Wallenpaupack Girls' Soccer: WGS News

The Times-Leader has printed its predictions for the upcoming girls soccer season.  Wallenpaupack was picked to finish 2nd, behind Wyoming Valley West, in Wyoming Valley Conference's Division B.  Below is from the article:

2 . Wallenpaupack

2008 WVC Record/Finish: 6-4-2, 4th

State classification: 3A

Coach: Mike Soskil

Home field: Football stadium

Players to watch: Seniors – Gina Boccia, F; Lauren Cassel, F; Jill Jansco, FB; Juniors – Jill Alderfer, MF; Heather Michael, K. Sophomore – Rosie Tamam, MF.

Outlook: The Buckhorns have as good a chance as any team to win the division. They return eight starters that had only one lopsided loss during the 2008 regular season. Once again, defense will be the team’s fotre and the unit might be the best in the division. Scoring, though, has been a problem and the Buckhorns need to find a remedy.

Taken from the Times-Leader on March 26:

WALLENPAUPACK -- Gina Boccia scored off a pass from Kim Barry with just five seconds left in regulation as Wallenpaupack pulled out a 1-0 home win against Lake-Lehman on Wednesday in a girls soccer match.

Lehman keeper Becca Stull stopped 33 shots.

First half : 1. No Scoring

Second half : 1. Wall, Gina Boccia (Kim Barry), 79:55.

Shots : LL 12, Wall 34; Saves: LL 33 (Becca Stull), Wall 12 (Heather Michael); Corners: LL 4, Wall 2.

From the Citizen's Voice on March 26:

Wallenpaupack 1

Lake-Lehman 0

At Wallenpaupack, Gina Boccia scored the winning and only goal on a breakaway with 5.9 seconds left in the second half as Wallenpaupack edge Lake-Lehman 1-0 in a Wyoming Valley Conference match Monday at Wallenpaupack. Boccia was set up be a 25 yard through pass from Kim Barry. The shot came from about 18 yards out.

From the News Eagle on March 27th:

From the Times-Leader on March 29th:

The Buckhorns took advantage of a strong wind to score three first-half goals in their exhibition win on the road.

Leann Matthews, Rosy Tamam and Kim Barry all scored in the first 24 minutes of the game.

First half: 1. WAL, Leann Mathews, 8th min; 2. WAL, Rosy Tamam (Gina Boccia), 10th; 3. WAL, Kim Barry, 24th.

Shots: WAL 18, LC 12; Saves: WAL 12 (Heather Michael) 12, LC 15 (Pamela Bueche); Corners: WAL 13, LC 1.

From the News Eagle on March 31:

Lancaster, Pa. -

In a non-league match-up the Lady Bucks Soccer Team made the long trek down to Lancaster County to take on the host team of Lancaster Christian. After three goals, two in the first ten minutes, in a windy first half the Bucks held on to the lead and won 3-0.

In the first half, Leann Mathews recorded the game’s first goal at the 7:05 mark. The goal was unassisted. At the 9:32 mark Rosy Tamam found the back of the net on an assist from Gina Boccia. The final goal of the half and the game came at the 23:18 mark when Kim Barry connected on an assist from Mathews.

Heather Michael collected another shutout in the nets for the Purple Pack making 12 saves on 12 shots faced.

The Bucks outshot their opponent 18-12 and had 13 corner kicks compared to one for Lancaster Christian.

From the Times-Tribune on March 31:

Evie Decker scored the game’s only goal in the first half as Wallenpaupack blanked Hanover Area, 1-0, in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division B game. Heather Michael made two saves to preserve the shutout.

From the Times-Leader on March 31:

The single goal by Wallenpaupack’s Evie Decker at 33:20 in the first half proved to be the difference in Monday’s match. Wallenpaupack outshot Hanover Area 24-2.

First half: 1. WAL, Evie Decker (Leann Mathews) 34th.

Shots: HAN 2, WAL 24; Saves: HAN 18 (Chloe Brenner), WAL 2 (Heather Michael); Corners: HAN 3, WAL 5.

From the Times-Leader on April 2:

For the second consecutive time dating back to last season, neither Delaware Valley nor Wallenpaupack could score in 100 minutes of soccer.

The teams played two overtime ties last year, the first being a 1-1 final. DelVal keeper Brianna Kody made 11 saves and Wallenpaupack keeper Heather Michael stopped six shots.

Shots: WAL 11, DV 6; Saves: WAL 6 (Heather Michael), DV 11 (Brianna Kody); Corners: WAL 5, DV 0.

From the News Eagle on April 3:

Hawley, Pa. -

Evie Decker scored the Lady Bucks’ only goal, and the eventual game-winner, in the first half to lead the Purple Pack to a 1-0 victory over Hanover Area on Monday afternoon.

Despite a strong wind blowing across the field from the Big Lake, the Bucks maintained control of the ball and played most of the game in their attacking half of the field, setting up numerous chances and opportunities to score.

