Increased roster adds to expectations for Gateway girls soccer team

By: Michael Love
Saturday, August 17, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Caleb Kyper understood how lower-than-usual roster numbers coupled with youthful inexperience throughout the lineup conspired to limit the Gateway girls soccer team’s efforts toward qualifying for the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs last year.

Only two seniors and one starter graduated from the 2023 squad which went 3-8-1 in Section 3-3A and 4-9-2 overall.

But Kyper said things are on the upswing as the Gators hope to reverse their fortunes and return to the postseason. With 10 starters back, experience up and down the lineup, and an influx of 10 freshmen to the team, Gateway has designs on making some noise this fall.

“The maturity of a lot of these girls began with playing significant varsity minutes, maybe before they were ready but forced to by low numbers,” Kyper said.

“That was even the case, a little bit, two years ago. Now, they are finding their feet and finding their stride with all of that experience. They are building the confidence to trust themselves and their teammates out there more and more.”

Kyper said there were times of frustration mixed with promise as Gateway played to a pair of 1-0 losses against both playoff qualifiers Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford.

He said there will be a lot more possession this year with an improved build up off the back line and through the midfield.

“That will create a lot more offensive opportunities, for sure,” Kyper said.

Senior midfielder/forward Hayden Price was an all-section pick last year after leading the team with 10 goals and 40 shots.

“I think she can be an even more dangerous goal scorer this year,” Kyper said.

“With the balance we have, I think she will shine offensively. She won’t have to do as much work herself. Teams won’t be able to afford to man mark her as closely. She won’t have to beat two or three defenders or make a 20-yard run. Hopefully, the plan is for her to receive the ball in dangerous positions and distribute or take shots deeper in our end.”

Senior captains in defender Gracyn Fry, midfielder Addi Helman and defender/midfielder Anna Walter join Price in fronting a returning starter group that includes senior defender Abby Griffith and juniors in midfielder/goalie Julia Beam, midfielder Peyton Kyper, midfielder/forward Meghan Marsh, defender Zahara Myers and defender Emily Werner.

“My freshman year, we made it to playoffs, and we haven’t since then,” Fry said.

“It is super exciting that with all of us returning and a really good freshmen class coming in, things are really coming together nicely. We have nice numbers for when we practice, and we’re going to have a JV team, too. We have so many players who can bring different things to the team.”

Junior midfielder Geneveive Valdengo and sophomore midfielder Savannah Boden played significant varsity time and are expected to see their roles increase.

“We are so motivated because we don’t want to repeat what happened the past couple of years with not making the playoffs,” Walter said. “Each practice, each day, we’re seeing so much improvement from everyone.”

Kyper said a deeper core of goal scorers should emerge, and assists should come from all over the place through the midfield and even from some defenders.

“We’re not as one-dimensional as we once were,” Kyper said. “We’re really becoming a true end-to-end soccer team.”

Goalkeeper Jada Settles, the one starter lost to graduation, Kyper said, left some big shoes to fill.

Beam and freshman Ella Cepko have led the way in competition for the starting nod in net.

“We’re lucky enough to have two really competent goalies in Julia and Ella,” Kyper said.

“Julia played a lot in the field last year, but she’s really stepped in with that confidence and leadership role. Ella is a very technical keeper and is very intelligent on the field.”

Gateway again will face neighboring rival Penn Hills in section play, but everyone else is new. The Gators also will have section matchups against Fox Chapel, Hampton, Mars, Obama Academy and Shaler.

Mars continued its recent run of elite play last year with a trip to the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A semifinals. Hampton was runner-up to Mars in their section, and Fox Chapel dropped down from Class 4A where it made the WPIAL playoffs a year ago.

“We’ve talked about getting back to the playoffs, and we also understand that we didn’t get out of the fire,” Kyper said. “We might be in a little deeper with the likes of Mars, Hampton and Fox Chapel. We’re happy, though, to face some new opponents while maintaining some matchups against our neighbors we’ve played in years past to keep those rivalries alive. We know we need to be at our best against these top teams, but we’re also focused on those middle-of-the-group matchups that can be the difference in us getting into the playoffs.”

After scrimmages against Woodland Hills and East Allegheny this week, Gateway opens its season at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Penn Hills.

“I am thrilled to see what we can do this season,” Helman said. “Through summer training, we’ve been putting in a lot of work. With that work, I think it will pay off with great outcomes. We’re all counting down the days, for sure.”

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.

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