Shaler girls soccer cranks up defensive pressure, sees results

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, October 4, 2020 | 11:01 AM

Emily Moorey wants the Shaler Area girls soccer team to seize extra opportunities.

When the Titans senior defender sees opponents being lax with the ball, Moorey and her teammates want to apply pressure.

When everything is humming — as it was during the Titans’ 5-3 win over North Hills on Sept. 21 at home — Shaler believes its offense can pile up goals.

“We’re definitely doing a more high-press style game plan,” said Moorey, who scored a goal in the win. “So far, it’s worked out more than our other strategies have. On goal kicks, free kicks or any time their back four have the ball, we want to create an offensive transition for us to score.”

Winning against North Hills gave Shaler (1-3, 1-3) a much needed boost. In the Titans’ other three contests to that point, they were outscored 14-0.

“It is tough in our section,” Titans coach Craig Wilkins said. “We are building to where we can play against all those teams. We are playing a high-press style where we want to force turnovers and score goals.”

Alexis Tylenda, who scored twice, along with Ashley Venezia, Haley Kostorick and Moorey were able to capitalize with goals against the Indians.

Wilkins believes the team’s experience will show up as the season wears on. Shaler’s five goals against North Hills are the first time it scored more than four goals since a 9-0 victory over Brashear on Sept. 29, 2017.

“This is the style I would always like to play,” Wilkins said. “You have to have a certain amount of fitness, talent and depth to do that, players who can run for 80 minutes and press. It’s really the first time we’ve had the luxury of a roster that can do that.”

Shaler, which started five freshmen last year, has 12 freshmen on the roster this season. The Titans also have five seniors — Alyssa DeLeonibus, Audrey Fisher, Selena Slavicek, Venezia and Moorey — to help provide guidance.

Having this roster composition led Wilkins to believe they could play an up-and-down game.

Shaler is hoping the experience it has gained will lead to more results like the one the Titans had against North Hills.

Moorey said the results of the other games haven’t discouraged them.

“We always try to find something positive we did,” Moorey said. “There’s definitely a feeling we can do it. We can compete with Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley to get a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.”

Tags: Shaler