Shady Side Academy roars into WPIAL girls soccer playoffs

By: Shawn Annarelli
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 | 11:01 PM

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Callie Davis, Melissa Riggins and Gabby Hill-Junke are a nightmare to make saves against, Shady Side Academy goaltender Molly Skvorak said.

Luckily, they’re on the same team.

No. 1 Shady Side Academy’s 11-game win streak will be the second longest in Class A heading into the playoffs, though Indians coach Mary Lynch is quick to note that an impressive record won’t help them now.

“We talk about playing our best soccer regardless of who our opponent is and not looking ahead to the playoffs or the next round,” Lynch said. “Anything can happen in soccer on any day.”

The Indians are often each other’s best opponents, according to Skvorak, who has nine shutouts this season.

“As much as I’d love to say our shutouts are entirely because of my ability, it’s entirely the defense,” Skvorak said. “What’s different about this year is we aren’t relying on one person to do any one job. It’s a full team effort. They’re my wall. They’re unbelievable.”

In addition to the efforts of her teammates, Skvorak said her effectiveness can be traced back to facing a combination of Davis, Riggins and Hill-Junke most days.

“Our defense is really tough, too, and Molly is definitely difficult to score against,” Davis said. “Sometimes I actually wish she wasn’t so challenging in practice, because she does make so many hard saves.”

Davis leads the team with 30 goals, and Riggins has 13.

Part of what makes the Indians dominant is their versatility.

Lynch can rearrange players based on opponent and is comfortable changing strategies in any situation. In the team’s second game against No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic, a 3-1 win, she moved Hill-Junke from midfield to forward and was rewarded by her two goals.

“Gabby is great in the midfield and up top, and we’ve played her in both spots since GCC,” Lynch said. “It’s a decision on how she’ll best serve the team and where everyone else fits in.”

The win against the Centurions was a measure of revenge after the Indians lost, 2-0, to them early in the season.

“I think games against GCC compare to the anticipation and the intensity of a playoff game,” Lynch said. “Both teams always show up wanting to play their best, so it’s always a really competitive environment, which is beneficial in preparing for playoffs. We know we could see them again.”

Following their only loss this season, Shady Side Academy knocked off Class AAAA Fox Chapel, 1-0, to start the win streak.

“Heading into Fox Chapel, there was no pressure, and we relaxed in terms of playing our game,” Lynch said. “As the game went on, I think we realized we could play with them and scored toward the end. We realized what we could accomplish when we play great soccer together.”

Shady Side Academy will try to take the same approach to the playoffs.

“Teams like GCC, Freedom and other playoff teams are very strong and worked very hard to get to where they are, which is respectable,” Davis said. “We’re such a tight-knit group, and I think (playing together) has to be our key to making it far in the playoffs.”

Tags: Shady Side Academy