Chartiers Valley leads Elite Eleven list
2016 was the year boys’ soccer went back to the future, as Chartiers Valley dominated the action.
After a 15-year hiatus, the Colts captured a WPIAL championship, under the guidance of their former players. In only his third season at the helm, Garrett MacKenzie along with his brothers, Travis and Derek, led CV back to prominence on the pitch. In addition to winning the district title, the Colts captured a section runner-up honor and finished the season with an 18-5 record after reaching the quarterfinals in the PIAA playoffs.
So it comes as no surprise that MacKenzie and his charges lead the list of Almanac all-stars. Sean Tinney headlines the list as MVP. (See related story.) MacKenzie has been named Coach of the Year, while Jimmy Boyle, Josh DiMatteo and Caleb Zajicek spearhead the Elite Eleven team.
Boyle and DiMatteo, along with Tinney, engineered the Colts’ attack. Out of the midfield, the juniors controlled the action.
A center back last year, DiMatteo produced 13 goals and dished up nine assists.
“Josh really stepped up as an attacking player for our team this year,” said MacKenzie. “He scored some big goals. He was a key contributor the entire season.”
Meanwhile, Boyle scored the game-winning goal in the WPIAL final, a 1-0 triumph over Mars. He finished with 16 tallies and 11 assists.
“Jimmy was a major force in the attack for us,” MacKenzie said. “He was somebody that we could count on to contribute key goals and assists.”
Zajicek kept the opponents’ offenses at bay. The senior registered 12 shutouts and surrendered just one goal throughout the district playoffs.
“In my opinion, Caleb was one of the best goalies in the WPIAL, if not the best this year,” MacKenzie said. “Considering he has only played the position for two years, he was a rock back there for us. Given the competition we faced along the way, particularly in the playoffs, Caleb was incredibly impressive.”
Two lead Rebels
Seton-La Salle enjoyed an equally impressive soccer season. The Rebels finished third in the WPIAL and reached the Final Four in the PIAA tournament, falling in the state semifinals to finish 22-3 overall.
SLS had Darryl Daniels and Chris Stack to thank for much of its success. Both earned All-State status.
Daniels led the WPIAL in scoring with 41 goals in 2016. The junior earned Player of the Year honors in the section and the district. He dished up seven assists.
“Darryl is a very dynamic and athletic forward who can beat teams in multiple different ways,” said SLS skipper Ryan Kelly. “His speed, ability with the ball, and knack for finishing really sets him apart from other players.”
Stack earned all-section and all-district honors for the second straight season. An “extremely steady” player for four seasons, the senior racked up 23 goals and registered 17 assists. He finished in the Top 10 in career goals and assists at SLS.
“Chris is one of the most decorated players to play here,” said Kelly. “He is a very dangerous attacking player that complemented Darryl up top. He was a great leader throughout the season.”
Mertz guides USC
Throughout his career, Ryan Mertz has been a leader at Upper St. Clair. The senior was a member of the Panthers’ state championship squad as a sophomore. This fall, he earned all-state laurels and was recognized as Player of the Year in Quad-A Section 2. A midfielder, he tallied eight goals and picked up five assists. Mertz helped USC to a share in the section title with an 8-1-1 record and to a 12-6-1 overall record.
“Ryan was one of the best midfielders in the WPIAL,” said USC coach Uwe Schneider.
Section 2 dominates
Players from Section 2, Quad-A round out the Elite Eleven list, with Peters Township and Canon-McMillan earning two spots and Bethel Park claiming the final position.
The Indians shared the section title with rival USC, thanks in part to the play of Bryce Gablehart and Rex Heuler. The duo proved a powerful one-two punch for an offense that produced 36 goals and registered nine shutouts. Gablehart earned all-league honors as a forward, while Heuler earned acclaim as a midfielder. Gablehart scored 10 goals and chipped in 12 assists during the regular season, while Heuler registered the lone playoff tally in a 1-0 triumph against Central Catholic in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs. Gablehart has scored 16 goals and racked up 25 assists in his career so far.
Ryan Burke excelled on defense and Jonah Moore at midfield for the Big Macs, who finished runner-up to USC and Peters in Section 2. Canon-Mac finished 11-8 overall after falling to Seneca Valley in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs.
A center back, Burke captained the Big Macs. He dished up an assist and helped share in four shutouts.
“Ryan is strong, lightning fast, and plays with his heart on his sleeve,” said C-M coach Larry Fingers. “Ryan has the ability to shut down the opposing teams’ top attackers using his speed and strength.”
Moore led the Big Macs with 10 goals. He posted three assists. A three-year starter, he garnered all-state recognition this season. A natural left back, he was pushed forward into multiple roles for the team this year. A Division I prospect, he is just a junior.
“Jonah was the ultimate team player as we moved him game to game to various positions to give us the best chance to win games,” Fingers said. “He has great technical ability, is very strong and can take a game over. We are glad to be able to work with him another year.”
Galietta gained all-section honors as a defender. The junior, who also can be utilized as a midfielder, helped Bethel Park record five shutouts this fall. The Hawks were 6-11-1 overall.
Honorable mention
Among the players garnering honorable mention status on the Almanac all-star list are:
• David Conely, David Scott, Matt Mafrici and Nicolas Kalogeris from Bethel Park. As defenders, Scott and Mafrici helped the Hawks record five shutouts. Conely is a junior midfielder, and Kalogeris earned Quad-A all-Section 2 honors as a forward.
