Success is contagious

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

August 30, 2005 Last Updated: August 30, 2005 02:32 PM High School

Many county teams are winners

How much has high school girls soccer progressed around here? Consider the following:

Karns City has won seven consecutive District 9 championships.

Seneca Valley is coming off a section championship.

Knoch qualified for the WPIAL playoffs last season for the first time since 1996.

Butler and Mars both posted winning records in 2004 - and missed the playoffs for the first time in years.

Slippery Rock loses just three players from a team that finished 17-5 a year ago.

Grove City was undefeated in 18 regular season games in 2004.

Here is a look at the upcoming season:

Coach: Marlene Peoples, sixth yearLast year: 9-7-2 overall, 7-4-1 in section playKey returnees: Kelly Hilderbrand (senior forward, 10 goals, 7 assists), Danielle Plaisted (senior defender), Lauren Rodgers (senior defender), Jen Schwab (senior midfield), Michaela Brady (senior forward), Jamie Albert (senior midfield, 5 goals, 2 assists), Lindsay Hohn (senior midfield)Key note: The Golden Tornado had a string of four successive playoff appearances ended last year.Peoples says: "These seniors were sophomores when went to the state finals, so they know what that's like and what it takes to get there. We have some juniors - Karilee Cowan, goalkeeper Lisa Rodgers, Amanda Dillon, Caitlin Tschappat - coming on strong and sophomore midfielders Amanda Malecky and Becca Crissman will help us. We only scored 31 goals all of last year. Playing in a section as competitive of ours, that has to change."

Coach: Autumn Godot, first yearLast year: Record not availableKey returnees: Lystina Kabay (senior midfield), Carly Kinter (senior defender), Maurielle Blake (junior sweeper), Allison McClelland (junior goalkeeper)Key note: The Yellowjackets graduated seven seniors and Godot, an assistant coach the past five years, has 13 freshmen on the roster.Godot says: "We want to work together as a team and play well as a team. With so many young faces, we need to build positive energy, look to play possession a lot more and grow as a team."

Coach: Ernie DeSue, second yearLast year: 16-0-2, reached District 10 semifinalsKey returnees: Emma Stapleton (senior goalkeeper), Jessica Hodge (senior defender), Kelly Rouse (senior forward), Alex Black (senior forward), Laura Buchanan (junior defender), Helen Phipps (junior midfield), Christie Allison (sophomore forward)Key note: The Eagles have two of the best defenders in the district in Hodge and Buchanan.DeSue says: "We have about half the girls back from last year, but many of them are changing positions, so we'll have a whole new mix. I'm a one-game-at-a-time type of guy and that's how we do it. Phipps and Allison should be able to provide a lot of offense for us."

Coach: Joe Meshanko, 14th yearLast year: 19-5Key returnees: Brittni Grenninger (senior forward, 54 goals, 32 assists), Kristen Barnhart (senior forward, 20 goals in 2003), Nikki McElroy (senior defender), Adrian Olzak (senior midfield), Allison Kepple (sophomore midfield), Julianne Scott (sophomore midfield), Kylee Rankin (sophomore defender), Michelle Sweeney (sophomore goalkeeper), Kearsten Forbeck (junior goalkeeper)Key note: Barnhart returns to the Gremlins this year after missing last season with an injury suffered in cheerleading.Meshanko says: "We have nine seniors on the team and we'll be starting eight of them. We've upgraded our schedule again and play only seven home games. We lost our two captains from last year, but we've worked on replacing them since the day after the season ended. Our goal is to get past the first round of the playoffs."

Coach: Amy Travis, third yearLast year: 13-7-1 overall, 9-4-1 in section playKey returnees: P.J. Abels (junior midfield, 6 goals, 7 assists), Amanda Sharbaugh (sophomore forward, 16 goals, 8 assists), Meghan McCrea (junior sweeper), Erin Pettit (senior forward, 8 goals, 6 assists), Alex Gordon (sophomore midfield)Key note: The Knights return three of their top four scorers from last season.Travis says: "We're struggling to find a goalkeeper to replace Samantha Brown (now at Malone College in Ohio). That position is up for grabs and that's a big concern. Our goal this year is to finish higher in the section and get past the first round of the playoffs. We have a group of year-round players in the program now and that helps."

Coach: Dale Giovengo, ninth yearLast year: 10-7-2Key returnees: Angela Higgins (junior sweeper), Megan Eidenshik (junior defender), Marcy Dillner (sophomore midfield), Glennis Rubash (sophomore forward, 11 goals, 6 assists), Stephanie Romanias (senior goalkeeper)Key note: The Planets started seven freshmen in 2004. The same seven will start as sophomores this year and two more freshmen will start.Giovengo says: "Last year was the first time we missed the playoffs since I've been here. We were pretty unhappy with that result and hope to change things, but it won't be easy. Hampton, Ambridge and Knoch look very good again, and we're still very young. But we'll be better."

Coach: Dave Sylvester, fifth yearLast year: 11-5-2 overall, 8-2-2 in section playKey returnees: Cassie Berlin (senior forward, 10 goals), Ashley Rees (senior midfield), Tara Dohn (senior defender), Alyssa Gamelier (junior defender), Aly Intihar (senior goalkeeper)Key note: The Raiders graduated only two seniors from last year's section championship team.Sylvester says: "We have big hopes this year and should be solid everywhere if we can avoid injury. North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Fox Chapel and Butler are all good … Like last year, two quality teams from our section are going to miss the playoffs."

Coach: Blair Gantz, fifth yearLast year: 17-5Key returnees: Jence Rhoads (junior midfield), Kelsey Drennen (junior midfield), Melanie Prelec (sophomore midfield), Bethany Johnson (junior defender), Terra Huff (junior defender), Jen Badgett (junior goalkeeper)Key note: Rhoads was the Rockets' second-leading scorer last season. Slippery Rock graduated just three seniors.Gantz says: "Our goal is to win the conference. We used to do that on a regular basis, but it's been a struggle the past two years. Having a returning goalkeeper to go with a veteran defensive group is a big plus."