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n a sport where one goal is often the difference between winning and losing, playing solid defense is paramount. Check out just some of the defensive players who figure to make an impact in the SOL this season.
They are the unsung heroes, the players whose names rarely show up in the headlines.
They are the defenders and goalies - the players who do the dirty work, the players teams cannot live without if they hope to experience any level of success. Below are just a few of the players who will be making an impact on the defensive end of the field for SOL teams this season.
National Conference
Maddie Jones, Left Defensive Back, Abington
Coach Amanda Deering says: “Maddie is one of our captains this year and has been a staple on our defense the past two years as our left back. She has unparalleled determination and perseverance when she is on the field. She strives to be better each day, helps organize the defense as a unit and works hard to transition the ball back to offense. Although she doesn’t appear in the stats too often, Maddie can very well be the spark that gets the offense going to score a goal.”
Stevi Butler, Sophomore Goalie, Bensalem
Coach Amanda Tu says: “Last season, Stevi broke her ankle on the second day of preseason and was out for part of the season. Before she was able to return, she suffered a concussion. Our goalie the last three years was Stephanie Unger, but she graduated, and Bensalem approached preseason with no goaltender. However, Stevi, refusing to wear a concussion helmet to play, chose to step up to play goalie the second day of preseason. For never goaltending or really playing field hockey, she has done an amazing job so far. We were worried coming into this season, but since watching and training Stevi in goal, we are confident that her talent and ability to play in goal will compare and succeed Stephanie.”
Kate Keller, Senior, Defensive Back, Council Rock North
Coach Heather Whalin says: “Kate is filling the shoes of our leader on defense. She has played every position I have asked her to these past two years. Last year Kate was a mid/forward. This year she is a back and definitely our emotional leader on the field. Our team is extremely young (starting two freshmen and three sophomores), and having Kate on the field is making a huge impact already on the younger players. We lost a solid defensive unit to graduation, but Kate has stepped up to fill the void.”
Katie Bagdon, Junior, Defensive Back, Council Rock South
Jackie Schrager, Junior, Defensive Back, Council Rock South
Anna Sternberg, Junior, Goalkeeper, Council Rock South
Coach Tina Reinprecht says: “Katie, Jackie and Anna are filling big shoes left by graduating seniors Alexis Carroll, Colleen Kirlin and goalkeeper Kelly Schlupp. It is clear that those seniors set a great example as all three players have embraced this playing opportunity and responsibility with passion every day in practice. They are ready to be tested and looking forward to the challenges of this new season.”
Sabrina Martin, Lacey Cook, Jewell Cook, Lauren Kiley, Maria Dea, Harry S Truman
Coach Kayla Kowalick says: “Sabrina Martin is moving up to play center mid for us after playing center back for her entire career, a position now anchored by senior Lacey Cook. Lacey is supported by her sophomore sister Jewel who is now playing sweeper. Jewel has stepped up and is showing promising potential in this position. Senior Lauren Kiley is also returning as our right back. She may be small, but she is mighty. Lauren is a huge part of our defense. Sophomore Maria Dea is returning as our goalie with more confidence this season. We predict that her number of saves will double this season.”
Erin Bedesem, Senior, Defensive Back, Neshaminy
Coach Caitlin Koczynski says: “Erin is the voice of the defense. This girls gives 110 percent every time she is out on the field whether it be practice or a game. Without her voice in the backfield, the team would not be complete.”
Emily Kumpf, Junior, Center Back, Pennsbury
Coach Jamie Parell says: “Emily played some varsity last year but is a solid leader in the back this year. She always gets the job done, quietly but effective. She is trustworthy as well. If she doesn’t have the ball, you know she will be there for support.”
Megan McCloskey, Senior, Defensive Back, William Tennent
Madison Reid, Senior, Defensive Back, William Tennent
Meghan Izak, Junior, Defensive Back
Coach Kaitlyn Rauchut says: “Meghan’s tenacity and drive of intensity cannot go unseen on the field. Her impeccably quick stick skills allow her to have wonderful field vision. She has confidence, communication skills and commitment that coaches strive for players to have. Megan’s ability to inspire and support her teammates reflects the positive culture produced in the program.
“Maddie is a humble and talented defensive player that can handle the tremendous workload of playing on the offensive’s strong side. Her fantastic athletic abilities and defensive skills are ultimately consistent in every game in any terrain or conditions. She is resilient and easily adaptable on the team. She is a team player with tremendous technique and power on the defensive end.
