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The fall scholastic soccer season is in full stride, and several teams in the area have developed into incredibly strong, cohesive teams at this point in time.
The Bishop Guilfoyle Lady Marauders looked to be an extremely strong squad prior to the start of the season, and they have lived up to that billing, losing only to Hollidaysburg. Coach Joe DeLeo's team has been stingy on defense, controlled the midfield and has been explosive in scoring up top. They derailed undefeated teams in both Bellefonte and West Branch.
With a blend of strong seasoned seniors and incredibly talented freshmen, they have consistently turned back nearly all challengers. DeLeo has shifted senior leader Nicole Hawk into the center midfielder slot where she is a constant scoring threat and takes control of the midfield and keeps the Marauders pushing forward on offense continually. The team also had a handful of freshmen coming from the national classic team, the Energy, which had been national finalists in the Presidents Cup.
The Lady Marauders' next step is to garner the District 6 championship as well as looking to grab the Laurel Highlands Conference title.
The Altoona girls soccer team was a little sluggish coming out of the gate initially in the season, but coach Marc Frye's squad has caught fire in mid-season with a blend of talented upperclassmen like Hailey Kravetz and gifted freshmen, such as Ava Frye, working in sync to keep defenses on their heels. They have pulled off two big wins over rival Hollidaysburg. Being in high gear going into the playoffs, look for the Lady Lions to nab a district title and turn some heads in the playoffs.
Also, another team to watch will be coach Dave McCarter's Altoona boys team, which has only dropped three games and continued to improve throughout the season. The Mountain Lions should be primed to challenge for a district championship.
Elsewhere:
n Congratulations to Penn State Altoona women's soccer senior forward /midfielder Malorie Smith for setting a school record by scoring six goals in one game against Wells College. Smith earned Allegheny Conference Player of the Week for her standout play.
n At age 38, United States Women's National team star Megan Rapinoe ended her 17-year career on the team recently during a 2-0 USA win over South Africa in a friendly match. The USA winger with a laser foot scored the most goals in the 2019 Women's World Cup and was awarded the Golden Boot.
Rapinoe turned her captain's armband over to teammate Lindsay Horan. She had the fourth longest career in team history, playing in four World Cups and winning two, and was part of the 2012 Olympic gold winning USA team. Rapinoe scored 63 international goals, which put her in 10th place in US team history, and tied Abby Wombach for assists at 73.
Rapinoe had a fiery career, which included fighting for equal pay for the women which they finally won in 2022 with their new contract, having a war of words with then president Donald Trump, taking a knee during the national anthem and becoming an icon to the gay community. In 2022, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. She was outspoken on many political issues and never hesitated to step forward and take a leadership role both on and off the field. Although she is stepping off the field as a player, Rapinoe will not fade away from the game as she looks to own a women's pro soccer team.
Tom Schmitt writes a monthly soccer column for the Mirror.