Colleges lining up to offer Franklin Regional goalkeeper Aris Lamanna

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Watch a Franklin Regional girls soccer game the last couple seasons, and you’ll see defense. Lots of defense.

The Panthers don’t give up many goals.

In practically every game, especially those against better competition, one player tends to chew up the scenes.

Not every actor is a movie star, and not every goalkeeper is major college material. But junior Aris Lamanna sure looks the part.

Lamanna, a shot-stopping sensation for the Panthers, is drawing Division I interest as her senior year starts to come into focus.

At a recent showcase, the 5-foot-11 netminder again caught the eye of more high-level programs.

Lamanna was named to the “elite goalkeeper” list while attending an Elite Clubs National League event in Houston.

A member of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy 2006 team, Lamanna posted a shutout against the Atlanta Fire 06 team while putting her skills on display.

“The (ECNL Houston) event was a great experience for me,” the confident Lamanna said. “It allowed our Riverhounds team the opportunity to play against competitive ECNL teams from across the country in front on hundreds of college and USA scouts.

“I was able to make a lot of great one-vs.-one plays and showcase my quickness off my line. I also had multiple crosses played in that I took out of the air.”

#ECNLHouston was a blast!! I got to compete against some very competitive teams and am thankful for all the college coaches that came to watch. Check out the action below ⬇️ @HoundsAcademy @TopDrawerSoccer @PrepSoccer @ECNLgirls @ECNLOhioValley @ImYouthSoccer @KeeperInstitute pic.twitter.com/JuZMgHu4mE

— Aris Lamanna (@aris_lamanna) March 4, 2023

Nine Division I schools have offered a scholarship to Lamanna, who did not want to divulge their identity.

She did say, however, that she plans to make a decision before the end of March.

Last fall, Lamanna posted 11 shutouts for Franklin Regional, a WPIAL Class 3A playoff team, and had a 0.56 goals-against average.

She was an All-WPIAL selection.

A year-round effort to improve her game is what keeps Lamanna sharp.

She has aspirations to play the game for years to come and at the highest level.

“I have continued to develop my skills by training at The Keeper Institute in New Jersey and with the coaches at the Riverhounds Academy,” she said. “Beyond shot stopping, I have worked hard to refine my distribution at the upper levels of the field and to ensure clean and confident movement of the ball at my feet.

“I feel I am in a great position as I work through the ECNL season, towards my final high school season, and, ultimately, transition into college. The work will never be complete as my ultimate goal is to use college as a stepping stone to a professional career.”

Lamanna also credits the program she has been working with for the last four years for her development.

She said Hunter Gilstrap and Pro Player Goalkeeping have played a key role.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional