Franklin Regional standout goalkeeper Aris Lamanna to play at Coastal Carolina

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 16, 2023 | 10:57 PM

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Aris Lamanna has made her intentions clear: She wants to play high-level soccer for years to come.

From youth to cup to high school, the Franklin Regional goalkeeper has slapped away would-be goals and created a stronghold in front of the net for every team she has joined.

The 5-foot-11 junior will look to continue to be that commanding presence at the Division I level. She announced Thursday a verbal pledge to Coastal Carolina of the Sun Belt Conference.

She had nine Division I offers.

Coastal Carolina has a new coaching staff following a 3-10-4 season. The Chanticleers have not had a winning season since 2017.

“After visiting Coastal and talking with Coach Jo (Chubb) and Coach Steven (Samuel), I realized that they were best prepared to push me to the next level,” Lamanna said. “Coach Jo comes from a long history of success as a player and then a coach in the Pac-12, and I believe she can bring that success to Coastal. I want to make a direct and immediate impact and help build the program.”

Lamanna also considered offers from Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee, UNC Charlotte, Tarleton State, High Point, George Washington, South Dakota and Robert Morris.

She said a number of other programs, including Michigan State, North Dakota, Holy Cross, Bucknell, The Citadel, Arkansas State and Stetson also showed increased interest.

I am SO excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career playing D1 soccer at Coastal Carolina University! I want to thank my family, coaches and teammates for all the support along the way. GO CHANTS! #TealNation @JoChubb10 @CoastalWSoccer pic.twitter.com/3GgF6L2IQu

— Aris Lamanna (@aris_lamanna) March 16, 2023

Lamanna, an All-WPIAL selection who rang up 11 shutouts and a 0.56 goals-against average last fall, said her ultimate goal is to play professionally.

“It has been a long process for her, and she has really worked hard to give herself some quality options,” Franklin Regional coach Scott Arnold said. “On the current Coastal roster, the youngest goalkeeper is a sophomore. So, they may have big plans for Aris. They should. I could see her getting on the field sooner than later.”

Lamanna was named to the “elite goalkeeper” list while attending an Elite Clubs National League event in Houston. She is a member of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy 2006 team.

She has found happiness and comfort in her decision.

“The feeling is exciting and relieving both at the same time,” she said. “The process was overwhelming and took hard work. It required a lot of traveling and constant communication with the coaches. From ID camps and emails, to phone calls and visits, the last two years came to a great ending with my commitment to Coastal.

“One of the most difficult parts of the process was calling the coaches to decline their offers, especially since I had built relationships with many of these coaches.”

Arnold thinks Lamanna can see the field right away — after she plays out her senior season, of course.

“Aris’ distribution is elite,” he said, in reference to her play in possession. “Her passing accuracy and range is better than most college-level field players.”

Her commitment gives Westmoreland County two Division I keepers. Latrobe senior Sofia DeCerb is headed to James Madison.

Latrobe and Franklin Regional play in the same section, so fans can see them go head to head at least twice next season.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional