Despite the shorter regular season because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the intensity and ambitions of the Northern girls soccer team remain unchanged in the 2020 season. The varsity team is led by eight seniors and two captains, Autumn Wimbrough and Sophie Goretski, who have guided the team through the season so far. Besides the large number of seniors on the team, there is also ample young talent on the varsity team this season, such as freshmen Olivia Goretski and Sydney Waits, who are integral components of Northern’s offense. Olivia Goretski and Sydney Waits lead the team in goals scored with Goretski scoring thirteen goals and Waits scoring eight goals so far this season. Northern’s offense is also led by Haydn Paxton (four goals and one assist), Autumn Wimbrough (three goals and three assists), Kylie Miller (three goals and two assists), Allie Tutich (four goals and six assists), and Maddie Miller (two goals and three assists), who have all contributed to the team's thirty-seven goals scored so far this season. The variety of players who have provided an attacking presence on the field demonstrate Northern’s reliance on the effort of the team as a whole to succeed. Northern’s defense suffered a loss after Sophie Goretski, starting center-back, tore her ACL during a scrimmage against Cumberland Valley before the start of the season, but the Polar Bears’ defense has remained solid despite this setback. The defensive efforts of Jaden Dopp and Sophie Lodovici, who earned her first varsity minutes this season, have stabilized the team throughout their games this season. In goal for the Polar Bears, seniors Haley Hosman and Erika Speicher have aided the team through their leadership and have only conceded thirteen goals this season . The loss of last year’s six seniors has not been as severe because of the multitude of players that have either moved up from junior varsity this season or have entered into the high school program. This season has been highly anticipated for both the coaches and players since the delayed start of the season in late September, which led to a more compact and intense season.
Although the Polar Bears have lost three games thus far, the team has sizable goals for the postseason, such as aspirations for reaching the district finals. The effect of the shortened season is apparent through the decrease of teams that can qualify for districts, which changed from sixteen teams to eight teams. The smaller pool of teams that qualify for districts heightens the importance of every game during the regular season. Currently, Northern is ranked seventh in district rankings, which temporarily ensures that they will have a place in the district three tournament. The Polar Bears have accumulated a record of 10-3 throughout their season and enter the final week of October hoping to secure a spot in the PIAA District Three tournament. The results of their upcoming games against Greencastle Antrim, Boiling Springs, and Mechanicsburg will dictate the fate of their season.
The Class of 2021 Seniors and the Northern Girls Soccer Coaches
Photos by Curt Werner.
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