Berks soccer in review: Golden moments abound
By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent
Two District 3 champions. Three district runners-up. Three 30-goal scorers. There was no shortage of team and individual accomplishments in Berks soccer this fall.
It was a mixture of the expected, Wilson and Wyomissing girls dominate, and the unexpected, Brandywine Heights girls grab gold.
For some, the first thought will be the trophy that slipped away. Tulpehocken’s boys lost on a PK. Oley Valley’s boys fell in overtime. Wyomissing’s girls ended three wins short.
Mostly the season will be about the friendships and those golden moments when everything went right. Here are a few of those memories.
The connections
Izzy Marshall to Hannah Hurleman. Elizabeth Estrada to Natalee Vicari. Two goal-scoring pairings fueled the attack of two of the best girls soccer teams of the last decade.
Estrada and Vicari connected for the game-winning goal against Cedar Crest in the first round of districts and the go-ahead goal in the quarterfinals. Afterward, Estrada summed up the All-state relationship perfectly.
“We’re just unstoppable,” she said. “We work really well together. She gets me and I get her.”
Marshall found Hurleman for the winning goal in the district championship game against Bishop McDevitt. The two ran toward each other and hugged afterward.
They’ll think about those few seconds forever.
“Having that goal combination from one of my best friends, that’s a moment you really don’t forget,” Hurleman said. “Especially in a game like this.”
The county finals
The most anticipated matchup of the season, the undefeated Wyo girls against once-beaten Wilson, fittingly came down to overtime. The outcome wasn’t decided by any of the nine All-Berks players on the field.
Jordan Lasky, a defensive midfielder, chased down Emmi McLain’s throw-in and clinched Wilson’s third county title in four seasons. Wilson won 2-1.
“We love to see it,” Natalee Vicari said of Lasky’s goal. “I’ve been close with Jordan for a long time. I’m really happy for her. She’s always a team player looking for the win. Not selfish at all.”
The boys game came down to two goals 24 seconds apart.
Shortly after Mike Moser tied it with 10:31 remaining, giving Exeter hope it could complete its run as the No. 7 seed, Josh Candelario put Fleetwood back in front.
A crazy boys season that featured unpredictable results every league night ended with the county’s most accomplished program winning another championship.
“If you said before preseason what would happen, we never would have believed this was the outcome,” Fleetwood All-Berks back Ryan Piskorski said. “During the preseason we realized we cling together. We realized we were the best in the county. We could actually get to this level and win it.”
The top players
Natalee Vicari finished with 33 goals and 16 assists and was named girls Player of the Year among a crowded field of worthy candidates.
The senior is one of Wilson’s all-time greats. She was a four-year starter who scored 69 career goals facing the toughest competition in the league.
“Natalee has become a true goal scorer in every sense of the word,” Wilson coach Tim Fick said. “She has started since her freshman year and each year has grown more into the attacking player she has become. This is a fantastic honor for her and one that was truly earned through her hard work on the field every day.”
Hannah Hurleman scored a league-best 35 goals and Daniel Boone’s Anna Buckwalter finished with 30.
Reading High’s Kevin Guzman scored 26 goals and was named the boys Player of the Year. He was the only player to surpass 20.
“It’s nice to receive that honor because me and my team didn’t make it far this season,” said Guzman, whose Red Knights finished 5-12-1. “To be able to achieve something individually is great. I’m very proud of it.”
The underdogs
Brandywine Heights started the season with three losses, endured a six-game losing streak at one point and entered the District 3 playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
Three wins later, the Bullets were champs for the first time. They held off Delone Catholic, Fairfield and Harrisburg Christian in the final.
Sophomore Olivia Moyer scored three goals in the championship game and coach Sarah Soffa, a Brandywine alum, led her beloved program to a Class 1A title.
Brandywine became the most unexpected district champ since Holy Name’s boys won gold as the 13 seed in 2010.
“To be here with such an amazing group of girls is emotional,” Soffa said. “I’m so proud of them. I see so many positive attributes in this team. It’s just a great feeling. It has been a whirlwind and it has been a crazy week.”
The almost champs
Unfortunately, Tulpehocken’s season will be most remembered for a penalty kick that was awarded to Camp Hill with 3:47 left in regulation of the district final. Marko Balic converted the PK and the Trojans settled for Class 1A silver.
Tulpehocken fell short in its bid for back-to-back titles and lamented the call afterward.
“I don’t think it was a foul, personally,” keeper Brayden Evans said. “We had two guys coming to the ball to defend. The dude tripped over either his own feet or the back of our player’s foot. I don’t think it was a good call at all.”
Oley Valley’s hopes for a repeat in Class 2A were ended by Matt Sampsell’s shot 6:29 into the first overtime. It was a brilliant strike.
“That’s a helluva shot,” Oley coach Shawn Meals said. “A goal from 30 yards on a rope? It’s still a loss but it’s not a PK. It’s not a scrum in the box. It’s not a 50-50 ball or a keeper getting their fingers on it. It’s a good, solid shot.”
The future
Five boys players to watch
- Davin Millisock, Fleetwood
- Chase Reifsnyder, Oley Valley
- Owen Lichtenwalner, Brandywine Heights
- Cameron Henry, Daniel Boone
- Jose Serrano, Reading High
Five girls players to watch
- Cadi Hoke, Wyomissing
- Sophia Zeppos, Wyomissing
- Anna Buckwalter, Daniel Boone
- Ava Sallee, Fleetwood
- Ellie Leffler, Gov. Mifflin
