley and featuring All-Section 1 selections in junior forward Briana Ross and senior midfielder Ashley Ross, the Dynamos hope to defend their section championship and make it back to the title game.

“We’ve been building every year, and we retain a lot of really important players to the team,” said Bentley, who saw his team finished 17-5 overall last year.

“We did lose some key players to graduation, but we have a number of others who got to experience that run who want to be the ones to help keep this going. The goals are still set high for this team. We’re looking forward to getting started. There are some really good teams in single A, so it’s definitely not going to be easy.”

Friday marks the first day of play for teams in the Alle-Kiski Valley and throughout the WPIAL. Section play comes fast as the first games that count toward the playoffs are Monday.

The top four teams in each section in the four classifications again make the playoffs.

The first all-A-K Valley matchup of the season is Saturday as Springdale visits Class 2A Deer Lakes, which is led by sophomore defender Brooke Cacurak, senior midfielder Brittany Schindler, senior forward Kylie McCoy and senior goalkeeper Brooke Kostyak.

“Playing a solid team like Deer Lakes on the turf is a great way to open the season,” Bentley said.

Deer Lakes finished fifth in a competitive Section 2-2A last year, two points behind Valley in the race for the section’s fourth and final playoff spot. The Lancers, 1-5-1 in one-goal games a year ago, saw their five-year playoff-appearance streak come to an end.

Playoff streaks on the line

Plum leads the A-K Valley with 11 consecutive seasons making the WPIAL playoffs.

Freeport is second with 10 in a row. Kiski Area and Burrell both hope to build on seven-year postseason streaks, while Springdale punched its ticket to the playoffs last year for the sixth straight time.

Plum lost eight senior starters to graduation from a team that went 18-3 overall and made the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals. Three of those graduates are now on Division I rosters.

The senior group was part of Mustangs teams that won 72 of 83 games over four years, captured four section titles, made three WPIAL title games and played in three state tournaments.

Senior midfielder Ava Weleski, the leading scorer among the returning players with nine goals, earned All-WPIAL recognition in 2022 and is back to help Plum shoot for another playoff trip in a challenging Section 3-3A.

“We have a lot of new girls coming onto the field looking to step up,” she said.

“A lot of underclassmen have been putting the work in. It is tough to lose those seniors from last year, but there definitely is talent ready to come in and keep the winning going.”

A competitive Section 2-2A

More than a dozen games last season between Knoch, Burrell, Freeport, Deer Lakes, Valley and Apollo-Ridge were decided by one goal or finished tied.

Burrell (8-2-2) was involved in the two tie games in section play, finishing knotted up with section champion Knoch (10-1-1) and Deer Lakes (4-7-1).

The Knights hope to defend their section title and have nine starters back, including two-time All-WPIAL performer in senior midfielder Macrina Robb.

Robb led the team in goals (12) and assists (9).

Graduation hit Freeport hard last year, and three starters are back. Sophomore forward Peyton Los hopes to follow up her breakout first varsity season, when she netted seven goals and added nine assists.

Burrell junior forward/midfielder Miley Kariotis, an all-section pick along with junior midfielder Maggie Nesko and senior midfielder Andi Householder, led the Bucs with 12 goals last year.

Apollo-Ridge (3-9) hopes to challenge for a top-four spot in the section and returns several starters, including all-section senior forward Sophia Yard (four goals, two assists) as well as junior forward Paige Crawford.

“Knoch was new to the section last year, and they return as one of the favorites for sure,” Burrell coach Frank Nesko said. “Freeport’s a perennial favorite, and you can never count them out with the players and the lineup they produce every year. You also can never count out Deer Lakes. They were a good team last year that had a couple of tough breaks in games. Frank (Accetta) is a great coach with great talent every year. Apollo-Ridge had a nice, competitive group last year, and I think they can sneak up on some people.

“I don’t exactly know if we’re right there with the top teams in the section just yet. We lost some key contributors from last season. But my job is to take the returning and new girls and get them to a level where we can contend. We were in so many close games last year. ”

A change at the top

Valley is the only team in the A-K Valley that begins the season with a new coach.

Jon Banko, a principal at Valley High School and a former wrestling coach at Southmoreland, took over in the spring for Tim Beckes, who stepped down after last season.

The Vikings will have several new starters after a core group of nine seniors moved on from last year’s team that went 7-10 overall, 5-7 in Section 2-2A, and suffered a WPIAL first-round loss to top-seeded North Catholic.

The playoff trip was Valley’s second in the program’s 20-year history. Seven of the Vikings’ 12 section games were decided by one goal.

Golden Rams missing in action

Highlands has fallen victim to a numbers crunch and will not field a girls team this year.

The Golden Rams, 0-16 overall last year and 0-12 in Section 2-2A, started last season with 17 players. Injuries contributed to the team having just nine to finish the season. Seven of those nine graduated.

Riverview was in the same situation in 2020 as the Raiders had just four players available. The season was canceled.

But the Raiders returned in 2021 and have made the WPIAL playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Last year, Riverview finished tied for fourth in Section 1-1A with Serra Catholic.

Senior Lola Abraham, a two-time All-WPIAL selection and a Pitt commit, scored 56 goals last year, one of the highest totals in the WPIAL. She stands one goal from 100 for her varsity career heading into Riverview’s season opener Monday afternoon against Greensburg Central Catholic at Riverside Park in Oakmont.

Fresh optimism for Cavaliers, Foxes

Camryn Kunz, a junior midfielder, earned All-Section 1-3A honors last season and helped Kiski Area extend its playoff streak with a late-season surge.

The Cavaliers finished tied with Indiana for fourth in the section at 5-7.

Kiski Area battled last year in a rugged section with the likes of Mars, Hampton and Oakland Catholic and will face them again as they eye another postseason trip.

Fox Chapel, saddled with numerous injury issues last year, missed the playoffs by five points in Section 1-4A. But the Foxes have their sights set on returning to the WPIAL tournament.

Eight starters return, including a pair of All-WPIAL performers in senior defender Anna Troutman and senior midfielder Kate Friday. Another All-WPIAL selection, midfielder Makayla Mulholland, graduated and plays for Division I Appalachian State.

Players to watch

Lola Abraham, Sr., M/F, Riverview

Kate Friday, Sr., M, Fox Chapel

Molly Hurley, Jr., F, Springdale

Miley Kariotis, Jr., F/M, Burrell

Peyton Los, Soph., F, Freeport

Macrina Robb, Sr., M, Knoch

Briana Ross, Soph., F, Springdale

Anna Troutman, Sr., D, Fox Chapel

Ava Weleski, Sr., M, Plum

Sophia Yard, Sr., F, Apollo-Ridge

Preseason rankings

Class 4A

1. North Allegheny (21-2)

2. Peters Township (15-3)

3. Upper St. Clair (9-8)

4. Mt. Lebanon (16-3)

5. Seneca Valley (13-2-2)

Class 3A

1. Moon (24-0)

2. Mars (19-2)

3. Latrobe (12-5-2)

4. Franklin Regional (11-6-2)

5. Plum (18-3)

Class 2A

1. Avonworth (19-4)

2. Mt. Pleasant (21-3)

3. North Catholic (16-3)

4. South Park (14-6)

5. Shady Side Academy (10-6)

Class A

1. Freedom (20-4)

2. Springdale (17-5)

3. Greensburg Central Catholic (16-5)

4. Waynesburg (16-5)

5. Winchester Thurston (9-1-1)

*Records from 2022

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.