Norwin girls soccer team doing ‘whatever it takes’ to continue success

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 6, 2018 | 10:36 PM

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Norwin girls soccer coach Lauren Karcher expected the Knights to start this season in flux while trying to replace half of a starting lineup that helped win a PIAA championship.

The first few weeks of the season saw the Knights moving several players to different positions and mixing in different schematic formations and player rotations to find the right mesh.

With just a handful of regular-season games remaining and a spot atop Section 3-4A, it’s safe to say Norwin (11-1, 9-0) has found the right combinations.

“It took us a while to find where we are cohesive and where we can find our strengths all over the field and not just in particular spots,” Karcher said. “I think we hit a spot where we think we are going where we want to go.

“We’re playing strong and playing together and to our strengths and utilizing our speed.”

Senior defender Maddy Genicola said it was only a matter of time for the Knights to find their strengths and said early preseason conversations and a yearly team tradition provided the necessary mental spark to start the year strong.

Genicola said the team mantra of “Whatever It Takes” is a sentiment that echoes around the team every game and every practice.

“It’s a tradition for the seniors to come up with a saying and we felt ‘Whatever It Takes’ really applied to how we needed to approach the year with all the seniors we lost,” Genicola said. “We’ve shown we’re willing to do whatever it takes to get back to the state finals again.

“Every practice we remind the girls that we are willing to do whatever it takes.”

Genicola plays along the back line with senior Kendyl Kranitz and Eva Frankovic. Kranitz, formerly a forward, has stepped in to fill a defensive void, and Karcher said it’s a prime example of a player sacrificing her positional comfort for the good of the team.

Sophomore midfielder Morgan Sigut leads the team with eight goals and plays alongside junior Dani Iannuzzo, Pitt commit Lacey Bernick and Megan Dietz.

Karcher said the midfielders provide a unique skillset that makes them difficult to defend. She said Sigut has an uncanny ability to control the ball, and Bernick is the fastest player she ever has coached.

Pitt recruit Katelyn Kauffman and Lexi Gray man the forward spots.

“The speed and quickness they play with and a lot of individual skill makes us a difficult matchup,” Karcher said. “We’ve gotten past the hard part of getting each individual to use their strength, speed, quickness and tactical style and putting that together as one.

“For us, when we field quicker players, other teams have to get their players to step up to that level and that’s not always easy.”

Karcher said she has placed a lot of emphasis on keeping her players hungry and motivated to forge their own path separate from successful Norwin teams in the past.

Having a target on their backs is something they have come to accept, but ending the season on a high note while utilizing their depth will be key in the coming games.

“This team can be just as strong and talented as the previous groups, with being underdogs among ourselves is the most motivating part,” Karcher said. “This is the first year, at the midpoint of the season, we didn’t have anyone to turn out to newspapers with the most goals, but everybody wants to win. … They don’t care who puts the ball in the net, just want the end result to be a ‘W.’ ”

Brian Graham is a freelance writer.

Tags: Norwin