• Brandon Byer, Nick Frediani, Noah French, Zach Russo and Billy Baron from Canon-McMillan.
A junior forward who scored the game-winning goal in last year’s WPIAL final, Byer had nine goals and six assists for the Big Macs this season. “Brandon is an effective goal-scorer,” said Larry Fingers. “He is skillful and likes to run at players with the ball. He’s also a playmaker, having assisted on some big goals for us this year.”
A senior defender, Frediani also split time in goal for the Big Macs. He was a captain when he was a field player. He scored a goal and had an assist. “Nick has size, speed, and strength,” Fingers said. “He has the ability to get forward from a defensive position and help get numbers up as well as put crosses into dangerous areas. As a keeper, Nick has great size, good hands, and good presence in the goal.”
A senior midfielder, Russo managed two goals. “Zach has been a quiet, composed, leader on the field,” Fingers said. “He has great positioning, grit in defending, and works hard in the defensive part of the field. He acted as a safety for us in the midfield always keeping play in front of him.”
A junior defender, Baron picked up a pair of goals and two assists. One of the team’s most improved players, he was “a joy” to his coach. “Billy was an unsung hero,” Fingers said. “He played a number of positions for us game in and game out. “Billy has great feet, is strong, and has great vision. He loves running at defenders with the ball, and shares a great relationship with the players around him which naturally helps him combine with them.”
• Nate Taylor from Keystone Oaks. Taylor earned WPIAL Section 1-AA Finest Fifteen honors for the Golden Eagles, who posted an 8-9-1 overall record.
• Filip Slavkovic, Jack Austin and Noah West from Mt. Lebanon. According to head coach William Perz, “These student athletes work extremely hard and helped lead our team with their skills and leadership abilities. I am very proud of the effort they have given to our program.” A senior forward, Slavkovic scored six goals and had two assists this season. A senior midfielder, Austin racked up four assists. West, another senior midfielder, tallied four goals and four assists.
• Justin Gamble, Logan Brinsky, Luke Kelly and Matt Stuck from Peters Township. The foursome led the Indians to a share of the Quad-A, Section 2 title with USC. Both finished 8-1-1 in the division. PT posted a 13-2-3 overall record after falling to eventual champion, North Allegheny, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs.
• Jared Capozza from Seton-La Salle. The senior defender shared in 10 shutouts. He also scored a goal and had five assists. He earned all-section and all-WPIAL laurels. “Jared was our leader in the back,” Ryan Kelly said. “He did the job of preventing other teams to get in behind our back line.”
• Matt Cillo and Jeremy Zura from South Fayette. A senior central midfielder, Cillo led the Lions with 10-plus goals this fall. He earned all-section honors. A three-year starter on defense, Zura gained all-section and all-district acclaim. Both played in four state tournaments and were members of SF’s 2015 WPIAL championship club.
• Aaron Fultineer, Tommny Davidson, Mac Dominick and Steve Paolino from Upper St. Clair. A senior defender, Fultineer gained all-section honors. Versatile, as he can play in the midfield and on top, Fultineer was “one of the best defensive players around,” said USC coach Uwe Schneider. A senior midfielder, Davidson made the Big 5/6 all-section team. He scored six goals and had four assists. “He was a very dynamic player. Very good in the air,” Schneider said. A senior, Dominick recorded 10 shutouts and conceded only 11 goals all season. Paolina earned Big 5/6 all-section honors as a midfielder.Without question, Canon-McMillan had the best two newcomers in the area as Tommy Samosky and Luke Gladden started every game on defense for the Big Macs. “They played key positions for us and were top five on the team in minutes this season,” pointed out C-M skipper Larry Fingers.
C-M has top rookies
Samosky possesses “great size and athleticism” and is “very competitive,” added Fingers. “He excelled against some of the best players in the WPIAL. Tommy also has “spectacular leadership” for a freshman, says Fingers.
Gladden also has athletic genes, as his brother, Chris, was a standoug on the pitch before focusing on tennis, where he currently plays for Division I power Marist. “Luke has a lot of grteat qaulities in his knowledge of the game, his technical abvility and athleticism,” said Finers. “He’s a quiet leader but very competitive. He competes well against the top players.”
For their efforts in leading the Big Macs to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs this season, Samosky and Gladden have garnered Almanac Rookie of the Year honors.
“They both have great futures ahead of them and we look forward to continuing our work with them,” Fingers said.
Players to watch
Among the area players to watch include:
• Ben Minick of Bethel Park. The freshman started every game at center back for the Hawks. “He did very well in an exceedingly difficult position,” said BP coach Mike Galietta.
• Andy Kirk and Guiseppe Croce from Mt. Lebanon. A sophomore, Kirk started on defense for the Blue Devils, while Croce was a freshman midfielder.
• Kellen Krebs from Seton-La Salle. This sophomore earned all-section and all-WPIAL honors after recording 13 assists and collecting three goals this season. Of his two-year starter, Ryan Kelly said, “Kellen does a great job in the middle of the field and on both side of the ball for us. He is a physically imposing player that has a high celing in the next two years.”
• Conner Ryan of Upper St. Clair. The sophomore helped anchor the midfield for the Panthers.