“Meghan brings forth an optimistic and energizing vibe to the Lady Panther defense. Meghan shows consistent performance competition after competition, big event or small. A junior captain, she helps maintain excellence on the field in controlling the competitive pace. As competition increases, Meghan brings balance to the defensive unit with her calm demeanor, encouraging energy and ability to focus despite distractions. Defensively, Meghan is very strong with maintaining simple yet effective thoughts and movements under pressure which makes a huge difference between a good plan and executing it.”
Continental Conference
Sydney Badger, Junior, Defensive Back, Central Bucks East
Coach Dipi Bhaya says: “Sydney leads our team in defensive saves. Just when the other team begins to celebrate what they think is a goal, she comes out of nowhere and comes up big for East. What makes it more amazing is that she plays with that intensity throughout the whole game. To her, it’s no big deal and just her normal routine play, but to the team, it’s priceless.”
Sarah Zezsotarski, Sophomore, Goalkeeper, Central Bucks South
Co-coach Jeff Harding says: “Sarah is a very dynamic keeper with great understanding of the game and the various phases and set pieces that accompany it. Being as young as she is and the experiences she has had – with continued hard work in training and focused commitment, she will continue to develop into the keeper I believe she can be.”
Bre DeAngelis, Junior, Goalie, Central Bucks West
Maddie Shields, Senior, Midfielder, Central Bucks West
Coach Courtney Hughes: “Bre is an incredible leader on and off the field. She gives our defense a presence. The players on the field know that we’re in every game because if they score they can trust her to turn away shots. Having a goalie like that on your team gives the entire team confidence, not just your defense.
“Maddie played left mid all of last year. She’s our unsung defensive hero. As our weak side mid, she’s counted on for helping our defense mark to free Elena (Romesburg) to be around the ball. She has one of the best reverse tackles on the team. She’s a hard worker who always has her determination and grit on display for the team. She was nominated captain this year because of the respect the players have for her on and off the field.”
Jane Henry, Senior, Defensive Back, Hatboro-Horsham
Emily Braunewell, Junior, Goalie, Hatboro-Horsham
Coach Laura Swezey says: “Jane is smart, and she’s poised. We call her a ‘brick wall.’ Her second effort is amazing. She keeps going and going until the ball is out of the circle. We had a lot of corners against us last year, and we had a great statistic of those teams not scoring, and she was an integral part of that. If she goes for a 50-50 ball, she’s going to come up with the ball. She’s just a consistent player.
“Emily is a member of the Junior Indoor National U19 team. She’s athletic, and she’s smart with her angles. She’s got nice size, and her weight distribution is great.”
Juliana ‘Jules’ Hill, Senior, Left Defensive Back, North Penn
Cassidy Barrow, Senior, Right Defensive Back, North Penn
Frankie Tossona, Junior, Center Defensive Back, North Penn
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “Jules is an excellent communicator and leader. She has fast footwork and good vision of the field.
“Cassidy is a competitor. She’s coachable, she comes up with great passes, and she’s an excellent passer.
“Frankie is new to the back position after starting at right midfield last season. She has great patience, good footwork and positioning, great vision of the field, and she makes great passes.”
Madison Reiss, Senior, Defensive Back, Pennridge
Kelly Wolff, Senior, Defensive Back, Pennridge
Coach Brieann Wolfe says: “Madison is a four-year varsity player who was all-league the last three years (first team last year). She is a great defensive player with great control of the ball and good field awareness.
“Kelly plays a solid back. Sometimes you don’t know she is there, but she never lets the ball past her and is a great feeder to the midfield.”
Becca Robison, Senior, Defensive Back, Quakertown
Jordan Potynski, Senior Defensive Back, Quakertown
Maddie Calder, Junior, Goalkeeper, Quakertown
Coach Melanie Lepko says: “All three players are natural athletes that play multiple sports. All three are aggressive and play with heart. We hope their experience will lead our team to a successful season.”
Meghan McDermott, Senior, Defensive Back, Souderton
Jess Ziegler, Junior, Defensive Back, Souderton
Coach Lauren Whiteside says: Meghan is a very smart player with a lot of patience and poise. She knows just the right time to make the tackle and does so with a calm yet confident drive. When she comes up with the ball, she immediately looks to her teammates to give them a great pass to start us off on offense. She is attending and playing field hockey at Johns Hopkins next year.
“Jess has a great passion and excitement for the game and is always wanting to learn and better herself. She is so coachable and a positive voice on the field. She is aggressive and steps up to every ball. Jess is able to see the whole field, making her able to make smart passes and set her teammates up for success.”