The visitors were limited to just two shots due to the dominating play in the midfield by Jill Alderfer and a solid defensive effort from  Jillian Jansco. Hanover recorded just two shots in the contest compared to 24 from the Bucks. Heather Michael recorded another shut-out in the net stopping both shots she faced.

The Bucks Junior Varsity team won their match 2-0.

On Wednesday the Bucks traveled to Milford and fought the Warriors, cold rain, and wind to a 0-0 draw after 80 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods. This is the third consecutive time the Bucks and Warriors have played where the game ended with the score knotted at 0-0.

The Lady Bucks outshot the Warriors by a margin on 11-6 and recorded five corner kicks compared to zero for DV.

Heather Michael collected six saves for the Purple Pack, Brianna Kody had 11 saves.

From the Times-Leader on April 7:

Jillian Alderfer broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the 60th minute and Carli Moritz converted a penalty kick about six minutes later for the Buckhorns’ second goal.

The game was moved to Wallenpaupack. The April 29 matchup will now be at Honesdale.

Second half: 1. WAL, Jillian Alderfer (Brittany Davis), 60th; 2. WAL, Carli Moritz (pen kick), 66th.

Shots: HON 2, WAL 14; Saves: HON 13 (Leeanna Bennett), WAL 2 (Heather Michael); Corners: HON 2, WAL 7.

From the Wayne Independent on April 7:

Hawley, Pa. -

Paupack and Honesdale battled to a scoreless tie through one cold, rain-soaked half of soccer Monday afternoon.

Both teams settled into a tentative pattern of play, relying heavily on solid goalkeeping and airtight defense. This pattern continued into the second half, but was finally broken by an unlikely duo: Jillian Alderfer & Brittany Davis.

Alderfer is one of Paupack’s best players and the team’s reigning MVP. An attacking mid, Jillian worked her way free in front of the Hornet net early in the second half. She snagged a perfect pass from Davis and hammered the ball home.

“I’m really happy that I scored tonight,” Alderfer told TWI Sports with a big smile. “Honesdale is one of our biggest rivals, so it means alot to put the ball in the back of the net and help us win.”

Alderfer’s tally was all the home team would need on this particular evening. The Lady Bucks did add an insurance goal later in the half, but it was more than Heather Michael would need. Paupack’s veteran keeper stopped everything the Lady Hornets fired at her en route to the 2-0 Wyoming Valley Conference victory.

With the win, Coach Mike Soskil’s girls improved to 4-2-1 overall. The Lady Bucks are now 3-1-1, tied for second place with Delaware Valley in the WVC’s Division ‘B’. Both teams are still chasing Valley West, which is undefeated at 5-0-0.

“It’s a very tough league this year,” said Coach Soskil. “We tied DV and lost to Valley West 2-0. I think both of those matches are going to be very interesting the second time around. Our girls are really starting to come together.”

Alderfer agrees wholeheartedly with her coach’s assessment.

“We’re very tight...really close-knit,” Jillian said. “We don’t just play soccer, we hang out together, too. We’re all pretty good friends. I think we have great chemistry.”

Next up for Paupack is a road trip this afternoon to Pitt-ston Area. The Patriots are still in search of their first win of the year (0-5-0).

Back on Track
Paupack lost several key players from last year’s squad that advanced to the District Two tournament before losing to Valley West.

However, with holdovers like Alderfer and Michael in leadership roles, a younger soccer squad is poised for a return to the post season.

On Monday afternoon, Coach Soskil’s squad went toe-to-toe with archrival Honesdale. The Hornets held Paupack in check throughout the first half, but then the Lady Bucks took over after intermission.

“Paupack is a very good team and I knew we’d be lucky to come out of here with a win,” Coach Eric Eisele said. “We’re  getting better. The girls played with a little bit more passion than they did this weekend, so that’s an encouraging sign.”

Honesdale took on Lake Lehman Saturday and suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss. The Red & Black surrendered just one second half goal, but simply couldn’t muster any con-sistent offensive pressure.

The story was similar on Monday as Paupack outshot the Maple City girls by a staggering 14-2 margin. The Lady Bucks also held a 7-2 edge in corners.

On the Attack
Paupack seized momentum early in the second half. The Lady Bucks ignored nasty weather conditions and a slick field, bringing ever-increasing pressure to bear on the Honesdale net.

Alderfer finally broke through in the 59th minute. She took a pass from freshman Brittany Davis and blasted the ball past Leanna Bennett. Jillian is a versatile, multi-sport athlete who also excels in basketball and field hockey. However, she doesn’t hesitate for even a moment when asked where her allegiance lies.

“Soccer is my all-time favorite sport, no doubt about it,” Jillian said. “I’ve been playing since I was maybe 5-years-old, so it’s a really big part of my life.”

Alderfer is once again among the team leaders in most major statistical categories. In addition, Jillian has already earned three Player of the Game awards this spring.

“We expect alot from Jillian and she’s definitely delivering,” said Coach Soskil. “I really believe in the 10 years that I’ve been coaching, Jill is the most well-rounded player we’ve had.”

Paupack increased its lead to 2-0 just six minutes after Alderfer’s goal. This time, it was Carli Moritz who did the honors.

