Hempfield girls look forward to soccer playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 | 5:54 PM

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Hempfield’s girls soccer team is headed to the WPIAL playoffs with some momentum.

The Spartans completed a grueling stretch in the last week. They dropped a 5-0 decision to Connellsville last Wednesday and followed with a 4-3 setback at Penn-Trafford the next day. Saturday, they finished off a suspended match with Latrobe and won 3-0 to seal a WPIAL Class 4A playoff berth. Immediately after that game, they gave up two goals in the second half in a 2-1 setback to Kiski Area.

On Monday, Hempfield rebounded with a 4-1 win over Latrobe to wrap up Section 3 play at 6-6. Overall, the Spartans are 6-8.

“Our record really doesn’t show how good of soccer we’ve been playing,” coach Adam Shaffer said. “We have a few losses in our last few games, but we’re really playing the best soccer we’ve played in the past few years. We’re really looking forward to what comes next.”

The team’s busy schedule continues. Hempfield visits Butler on Wednesday to wrap up the regular season. The WPIAL tournament begins Saturday.

“We really stepped it up at the end of the season. We’ve peaked at the right time,” Hempfield junior forward Sydney Patrick said. “We’re finding passes on the edge of the box and finishing. It’s all coming together.”

The Spartans overcame some adversity this season with the loss of their top two leading scorers from a year ago. Senior Sierra Aniballi and junior Caroline Czarnecki were both sidelined for the fall with injuries. Patrick shifted from midfield to striker and cashed in for 16 goals.

“That’s a pretty high number for any player at Hempfield in the last few years. We have not had anyone hit that mark,” Shaffer said. “Overall, we’re hitting the back of the net more and putting teams under pressure more quickly. Our offense is really starting to possess the ball.”

Patrick is joined up top by senior Jess Persin.

“She moved up from defense and has done a really great job,” Patrick said. “Moving up from outside midfielder, I have more goals this year than all my other years combined. I’ve been getting the ball more and getting more opportunities. It’s nice.”

Center midfielders Ashleigh VanHorn and Sabrina Pettinato have supported Hempfield’s offense, as well.

“Ashleigh is a workhorse in middle; she wins every 50-50 ball and defends all the tough players,” Shaffer said. “Sabrina is a crafty player in the middle who creates a lot of our attacking opportunities.”

On defense, senior center back Mackenna Orie, a DePaul track recruit, leads the way, while sophomore Haley Rowe and freshman Leah Kern are at outside back.

“Our defense has been doing very well this year. The goals against us don’t really show how good our defense has been,” Shaffer said. “We’re shutting down a lot of opportunities and making teams work for a lot of what they have going to goal. We’ve cut down on the dangerous opportunities teams have been having against us in past years.”

Sophomore Gillian Bierhals is the team’s starting goalkeeper.

“Every game, we watch her get better. The more experience she gets, the better she is,” Shaffer said. “We consistently see her make strides in her game and the mentality toward the game. She proves she deserves the spot she has.”

While the Spartans will receive a lower playoff seed based on their section finish, they expect to challenge whatever team they draw.

“We are a young team. Anytime you get to the playoffs, it is good experience for the younger girls to understand what it’s all about,” Shaffer said. “The senior class missed out on playoffs last year. Their sophomore year, they played competitively against Canon-Mac, which went on to win a state title. It has made them hungry to get back to the playoffs and play the best they can play.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hempfield