Springdale girls soccer team reflects on impressive season

By: Michael Love
Monday, November 18, 2024 | 5:07 PM

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In the moments that turned into hours after Friday’s 4-3 loss to District 1 champion Dock Mennonite in the PIAA Class A championship game at Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School, the Springdale girls soccer team players remained upbeat despite the disappointment of coming up just short of the title.

Coach Marc Bentley said he was quick to remind them of all they accomplished this season including an outright section championship, a 20-2 overall record, the program’s fourth WPIAL title and a powerful run to the state final.

He said the team members also enjoyed the postgame camaraderie and shared in the knowledge they left everything on the field for 80 minutes.

“The girls were excited to be playing in the title game, and despite the outcome, they appreciated where they were and how much the hard work they put in paid off,” Bentley said.

The team stayed in a hotel after the game and made the trip back to Springdale on Saturday morning.

“When we walked into the hotel, the parents and others were already there and were cheering for them,” Bentley said.

“There was a lot of good feeling. Everyone was still pretty upbeat. There were no feelings of shame. Everyone just enjoyed being around each other and had that feeling of knowing just how good of a season it was.”

Bentley said the players were honored to receive the amount of support from throughout the Springdale community all season and especially Friday for the state title game.

“It was so impactful for the girls to see that support even before the game when they were walking out to the field,” Bentley said.

“And I spoke to a couple of parents after, and they said they’ve never heard a place louder than when we tied the game at 2-2. It is those moments that are special. Yeah, it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, but it was a really entertaining game.”

Springdale fell behind 2-0 to Dock Mennonite at halftime but rallied to tie the score as part of a five-goal outburst from both teams during an eight-minute span in the second half.

The Dynamos tied the score on goals from freshman Tessa Derringer and senior Brooke Taliani.

The Pioneers responded with two scores to regain a two-goal advantage before senior Briana Ross tallied her 42nd goal of the season and 132nd of her standout career to pull her team to within one.

However, Springdale was not able to get the equalizer over a back-and-forth final 25 minutes.

“If we could’ve held it at 2-2 for a little bit longer, it might have been a different game,” Bentley said. “But them scoring the third goal not long after we tied it pushed the momentum back in their favor. But nothing surprised me with this group of girls with their resilience.”

Springdale went 7-1 in the postseason and scored 33 goals over the eight games. The Dynanos tallied 22 of those goals in four WPIAL playoff contests culminating in a 5-3 victory over Winchester Thurston in the WPIAL final Oct. 31.

The senior class of Ross, Taliani, Molly Hurley, Baileigh Haas and Carissa Walsh went a combined 62-16-1 over four years and advanced to three PIAA tournaments.

Last year and 2022 ended in the state quarterfinals before this year’s run to the title game.

“We are thankful for everything they did for us,” Bentley said. “I am proud of their hard work and dedication. They won so many games over their four seasons and have brought so much to the program. They have so much to be proud of.

“Their impact is not only felt with the younger girls on the team but even down to the elementary school. We did a walk-through on Friday, and you could see how they were inspiring those students to go out, play soccer and hopefully keep the program strong for years to come.”

It was a bittersweet experience over the final few games for Walsh, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the PIAA first-round victory over Conemaugh Township.

Bentley said Walsh remained dedicated to her teammates through the remaining practices and the final three games.

“We were all so proud of her for sticking with everything because it couldn’t have been easy for her,” Bentley said.

“She missed her whole junior year with an injury, so it was good that she got to play almost all of her senior year and score two goals in the WPIAL final. She made such an impact this season, and her positive attitude after the injury was very inspiring to the other players.”

With the return of Derringer and junior Hailey Marchlewski, who scored two goals in both the PIAA quarterfinal and semifinal victories; freshman midfielder Genevive Conklin; and the whole starting backline of freshman Ainsely Wade, juniors Lacey Shondeck and Ariana Caltagarone, and sophomore Cara Leahy, Bentley is confident the success can continue.

“For the younger girls, we want them to take this all in and use it to power them and make them hungry to hopefully get back here next year,” Bentley said. “We’re losing a lot of talent, but with the talent coming back and coming up, we have the potential to be a strong team again.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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