Honesdale was called for a handball right in front of the net at the 65:53 mark. Coach Soskil called upon Carli to take the penalty kick.

A senior defender, Moritz positioned the ball, took a deep breath and blasted it past a sprawling Bennett. The goal was the first of Moritz’s varsity career.

These two tallies were plenty of offensive support for Michael. A junior keeper who stepped into the starter’s role late last spring, Heather recorded her fifth shutout of the season. She made a pair of solid saves versus Honesdale and now boasts a miserly 1.24 goals-against average.

“Heather has been training to be a keeper since back in junior high and she’s really come a long way,” said Coach Soskil. “Heather is much more confident than she used to be and I think she’s the best keeper in the league.”

Score by Periods...
HON (2-3-0)  0  0 - 0
WAL (3-1-1)  0  2 - 2

From the Times-Leader on April 9:

Lauren Cassel and Gina Boccia teamed up to score four goals and Jillian Aldefer added two more for Wallenpaupack.

Marisa Ferenchick gave Pittston Area an early 1-0 lead. Kelly Krevey added the other Patriot score.

First half: 1. PA, Marisa Ferenchick (Kelly Krevey) 4th min; 2, WAL, Lauren Cassel (Gina Boccia) 11th; 3. WAL, Boccia (Cassel) 12th; 4. WAL, Boccia (Cassel), 12th; 5. WAL, Mann (Davis) 27th; 6. PA, Krevey (Kaylene Sutkowski) 33rd; 7. WAL, Jillian Alderfer, 37th; Second half: 8. WAL, Boccia (Cassel) 50th; 9. WAL, Alderfer (pen kick), 69th.

Shots: WAL 34, PA 10. Saves: WAL 5 (Heather Michael), PA 22 (Lauren Smicherko). Corners: WAL 2, PA 3.

From the News Eagle on April 10:

On April 6, the Lady Bucks Soccer Team improved their record to 4-2-1 (3-1-1, league play) after a victory over the visiting Lady Hornets from Honesdale 2-0.

After a scoreless first half the Purple Pack put one in the back of the net at the 59:08 mark when Jill Alderfer took a pass from Brittany Davis, and then at the 65:53 mark when Carli Moritz scored her first varsity career goal on a penalty kick.

The Bucks outshot the Hornets by a margin of 14-2 with Heather Michael picking up both saves for the home-team. Leeanna Bennett recorded 13 saves for Honesdale.

On Wednesday, the Lady Bucks traveled to Pittston to take on Pittston Area and erupted for a season-high seven goals in one game. The Purple Pack won the game 7-2.

The scoring started at the 6:09 mark in the game when Pittston Area struck first on a goal from Marisa Ferenchick but then the Lady Bucks responded less than five minutes later and went on a scoring assault.

At the 10:26 mark, Lauren Cassel found the back of the net on an assist from Gina Boccia. A little over a minute later Boccia was the recipient of a Cassel assist, and then Boccia scored again on another Cassel assist at the 11:56 mark. The Bucks didn’t stop there adding two more goals before the half, Chelsea Mann (Jillian Alderfer assist), and then Alderfer (unassisted).

In the second half Boccia and Alderfer added two more goals to take the game 7-2.

Heather Michael made three saves in the goal for ‘Paupack. The Bucks outshot Pittston by a margin of 21-5.

From the Times-Leader on April 15:

Keeper Becca Stull came up with an impressive 10-save effort to earn the Black Knights a scoreless tie with the Buckhorns after two overtimes.

Wallenpaupack held Lake-Lehman to just one shot, which was stopped by Heather Michael.

Shots: WAL 10, LL 1; Saves: WAL 1 (Heather Michael), LL 10 (Becca Stull); Corners: WAL 3, LL 3.

From the News Eagle on April 17:

Despite outshooting the home-team of Lake Lehman High School by a margin of 10-1, the Lady Bucks ended in a 0-0 stalemate after two overtime periods on Tuesday evening.

The Bucks’ Heather Michael recorded the only save she needed to on the one shot she faced. Becca Stull collected ten saves for the Black Knights.

‘Paupack’s record is now 5-2-2 (4-1-2 league).

From the Wayne Independent on April 21:

When Mike Soskil took over Wallenpaupack Area’s girls soccer program 10 years ago, he did so with a simple philosophy in mind.

Coach Soskil was a keeper when he played in high school and college, so he wanted to stress a fundamentally-sound, defense-first mentality.

“I’ve always preached to our girls that if they don’t give up any goals, they won’t lose very many games,” he told TWI Sports. “We focus on stopping the other team first, then creating our own scoring opportunities...and it’s an approach that works well for us.”

So far this season, Paupack is once again setting the standard for defense in the Wyoming Valley Conference. The Lady Bucks are currently 5-2-2 overall and 4-1-2 in Division ‘B’ action. Monday afternoon’s regularly scheduled game at Hanover Area was postponed due to rain. Weather permitting, that contest will be made up today.

Stay tuned to TWI Sports for continuing coverage of WVC girls varsity soccer.

