Hungry Bearcats: Experienced Bentworth girls soccer team aims to defend title
In a sense a weight was lifted off coach Tyler Hamstra’s shoulders last year when the Bentworth girls soccer team broke through for the program’s first WPIAL title.
It was a moment that was years in the making after steadily building the Bearcats’ program.
Now there’s a new task in front of the Bearcats and that’s defending their title.
Most of the starters from last year’s team are back, so the expectations are high and that’s right where they want them to be.
“Coming off the WPIAL championship has made us even hungrier,” senior forward Megan Keturakis said. “We have some younger girls on the team and it means so much to us to lead them along the way and show them what it’s like to win like that.”
Bentworth is off to a good start, with a 5-0 record and carries a 17-game winning streak in section play after beating Chartiers-Houston, 6-0, in the Class A Section 2 opener last week.
The Bearcats returned their entire front line of Keturakis, Brielle Dillon, Bella Moyer, Joa Johns and Madelyn Johns.
Brielle’s twin sister, Brynn, is back in the midfield and Julia Brandau leads an experienced backline as the goalkeeper.
Having a veteran side, Hamstra can sense the expectations within them.
“You just kind of feel it in general,” Hamstra said. “I’m just trying to get them to focus on the process of some different things, because I feel like there’s some things that we can improve on from last year and there’s some things we can improve on now. The result is the byproduct of it.”
Keturakis, Moyer, Joa Johns and Brielle Dillon all scored in the win against Chartiers-Houston last week. Keturakis and Moyer had two goals.
Keturakis netted two more and Moyer scored once in a 3-1 nonsection win against Southmoreland on Monday.
Moyer and Keturakis are going to continue their soccer careers at Washington & Jefferson.
The five girls playing together for as long as they have as an attacking unit has built almost an extra sense to know where the chances will generate from.
And it’s led to goals.
A lot of them.
Bentworth has scored 25 this year (five per match) and have conceded only two.
“I think all of us playing together for so long helps us realize how well we play off each other,” Moyer said. “We know what we’re going to do. Everybody knows their next move.”
Each attacker brings their own skill set, whether it’s hold up play, speed, or soft touch with passes.
Moyer brings another unique weapon and that’s the ability to score on a long free kick. She did so against Chartiers-Houston from about 35 yards on the left side, sending a perfect ball just under the crossbar that was pretty much impossible for any goalie to stop.
“I knew it had a chance to be something dangerous,” Hamstra said of Moyer’s free kick goal. “It was so impressive and she’s very capable of doing that. She really hit that one.”
The title defense has started well, but Hamstra and Bentworth won’t rest on their laurels. He’s working on continued development to stay sharp and ready for those looking to dethrone them.
“It’s tough when you’re the defending champion not only in the section, but WPIALs too and everybody knows we have a lot back,” Hamstra said. “But I don’t really want to focus on those things, because I feel there’s so much to be gained in the little stuff. That’s where you move the needle with an older team is the little stuff.”