‘Big headache’ helps Deer Lakes boys soccer refocus for stretch run to postseason
By:
Thursday, October 2, 2025 | 4:57 PM
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers celebrates with Jacob Orseno after scoring against Shady Side Academy on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Jacob Orseno celebrates after scoring against Shady Side Academy on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes goalkeeper Wesley Boyle makes a save next to Shady Side Academy’s Beau Brush during their game on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes goalkeeper Wesley Boyle makes a save Shady Side Academy’s Perkin Showalter during their game on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Colton Bish battles Shady Side Academy’s Beau Brush for a header in the rain on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers battles Shady Side Academy’s Mark Bence for a header during their game on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers celebrates after scoring against Shady Side Academy on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in West Deer.
The Deer Lakes boys soccer team entered the 2025 season with a talented senior class that contributed to its success over the past three years, and, through their first 11 games, that experience showed.
The Lancers (10-3-1, 8-1-1) won nine of those games with their only two losses coming against Fox Chapel and North Hills, two Class 4A teams. During that stretch, Deer Lakes outscored its opponents 65-9, recorded seven shutouts — one of which was a 1-0 win over Class 3A Mars — and scored at least five goals in five games.
The Lancers held their own during those losses. They went down 3-0 early to Fox Chapel, which is coming off a WPIAL title and holds an 11-1 record, before clawing back to score two goals and push the Foxes to the brink.
“With the talent on the team, their maturity and their attitude, it’s been really great,” coach Aaron Smith said about his team’s season so far.
However, over the past two weeks, the Lancers have faced a stretch in their schedule where they have encountered adversity and begun to learn what they need to do to achieve their ultimate goal.
After earning early-season wins over North Catholic and Shady Side Academy, the Trojans and Bulldogs presented bigger challenges in the rematches.
North Catholic, which holds the top spot in Section 1-2A, beat Deer Lakes, 2-1, before Shady Side Academy erased a two-goal deficit to force a 2-2 double-overtime tie. Those two games knocked the Lancers out of first place in their section and forced them to look within.
“We were riding so high. We were pretty much undefeated other than the 4A schools, and I think we needed a moment of pause to sit back and say, ‘We’re not untouchable, and on any given day, any team can win.’ ” Smith said. “We have to get back to focusing on our efforts and get back to our style and get back to playing at the caliber we like to. When we’re flying, we’re hard to compete with. I have to give credit to Shady Side and North Catholic. They came out with a plan, executed it, and gave us a big headache.
“It gave us a moment of reflection to say that we need to get back, and understand that we aren’t invincible and we have to get in there and do what we have to do and fight.”
After all, the Lancers do have the pieces in place. They have shown as much over the last few years, with a third-place finish in the WPIAL tournament last year. Several of the seniors also helped the Lancers capture a WPIAL title in 2022.
Each year, they have played a bigger role and now lead the way. Senior Collin Rodgers has 15 goals and 10 assists, while midfielder Jake Orseno (9 goals), Peyton Kushon (8 goals), Artemey Parshyn (8 goals) and Cuyler Crim (8 goals) have contributed as well. They have built a balanced offensive attack to pair with a defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest goals in WPIAL Class 2A.
“It’s hard to double down on us because we have a lot of players who can put the ball away,” Smith said.
They also have had a few younger players, such as sophomore Maddox Metzler and freshmen Connor Moore and Sam Dischner, who have stepped up in different roles and contributed to the team’s success.
There’s still work to be done, however. Smith said he will continue to assimilate younger players into the lineup over their final four games as they continue to get accustomed to the speed of varsity play. That will only help them as they prepare for their stretch run.
“We have to keep practices as intense as possible to keep the knife sharp, as I like to say,” Smith said.
After a 6-1 win over Highlands on Tuesday, the Lancers took on Burrell on Thursday and will finish the year with matchups against Valley, Freeport and Leechburg.
Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Tags: Deer Lakes
More High School Soccer Boys
• Bentworth’s Ryan Moessner repeats as Trib HSSN Boys Soccer Player of the Year• Rosters set for WPSCA boys soccer all-star games
• Championship boys soccer coach Scott Schuchert steps down at Norwin
• With defense leading way, Sewickley Academy boys contended in section, battled to the end
• Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers selected A-K Valley Boys Soccer Player of the Year