Scoreless Tie
Paupack’s latest epic battle took place late last week and ended in a scoreless tie.

The Lady Bucks dominated their game against Lake Lehman, outshooting the Knights by a margin of 10-1. However, neither team put the ball in the net throughout regulation and two overtime periods.

The result was 0-0 tie.

“We didn’t really play our best in that one, but it wasn’t for lack of effort,” said Coach Soskil. “Our girls had a couple of good clean looks at their net, but we just couldn’t score.”

A pair of Paupack shots ricocheted off the post and another was stopped on a brilliant save by Lake Lehman’s Becca Stull.

Heather Michael and Kim Barry led the charge defensively for the Lady Bucks. Michael needed to stop just one Knight volley en route to her sixth shutout of the ‘09 season.

Barry made her varsity debut at sweeper and turned in an stellar performance. Kim has been a striker and midfielder for her entire soccer career. However, due to injury and illness, she’s been asked to step in at sweeper.

“Kim did an outstanding job for us,” said Coach Soskil. “She’s a very knowledgeable player who anticipates very well. Kim really stepped up to the plate when we needed her most.”

From the Times-Leader on April 22:

Leann Mathews scored two goals and assisted another in the Buckhorns’ victory.

Krista Colarusso scored for Hanover Area.

First half: 1. WAL, Leann Mathews, 25th; 2. WAL, Mathews, 39th; Second half: 3. WAL, Gina Boccia (Mathews), 41st; 4. WAL, Jillian Alderfer, 67th; 5. HAN, Krista Colarusso, 72nd.

Shots: WAL 16, HAN 5; Saves: WAL 4 (Heather Michael), HAN 12 (Chloe Renner); Corners: WAL 3, HAN 1.

From the Times-Leader on April 23:

HAWLEY — Jillian Alderfer scored an unassisted goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to give Wallenpaupack a 1-0 win over Delaware Valley on Wednesday.

The Buckhorns held the Warriors to just three shots, with Heather Michael earning the shutout.

Brianna Kody made eight saves in net for Delaware Valley.

Second half: 1. WAL, Jillian Alderfer 89th.

Shots: DV 3, WAL 9; Saves: DV 8 (Brianna Kody), WAL 3 (Heather Michael); Corners: DV 2, WAL 4.

From the Wayne Independent on April 24:

Wallenpaupack Area solidified its stranglehold on second place this week with a pair of Wyoming Valley Conference soccer victories.

The Lady Bucks hammered out a 4-1 win against Hanover on Tuesday. The local girls followed that up with a thrilling 1-0 triumph over Delaware Valley on Thursday.

Once again, Paupack used a deadly combination of suffocating defense and balanced offense to record the wins. Coach Mike Soskil’s squad now boasts a sparkling 7-2-2 overall record. To date, Paupack is 6-1-2 in WVC Division ‘B’ competition.

Next up for the Lady Bucks is a much-anticipated showdown with Valley West. The Spartans are still unbeaten in regular season action (9-0-0).

These two teams met back in Week One of the spring campaign. Valley West prevailed in that one, escaping the Big Lake with a 2-0 decision.

“I’m confident that things will be different the second time around,” Coach Soskil told TWI Sports after a recent match. “I like the way these girls are coming together as a team.”

Monday’s afternoon’s game in Forty Fort is slated for a 4:15 p.m. start.

Back-to-Back
Paupack leapt out to a big early lead against Hanover, then cruised to a 4-1 win.

Leann Mathews opened the game with a pair of unassisted goals. A senior midfielder, Leann gave Paupack a 1-0 lead at the 24:02 mark. She pushed that advantage to with less than two minutes remaining before intermission.

Gina Boccia and Jilian Alderfer put the game out of reach with a goal apiece in the second half.
Boccia tallied off a pass from Mathews at the 40:23 mark. Alderfer added one of her own at 66:23.

Heather Michael stopped four of the five shots she faced to record the win.

Against DV, Paupack broke a scoreless tie in the 88th minute to secure a 1-0 win. Alderfer did the honors, beating Warrior keeper Brianna Kody for the gamewinner.

Michael recorded her seventh shutout of the season. She made three saves, dropping her goals-against average to a minuscule 1.04.

From the News Eagle on April 24:

Wallenpaupack’s Varsity Soccer Team improved to 7-2-2 (6-1-2 league play) after a 4-1 victory over Hanover Area on Tuesday afternoon and a 1-0 win over Delaware Valley on Wednesday.

 On Tuesday the Lady Bucks struck first scoring at the 24:02 mark in the first half on a goal by Leann Mathews (unassisted). Mathews (unassisted) found the back of the net again at the 38:10 mark to give the Purple Pack a 2-0 lead at half-time.

They came back from the intermission and picked up where they left off scoring two more unanswered goals. Gina Boccia scored off an assist from Mathews at the 40:23 mark and Jillian Alderfer (unassisted) added one more at the 66:36 mark.

Hanover Area’s Krista Colarusso scored their only goal with less than ten minutes left in regulation.

Heather Michael recorded four saves on the five shots she faced.

