SV grad Valentovish captain of No. 1 ranked Carnegie Mellon women’s soccer team
PITTSBURGH — Breana Valentovish was a top scorer as a soccer midfielder for Seneca Valley High School.
She is a shutdown defensive midfielder for Carnegie Mellon University.
There is a common denominator in her soccer career — she keeps winning.
Valentovish, a former Butler Eagle Girls Soccer Player of the Year, tallied 35 goals and 15 assists in her final two seasons with the Raiders. She has played a defensive role with the Tartans, who are currently top-ranked in NCAA Division III by the United Soccer Coaches with an 11-0-1 record.
Valentovish is in her third season as a team captain at CMU.
“I’m not surprised at all by her defensive prowess,” SV girls soccer coach Mark Perry said. “Whenever we had a lead and needed to lock down the other team, we’d shift Breana back into that role.
“She was more of a defensive midfielder for her club team as well.”
CMU reached the Sweet 16 in Division III the past two seasons, posting records of 13-6-1 and 14-3-1. The Tartans are ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in program nhistory.
“I feel like we can break through this time,” Valentovish said. “The chemistry and cohesiveness of this team is fantastic. Our work ethic is solid ... This is an academic school with high standards, so every player who comes here already has that mind-set.”
CMU has outscored its opponents 43-3 so far this season. The team recently completed a stretch of 777 minutes and 23 seconds without allowing a goal. Its most recent game is a 1-1 tie with 12th-ranked Rochester.
Valentovish is majoring in business and statistics.
“We allow very few shots a game because we keep the ball on the offensive half of the field,” CMU coach Yon Struble said. “Breana is a huge part of that. She is such a strong athlete. She plays the ball in the air well and once she gets control of it, she’s confident with the ball.
“It’s hard to get the ball off her foot and she knows how to quickly transition to the attack.”
Valentovish scored three goals and tallied five assists last year. She has one goal thus far this season.
“She’s been one of our leaders for four years now,” Struble said. “Breana leads by example in every way. She shines in the classroom, is the consummate teammate ... She does everything right.
“She rarely has a bad day and when she does, it’s not very bad. She is a coach’s dream. It’s going to be tough next year without her.”
But it’s become memorable this year with her.
“Breana is just a born leader,” Perry said. “She’s a perfect fit for that team. She anchors their defensive lineup.”
Valentovish said she had no problem adjusting to her defensive role at CMU.
“Not at all. I’m more accustomed to playing more of a defensive game,” she said. “If we don’t give up any goals, we can’t lose. That’s how we think and play as a team.”
Struble joins Valentovish’s belief that this Tartan squad is good enough to win a national championship — with some reservation.
“You never know what the bracketing is gonna look like,” the coach said. “Sometimes the NCAA can be good to you. Sometimes it can be hard on you. We went to the Final Four in 2019 and this team is as good as that one.
“To get there, you have to have a little luck on your side.”
