Freeport boys look to defend section title

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 24, 2017 | 8:00 PM

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Freeport learned the hard way the importance of never letting up in soccer.

Leading by two goals and seemingly on their way to a WPIAL first-round victory over Beaver last fall, the Yellowjackets instead saw their season slip away after allowing three unanswered goals in the second half.

Just like that, Freeport's strong season, which saw the team's first section championship in nearly 20 years, was gone, and it taught the Yellowjackets an important — and painful — lesson.

“I think maybe we let off the gas pedal in the second half, and it cost us the game and it cost us our playoffs,” Freeport coach Dave Teorsky said. “And that was a team that I really thought could go further — certainly further than one-and-done, and that's no discredit to Beaver because they were a quality side.

“I think we know what we did wrong, and I hope they use that as motivation to get better this year.”

Freeport improved from section also-ran to section champion in just four seasons. The Yellowjackets went 11-0-1 in Section 2-AA last season to claim their first title since 1999, but the success came to a crashing halt in the playoffs.

“It's a mark that we're going to try to beat this year,” senior striker Bryce Hanby said. “It's really motivating for the whole team. We thought we had it, everyone did. It was rough seeing us fall.”

Added junior Steve Teorsky: “A couple of the kids actually continued to stay after school and continue practicing because they didn't want to give up. We were all kind of stunned by it. It was rough, but we've got to get them again this year.”

Freeport will look to match or exceed its 2016 accomplishments with a roster that includes a core of key returning contributors. Hanby led the team in scoring last season from his forward position, while senior Alec Parker, junior Cole Bennick and sophomore Hunter Hardin also add speed and scoring ability. Seniors Adam Kavarta and Drew Nigra will anchor the back line, and Steve Teorsky is a big presence in the midfield at 6-foot-5.

Those players will attempt to make up for the on- and off-field leadership of graduates like Kevin Lynch, Rob Reichenbaugh and Austin Uric, among others.

“We're looking for guys to step into that role,” Dave Teorsky said. “It doesn't only have to come from the senior class. We can find leaders even from some of our younger guys coming back. We have a number of returning lettermen, returning starters, and the coaching staff is going to look to those guys to pick up that role and to keep this program going.”

Uric, an all-WPIAL goalkeeper, will be especially missed at first. Seniors Giovanni Pugliese and Logan Ziemkiewicz, juniors Dylan Arnold and Alex Kladny and sophomore Luke Heider were competing in camp for that position.

“We knew that we would have a big loss when Austin moved on,” Teorsky said. “We played in a really tough section last year, we had some really close games, and that really kept Austin in the net for maybe all 80 minutes. We tried to get some of our underclassmen an opportunity to get some valuable game time, but that wasn't always the case.

“We do have a good group of guys that are working hard this year. I think all of them recognize that there's an opportunity to get playing time. There's definitely going to be a competition for a starting role, but make no mistake, that's going to be a big void for us to fill.”

Freeport again will contend with teams like Shady Side Academy and Deer Lakes in the hopes of winning another section title. The Yellowjackets open the season Sept. 2 at Armstrong.

“Over the years we've started (getting) stronger and stronger playing as a team, and I think this year we're really going to come together and just kill it,” Hanby said.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.