The Junior Varsity team also won 2-0.

On Wednesday the Lady Bucks finally overcame the hurdle of ending in draw with the Lady Warriors when Jillian Alderfer found the back of the net with less than two minutes of regulation remaining in the second half. The goal came at the 88:16 mark and was unassisted.

Heather Michael recorded three saves on the three shots the Warriors took. Brianna Cody made eight saves for DV on the nine shots she faced.

The Junior Varsity teams ended in a 0-0 draw.

From the Scranton Times-Tribune on April 25:

At Wallenpaupack, Gina Boccia netted three goals to lead the Buckhorns past East Stroudsburg South in a non-league game. Lauren Cassel assisted on all three of Boccia’s goals. Brittany Davis and Jillian Alderfer also both scored for Wallenpaupack.

From the Times-Leader on April 28:

Wyoming Valley West’s quest for a divisional title took an unexpected detour the other day, but headed back on the right path Monday night.  The Spartans used goals by Brianna Evans and Katie McGarry to defeat Wallenpaupack 2-1 at Spartan Stadium, clinching the Division B championship in Wyoming Valley Conference girls soccer.

“This is the second division (title),” Valley West coach Mike Davitt said. “When we were practicing in the gym, there’s a banner with the champions on it. The girls said they wanted their year up there this year.”

Valley West entered the season as the divisional favorite after consecutive runner-up finishes to Wyoming Seminary, which moved up to Division A this year. The Spartans (10-1) were running smoothly, posting nine consecutive victories before losing 1-0 to Lake-Lehman on Friday.

The loss gave Wallenpaupack (6-2-2) an opportunity to make a run at the division.

“We didn’t practice at all over the weekend, and we came back and this was the result of it,” Davitt said.

Any worries about lingering effects of the loss were quelled four minutes into the game when Evans scored unassisted.

About 11 minutes later, Rebecca Lipski sent a crossing pass from the left side that was a little too long for McGarry. McGarry managed to gain control nonetheless near the right post and scored.

“We gave up two cheapies early,” Wallenpaupack coach Mike Soskil said. “We have a really young squad and had that dear-in-the-headlights look.”

The Buckhorns changed that with two plays. First, defender Kyla Wentz plucked a certain Valley West goal from the goal line. Then Jillian Alderfer just missed wide on a 25-yard shot that gave the offense some life.

Alderfer found the goal early in the second half to move Wallenpaupack within 2-1. The junior midfielder took a pass from Jillian Jansco and made a run straight down the field, racing past a few defenders to score. Her shot hit off the base of the left post and caromed inside the right part of the net.

Wallenpaupack then received a break, but failed to capitalize when Lauren Cassel was pushed in the penalty area. Valley West keeper Shelby Butz made a save on the ensuing penalty kick, then she and teammate Kaleigh Reynolds beat Wallenpaupack’s Chelsea Mann to the rebound.

The victory most likely will give Valley West one of the top-two seeds – and a first-round bye – in the District 2 Class 3A playoffs. Wallenpaupack will also be in the tournament.

“If all goes well, we’ll see them again in the district semifinals,” Soskil said. “This game proved we’re every bit the team that they are.”

First half: 1. WVW, Brianna Evans, 4th min; 2. WVW, Katie McGarry (Rebecca Lipski), 15th; Second half: 3. WAL, Jillian Alderfer (Jillian Jansco), 43rd,

Shots: WAL 9, WVW 23; Saves: WAL 16 (Heather Michael), WVW 7 (Shelby Butz); Corners: WAL 2, WVW 4.

From the Times-Leader on May 1:

Gina Boccia’s goal with 2:51 left in overtime sealed the win for Wallenpaupack over Honesdale.

Overtime: WAL, Gina Boccia, 88th min.

Shots: WAL 13, HON 9; Saves: WAL 6 (Heather Michael), HON 10 (Leanna Bennett); Corners: WAL 6, HON 4.

From the Scranton Times on May 1:

Gina Boccia scored the game’s only goal with 2:51 left in overtime to lead Wallenpaupack to a 1-0 win over Honesdale in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division B.

From the Times-Leader on May 2:

HAWLEY — Lauren Cassel’s goal in the early going was all Wallenpaupack would need in a 1-0 win over visiting Pittston Area on Friday.

The Buckhorns held the Patriots to just three shots, with Heather Michael earning the shutout.

Lauren Smicherko made 15 saves for Pittston Area.

First half: 1. WAL, Lauren Cassel (Kyla Wentz), 9th.

Shots: PA 3, WAL 15; Saves: PA 14 (Lauren Smicherko), WAL 3 (Heather Michael); Corners: PA 1, WAL 3.

From the Scranton Times on May 2:

At Wallenpaupack, Lauren Cassel scored in the 32nd minute as the Buckhorns won in the WVC B.

Heather Michael had three saves for Wallenpaupack.

From the News Eagle on May 5:

In yet another overtime game, the Lady Bucks scored the game-winning goal in the 87th minute to take the one to nil victory of Honesdale on the soccer pitch on Thursday afternoon.

