When members of the Pitt-Greensburg women’s soccer team talk about the 2021 season, a common theme emerges: proving 2019 was not a fluke.
Two seasons ago, the Bobcats went 19-1-1 overall and 9-0-1 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. UPG defeated Penn State Behrend to win the conference tournament and advance to the NCAAs.
In the two previous seasons, UPG managed only to break even in the AMCC. That, the players believe, left some wondering if the team merely caught lightning in a bottle in 2019.
The returning players have had almost two years to think about it after the covid-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season. As the 2021 season dawns, they are determined to show the rest of the AMCC that 2019 wasn’t an illusion.
“It definitely hit a nerve even though we won (the AMCC),” said junior defender and Southmoreland grad Jenna Conty, referring to UPG being picked second in the 2021 AMCC preseason poll. “It still feels like people don’t believe in us, and they think it was just a one-off.
“We know we’re good enough. We just have to put in the time and effort … to show people we deserve to get another trophy.”
Chuck Wigle, who enters his ninth year as Bobcats coach, can sense his players’ indignity. Like most college coaches, he is dealing with losing essentially two graduating classes since 2019. The good news for Wigle is many of the players who formed the backbone of the 2019 team were freshmen and sophomores then.
To keep the players in competition mode during the down time, Wigle divided his players into teams of six to eight for their own in-house league. He also scheduled a handful of exhibitions, including against Division II teams IUP and Pitt-Johnstown. Now he is ready to turn his team loose on the AMCC.
“They are extremely eager. This is a very competitive group,” he said. “They want to have a chance to prove themselves. … Our goal is to compete for a championship.”
Speaking of goals, UPG figures to get plenty from junior Ashley Lucas, who was the AMCC Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 as a freshman. She led the conference in goals (23), assists (11) and points.
Lucas, however, is quick to spread around the credit for her success.
“The other offensive players were a lot of help in getting me that title,” she said. “I could not have got that title without Tiffany Michalek up top with me.”
Michalek is back, too.
Two seasons ago, as a sophomore, she had 18 goals and eight assists, helping keep defenses from concentrating on Lucas.
Wigle is expecting junior forward/midfielder Alexsia Barlamas to take a big step forward offensively this season. Barlamas finished fourth on the team in points in 2019 with 12, and her six assists were third on the team.
But UPG proved to be equally spectacular on defense. Senior keeper Lauren Yoder was the conference defensive player of the year in 2019 after saving nearly 90% of shots on goal.
In front of her will be an experienced defense featuring juniors Conty, Hawa Janneh and Brooke Ianarelli. Sophomores Hayley Felix and Nylah Pannebaker also are expected to solidify the defense.
“It’s all a team effort,” Conty said about the defense. “Opposing teams have to get through all of us. Collectively, we’re pretty solid defensively. That’s something we work hard to do.”
The Bobcats are confident their blend of experience, talent and teamwork will, at last, prove they have what it takes to stay at the top of the heap.
“We do have a pretty young team, but everyone is very dedicated and works very hard, and we know what we have to do to get the results that we need,” Lucas said. “I believe this team has the same potential that we had in 2019.”