American Conference
Emily Hawkins, Senior, Goalie, Cheltenham
Dara Liss, Senior, Center Midfield, Cheltenham
Coach Elaine McGoldrick says: “Emily loves to compete, and she takes pride in her skills and keeping the ball out of the cage. One of Emily’s best saves is a double stack block tackle. A dribbler one-on-one with the goalie doesn’t stand a chance.
“Dara played right back last year. She was moved to center midfielder this year because she has great stamina and determination, her stick skills allow her to play both offense and defense, and she has a terrific flick which is an asset for a middie.”
Emma Hagel, Junior, Defensive Back, Norristown
Coach Stacie Staufenberg says: “Emma is the pivotal key to our defensive unit. As a defensive back, she connects our backfield to our midfield. Her strength is in how smart she plays. She quickly adjusts to attackers and is very good at seeing the whole field of play. Her stickwork has reached the level that we would love to put her on our front line, but the closest we can afford is having her involved in our corners.”
Sierra Spence, Senior, Sweeper, Plymouth Whitemarsh
Coach Marianne Paparone says: “Sierra is a very upbeat person with strong leadership qualities and gets along well with her teammates and is well respected by her coaches. She is a good decision maker and communicator on the field, and we are looking to her to be the ‘glue’ for our defense this season.”
Kim Machalette, Senior, Goalie, Springfield
Marie Brockman, Senior, Defensive Back, Springfield
Jeannie Ledwith, Senior, Defensive Back, Springfield
Coach Linda Nixon says: “Kim has really been working hard, and she has experience, which is great. She was thrown to the wolves a couple of years ago when she was inexperienced. Now she has really grown into her own.
“Marie has nice vision on the field and all-around solid skills. Jeannie has just come into her own this year. We’re expecting her to really help us out.”
Sara Weinberg, Senior, Goalie, Upper Dublin
Coach Heather Boyer says: “Last season, we were fortunate to have two very talented senior goalkeepers in Dana Russell and Julia McKernan, but we knew that there was a huge void to fill upon their graduation since there were no goalies in the younger grades. After talking with the sophomores and juniors, Sara graciously volunteered to step up to the challenge, despite only ever having experience as a field player. After watching her on her first day in pads, she was a true natural as a goalie and had looked as if she had been playing the position for years! She continued to grow quickly in the position and really took advantage of having two senior mentors to help her learn. This year, she has returned to the preseason in great shape and has worked hard over the summer to fine-tune her skills. She has great reflexes and hand-to-eye coordination which makes her a natural in reacting to the quick shots she will face in the circle, and she has excellent communication and leadership skills to help organize the defense in front of her. Most of all, her willingness to step up and do what was best for the team shows her outstanding character and makes her a truly ‘unsung’ hero.”
Krysta Zadroga, Senior, Defensive Back, Upper Merion
Laura Persofsky, Senior Defensive Back, Upper Merion
Coach Angie Yanocha says: “Both are very dedicated and determined senior defenders. They have a love for the game and competition and are both leaders on the field.
“They are both battling injuries this year, and it's frustrating for both because they just want to play the sport they love and not have to worry about pain or something that could keep them off the field, especially during their senior year. They have worked very hard for the last three years to be leaders on the varsity field as seniors. There are big shoes to fill this year having lost four key seniors from last year. Krysta and Laura have done their part to fill in those gaps and motivate other players on the field to do the same.”
Sarah Reice, Senior, Center Back, Upper Moreland
Samara Santry, Junior, Defensive Back, Upper Moreland
Coach Karen Grossi says: “Sarah is a three-year varsity starter on defense. She does a great job of seeing the field and communicating what she sees with her teammates. She’s an integral part of both offensive and defensive corners. In the past, Sarah was often nervous or afraid to mess up, but now she’s more comfortable trusting her instincts.
“This is Samara’s second year starting varsity. During middle school and her freshman year, she played (well) on the forward line but was moved to defense at the beginning of last season. She adapted well. Based on what we’ve seen so far this season, Samara has grown much stronger and more confident since last season. She plays well with the girls around her.”
Angela Virtu, Senior, Center Defensive Back, Wissahickon
Brianna Miles, Junior, Left Fullback, Wissahickon
Coach Lucy Gil says: “Angela, a captain who was first team all-state last year, has an amazing ability to eliminate defenders. She works well with the midfielders and feeds the forwards. She has a three-dimensional game as she is quite adept at keeping the ball in the air as she dribbles.
“Brianna is a very good stopper and has great vision to intercept the ball and releases quickly to start the offense. She has taken on a leadership role in the backfield, helping all the younger players understand our new defensive system.”
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