Gina Boccia scored the winning goal at the 87:09 mark to record her ninth goal of the season and the 16th goal of her Buckhorn career.

Heather Michael recorded nine saves on the nine shots she faced earning her seventh shut-out of the season.

On Friday, the Lady Bucks took down Pittston Area 1-0. The team outshot their opponents by a margin of 15-3 with Michael collecting all three saves in the net.

Their goal came at the 31:17 mark of the first half when Lauren Cassel scored on an assist from Kyla Wentz.

The Lady Bucks will play a non-league exhibition game against East Stroudsburg North on May 7 at home beginning at 5:30 pm. On May 13 they will play in a District II AAA quarterfinal game with time and place to be determined.

From the Wayne Independent on May 4:

Wallenpaupack Area’s girls varsity soccer team put the finishing touches on an outstanding regular season with back-to-back victories.

The Lady Bucks closed out the ‘09 spring campaign with a pair of 1-0 decisions over archrival Honesdale and Pittston Area. With these wins, Paupack ends its Wyoming Valley Conference slate with a stellar 8-2-2 record.

“We definitely ended the regular season the way we wanted to,” Coach Mike Soskil told TWI Sports. “We got two hard-fought wins against two good teams. I really think we’re ready to take the next step.”

That next step for the Lady Bucks is a berth in the District Two play-offs. Paupack’s opponent has yet to be determined. However, as the second place team in Division ‘B’, it seems likely that the Lady Bucks will host at least one home play-off match.

The local lasses finished up behind only pre-season WVC favorite Valley West. The Spartans ended their campaign with a sparkling 11-1 mark.

If all goes as expected at this week’s District Two bracket meeting, Paupack should earn a #3 seed and host either Pittston Area or Hazleton.
That match is tentatively set for Wednesday, May 13th at 4:30 p.m.

Stay tuned to TWI Sports for continuing coverage of the girls spring soccer scene.

Hornets Swatted
Paupack visited the Maple City Thursday evening and completed its season sweep of the homestanding Hornets.

Led by the Dynamic Duo of Gina Boccia and Heather Michael, the Lady Bucks carved out an impressive 1-0 road win.

A senior striker who’s among the team leaders in most major offensive categories, Boccia tallied the lone goal of this contest. Gina beat Honesdale’s LeeAnna Bennett for an unassisted goal seven minutes into overtime.

Boccia is tied for the team lead in goals with nine. She also has a pair of assists to her credit.

“Gina is just a burner,” said Coach Soskil. “She has so much speed that’s she’s very difficult to mark. She has a real knack for scoring goals in key situations. Gina is having a great year for us.”

Boccia’s tally was enough to seal the deal on yet another victory for Michael. Paupack’s keeper stopped all nine shots she faced en route to her ninth shutout of the season. To date, Heather has allowed just 16 goals in more than 1,200 minutes of action. Mich-ael owns 104 stops and an 86.4 save percentage.

“Heather’s been outstanding,” said Coach Soskil. “With our defense playing as well as it has, she usually doesn’t have to make a ton of saves. But, when she has to, Heather really rises to the occasion.”

Paupack outshot the Hornets by a margin of 18-8 and doubled up the Red & Black in corners, 6-3.

Bennett turned in another solid effort between the pipes. Honesdale’s talented young keeper stopped 17 shots en route to a hard-luck loss.

Score by half...
WAL  (7-2-2)  0  0  1 - 1
HON  (4-7-0)  0  0  0 - 0

Pats Pasted
Paupack continued its impressive WVC run with another 1-0 win Saturday morning on the shores of The Big Lake.

Lauren Cassel provided the offensive heroics in this one, scoring the Lady Bucks’ only goal of the game. Cassel shook loose from the Pittston Area defense late in the opening half. She snared a pass from Kyla Wentz and hammered the ball home.

The goal came at the 31:17 mark and propelled Paupack to a season-ending, Senior Night victory.

“I’m very happy that Lauren got that goal,” said Coach Soskil. “She’s probably our best all-round player and for her to score the game-winner on Senior Night was really appropriate.”

The Lady Bucks completely dominated this particular contest. Paupack outshot the Pats by a staggering margin of 15-3 and also enjoyed a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.

Michael was only called upon to make three stops, compared to Pittston’s Lauren Smicherko who had to record 14 saves.

Margit Deppert, Kim Barry and Carli Moritz led the defensive charge for Paupack.

Deppert started off slowly, but has emerged as the Lady Bucks’ defensive stopper in second half WVC action. A junior blessed with myriad physical skills, Deppert usually draws the toughest one-on-one assignment.

“Margit has been absolutely fabulous,” said Coach Soskil. “When I need someone to shut down an opponent’s best scorer, I usually go to Margit.”

Paupack’s next assignment is a non-league encounter with East Stroudsburg North. That home game is tentatively set for this Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Score by half...
WAL  (8-2-2)  1  0 - 1
PITT  (2-9-1)  0  0 - 0

From the Times-Leader on May 14:

Jillian Alderfer led Wallenpaupack to its best offensive performance of the season, scoring three goals as the Buckhorns advanced in the D2-3A playoffs.

