New faces, same goal Fresh cast aims to maintain Peters Township’s dominance
Peters Township junior Maddie Santo shows off her ball-control skills during the Indians’ practice Monday afternoon. Santo is one of several underclassmen who will be counted upon to step into larger roles this season.
Senior Emily Franty scored 14 goals for the Peters Township girls soccer team last season, but with the loss of Olivia Roberson (graduation) and Veronica Latsko (knee injury), the Indians will hope to get even more production from Franty.
The way Emily Franty sees it, the names might change, but the expectations placed upon the Peters Township girls soccer team remain the same.
“We have a lot of girls who are good players, but they were behind a senior,” Franty said. “Now, a lot of them have the opportunity to step up and be a big part of the team.”
Nine seniors graduated from last year’s team that won a third consecutive PIAA Class AAA title, and Veronica Latsko, the two-time Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year, tore the ACL in her right knee in May, likely shelving her for the season.
Ample opportunity has been created for players such as junior Madison Santo, Franty, sophomore Maddie LaVigna and junior Laurel Carpenter, who’s been out with a stress fracture in her lower leg.
Though not much is known about this cast of players – Santo had three goals, LaVigna none – those who’ve been practicing with and against them couldn’t be more excited to see what they can do in game action.
“We have a new team,” senior goalkeeper Megan Parker said. “It’s been interesting to train with them so far, but we’re making a lot of progress.”
Latsko scored 36 goals last season, one shy of Olivia Roberson’s team-leading total. With Roberson now at Duquesne, Franty, who scored 14 goals, hopes to pick up her share of the offensive slack.
“A lot of the girls take their experiences as younger players and sort of learn what it takes to get to that next level,” Peters Township coach Pat Vereb said. “Emily has a good opportunity to do that. I think Maddie Santo will fill that role as well. Laurel, hopefully when she’s healthy, will provide a lot of offense for us.”
One plus for Peters Township will be the return of Parker, who missed last season with a knee injury.
That forced Carly Johns to move from her natural defensive position, meaning the Indians not only add an above-average goalkeeper but an outstanding defender as well.
Not bad for a team that allowed 14 goals in 25 matches, all but one of them – a 3-2 loss to state runner-up Cumberland Valley – wins.
“We did lose nine or 10 key players, so it’s definitely a lot of younger players,” Parker said. “It’s definitely a new team, but I think there are a lot of girls who are ready to step up. I think they’re really going to shine this year.”
Which takes time, Vereb pointed out.
And it’s not about how Peters Township starts. If anything, with all the success the Indians have had, it’s about finishing.
“We’re still a little bit young, and that’s fine,” Vereb said. “It’s a 10-week process from the end of August to November, so hopefully we are what we are at the end of the year – not what we are now.
“We play a very difficult schedule; so once we get to the playoffs we should be prepared and should know who’s strong at doing certain things.”
Besides Franty, Carpenter scored eight goals in 2012. Nobody else had more than three.
There may be plenty of new faces, but Franty is confident in players such as senior Riley Partyka, who’s finally healthy despite numerous injuries, and senior Kristen Czajkowski, who had three goals and two assists.
“All of us who have been here know what it’s like to be in the playoffs,” Franty said. “Even the girls who are younger and might be overlooked right now, they were there in the playoffs their freshman and sophomore years. They get how it is.
“I think we have a lot of talent on the team that people are going to be surprised to see.”