By Jerry Clark

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 8:53 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Being the new kid is usually a tough thing to deal with. New places and new faces can make it hard to fit in. That is unless you prove you excel at what you are doing.

For Maggie Boehler, a former Shaler soccer player, advancing to play college soccer was a new and exciting challenge. Boehler went to play and study at Pitt Bradford. Boehler went to school hoping to do her best and succeed, but she was exceeded expectations by earning the Newcomer and Co-Player of the Year awards as a freshman.

“There is a really great group of girls here. I feel lucky,” Boehler said. “We would not have done so well had we not been together. This program is growing, and it is good to be a part of.”

Boehler was one of seven players from the Pitt Bradford team to make the AMCC All-Conference team. A freshman forward, Boehler ranked third in the conference with 30 total points. She scored 13 goals, good enough for second in the conference. She had five game-winning scores and was second on the team with four assists. She scored four of her goals in a game against La Roche and scored in the program's first-ever trip to the AMCC championship game.

“The players who play with me are good distributors,” Boehler said. “Tess Follman, Vicky Delong and Casey Schmis and I have great chemistry. We all got here at the right time.

“I am proud, I was not sure I could have done this well. I am humbled, and I hope to keep getting better.”

Boehler said she has one of the best coaches, and that allowed her game to grow so much since she got to college. The speed of the game took a little getting used to.

“The fitness level is different, too,” Boehler said. “It is much higher than high school.”

Boehler said she felt pretty prepared for college soccer coming from Shaler and added that she is happy to help her new team win games. She did not win a lot of games as a high school player, so that fueled her desire to win at the next level. She worked out five times a week to get in the best shape of her life. In the offseason, Boehler and her roommate keep up the regimen.

“We push each other,” she said.

Excelling in the classroom also has Boehler excited about the current school term.

“I expect a high GPA,” she said. “My classes are still general, so it is hard to say which one is my favorite, but I am working toward a degree in physical therapy or athletic training.”

Boehler said she has received a lot of support from her family.

“We had a rough year, so it is good to get things on track,” Boehler said. “My mom and my sister — that is why I am here, because of them.”

Jerry Clark is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-779-6979 or jeclark@tribweb.com.

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