Third-seeded Wallenpaupack (9-2-2) will play second-seeded Wyoming Valley West (11-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lake-Lehman High School.

Gina Boccia added two goals for the Buckhorns, who edged Pittston Area 1-0 in their WVC season finale on May 4.

Desiree Spindler converted a penalty kick for Pittston Area, which ended it season at 2-10-1.

First half: 1. WAL, Jillian Alderfer, 11th min; 2. WAL, Alderfer 12th; 3. WAL, Gina Boccia (Alderfer), 14th; 4. WAL, Brittany Davis (Kyla Wentz), 20th; 5. PA, Desiree Spindler (pen kick), 32nd; 6. WAL, Alderfer (Davis), 40th; Second half: 7. WAL, Rosy Tamam (Boccia), 48th; 8. WAL, Boccia (Jillian Jansco), 55th; 9. WAL, Lauren Cassel, 79th.

Shots: PA 5, WAL 34; Saves: PA 26 (Lauren Smicherko), WAL 4 (Heather Michael); Corners: PA 1, WAL 3.

From the Wayne Independent on May 15:

Wallenpaupack Area began its quest for a District Two soccer crown with a big win over Pittston Area.

The Lady Bucks erupted for six first half goals en route to an 8-1 victory. This opening round contest was played at Paupack on Wednesday.

With the win, Coach Mike Soskil’s squad upped its overall record to 12-4-2 on the year. Next up for the Lady Bucks is a battle with top-ranked Wyoming Valley West. These two teams have met twice during the regular season with the Spartans sweeping the series.

Paupack and Valley West will meet for the third time on Tuesday afternoon at Lake Lehman High School.

On the Attack
Paupack wasted no time in going on the offensive Wednes-day against Pittston Area.

Jillian Alderfer opened the floodgates with a pair of unassisted goals early in the first half. The Lady Buck striker beat Patriot keeper Lauren Smicherko at the 10:45 mark. Less than two minutes later, Alderfer struck again. This tally came at with 11:58 gone and gave the home team a 2-0 lead.

That would prove more than enough support for a red-hot Heather Michael.

Paupack’s veteran keeper faced just five shots on the day and stopped all but one of them. To date, Michael has logged more than 1,400 minutes between the pipes. She’s piled up 110 saves, nine shutouts and boasts a minuscule 0.944 goals against average.

Gina Boccia upped the ante to 3-0 two minutes after Alderfer’s second goal. Boccia tallied the first of her two scores at the 13:51 mark, courtesy of an Alderfer assist.

Brittany Davis made it 4-0 with another first half goal. This one came with 19:42 gone in the game off a pass from teammate Kyla Wentz.

Desiree Spindler finally got Pittston Area on the board. The Patriots’ striker converted on a penalty kick just six minutes before halftime.

Alderfer wouldn’t stand for that, though, and tacked on one more. This goal, which completed a Hat Trick for Paupack’s top scorer, was the result of a pass from Davis.

Jillian leads the Lady Bucks with 15 goals and two assists on the season.

Over & Out
Coach Soskil reined his girls in a bit in the second half, but Paupack still managed to tally three more goals.

Rosie Tamam scored off an assist from Boccia at the 47:33 mark. Gina then got back into the act herself seven minutes later. Boccia bagged her second goal of the game with 54:39 gone n the match.

Boccia is another genuine scoring threat for Paupack.  To date, she’s tallied 12 goals and handed out four assists.

This penultimate goal came off an assist from Jillian Jansco. Jansco, who is one of  Paupack’s captains and last year’s defensive Player of the Year, has a pair of assists this spring.

Lauren Cassel closed out the scoring on this particular day. The team-leader in assists in ‘09, Cassel broke loose for an unassisted goal at 78:31.

Coda
Valley West drew an opening round bye in the Class AAA tournament.

Should the Lady Bucks upset the Spartans in Tuesday’s semifinal, they would take on the winner of Abington Heights and Hazleton Area.

The Comets are the #2 seed and also earned a bye, while the Cougars advanced to the semis via a 3-0 win over DV.

From the News Eagle on May 15:

On Wednesday afternoon the Lady Bucks played host to the Lady Patriots of Pittston Area for the District II AAA Quarterfinal match-up, and from the opening minutes of the game the Purple Pack dominated their opponents on the way to an 8-1 victory.

The Bucks went on the offensive attack early and often and their leading goal-scorer on the year, Jillian Alderfer, was the one to find the net first and second in the game and ended with a hat trick.

The only goal the Lady Patriots recorded on the day came about ten minutes later on a questionable call in the box that resulted in a penalty kick.

‘Paupack’s Heather Michael picked up four saves in the game.

The next test for the Bucks will be Wyoming Valley West, the number one seeded team in the league, and a team that has already beaten the Bucks twice this year. Though they beat the Purple Pack twice, each game was close and a break here or there and the outcome would have been different. In their first meeting they won 2-0, in the second meeting they won 2-1.

The next game is scheduled for May 19 at Lake Lehman for a 6 pm start and the District II AAA Semi-final match-up.

From the Times-Leader on May 20:

LEHMAN TWP. – The scene has played out twice this season. Wyoming Valley West gets up early, and then Wallenpaupack mounts a spirited comeback only to fall short.

Freshman Kelcie Hromisin and senior Amanda Harris scored first-half goals and Valley West made them hold up as it defeated Wallenpaupack 2-1 in a District 2 Class 3A girls soccer semifinal game at Lake-Lehman High School.

Second-seeded Valley West (12-1) advanced to a district championship game for the first time since 1999. The Spartans will play top-seeded Abington Heights (10-4-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Scranton Memorial Stadium.

Only Thursday’s winner advances to the PIAA Class 3A tournament, which begins May 27.

“The girls had confidence coming into the game,” Valley West coach Mike Davitt said. “We’ve played them twice this year and we knew if we could get out early we’d put more pressure on them.”

Third-seeded Wallenpaupack ended its year at 9-3-2. The loss also ended the coaching career of Mike Soskil at the school. Soskil is stepping down after accepting a position in the school district that will require a more demanding workload.

The Buckhorns tried to extend Soskil’s time on the sidelines. Lauren Cassel followed up a ricochet off the hands of Valley West keeper Shelby Butz, moving Wallenpaupack within 2-1 with just over 33 minutes to play.

But the game played out like the first two meetings this season – Valley West victories of 2-0 on April 4 and 2-1 on April 27.

“Unfortunately, it seemed to be the same pattern,” Soskil said. “We gave up two goals … I don’t know if we played soft or a little nervous in the first half, but we just didn’t play our best game. Then we came out in the second half and made it 2-1 like the last time, but despite our best efforts we couldn’t get the equalizer in the second half.”

The similarities started much sooner when Hromisin broke down the middle to score in the second minute. It was the third time this season the Spartans scored on Wallenpaupack by the nine-minute mark.

About 31 minutes later, Harris turned and fired a left-footed shot from near the 18-yard line, giving Valley West its third 2-0 lead over the Buckhorns in as many games.

“We didn’t play a complete game,” Davitt said. “We played a solid first half and at times a spotty second half, but that could have been excitement or the pressure Wallenpaupack was placing on us. We didn’t have as much time and space as we did in the first half.”

Nontheless, Wallenpaupack had only one strong scoring opportunity after Cassel’s goal. Chelsea Mann grounded a crossing pass in front of the goal with 10 minutes left, but Butz was able to haul it in before a Buckhorn could get there.

From the Citizen's Voice on May 20:

LEHMAN TOWNSHIP — The District 2 Class AAA soccer semifinal between Wallenpaupack and Wyoming Valley West played out like the previous meetings between the teams this season.

Valley West once again took a two-goal lead and the Buckhorns spent the second half playing catch-up.

The Spartans hung on long enough to post a 2-1 victory — their third win of the year over Wallenpaupack — on Tuesday at Lake-Lehman. The win puts Valley West (12-1) in Thursday’s d final against Abington Heights, at 6 p.m. at Scranton Memorial Stadium.

“Unfortunately, it seemed to be the same pattern as last game,” Wallenpaupack coach Mike Soskil said. “We gave up two goals and I don’t know if we were playing soft or a little nervous in the first half.”

The Spartans eased their own nerves just two minutes into the game as freshman Kelcie Hromisin burned the Wallenpauack defense and scored on a one-and-one with the keeper for a 1-0 Valley West lead.

The Buckhorns didn’t have many scoring chances in the first half, while Valley West added another goal late in the first half. Amanda Harris was near the top of the 18-yard line and turned around just in time to put a grounding shot inside the left post, giving the Spartans a two-goal cushion.

“I think we came in with a lot of confidence, unfortunately their goal early on hurt us and gave them some nice momentum,” Soskil said. “I don’t know that we ever really recovered from that.” Wallenpaupack, however, didn’t completely fold despite facing a two-goal deficit in the second half.

The Buckhorns capitalized on a ball that bounced out of the hands of Valley West keeper Shelby Butz. Chelsea Mann took the initial shot and Lauren Cassel followed up the loose ball for the goal.

“It keeps your focus,” Valley West coach Mike Davitt said of his team clinging to a one-goal lead. “A one-goal game compared to a two-goal game, you’re just a little more on edge and you tend to play better than when you have a comfortable lead. (Wallenpaupack) earned that goal. It was a mishap on our part and they took advantage.” Valley West didn’t allow another significant scoring opportunity for the Buckhorns the rest of the way and the Spartans punched their ticket to the their first district final since 1998.

“We didn’t play a complete game, but we played a solid first half and at time a spotty second half,” Davitt said. “But overall, I’m pleased. They recovered (after Wallenpaupack’s goal), they didn’t get down, they didn’t get shaken up and they did well the rest of the (second) half.”

SCORING: 1st half: Kelcie Hromisin (W) unassisted, 38:22; Amanda Harris (W) from Rebecca Lipski, 7:22; 2nd half: Lauren Cassel (Wal) from Chelsea Mann, 33:31.