Stiles takes over Gateway boys soccer program

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, August 27, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Last year, the Gateway boys soccer team made its first step back to being competitive.

The Gators made their first WPIAL playoff appearance since 2009, finishing third in Section 4-AAA with an 11-7 record. They ended up losing 2-1 to Hampton in the first round but knew things were looking up.

This offseason, they made their next step to get to the next level by hiring Bernie Stiles as head coach.

Stiles last coached in the WPIAL in 2001 at Moon. He was the coach at Hopewell and Carlynton before that.

Since his departure from the coaching ranks, Stiles spent time as the director of coaching for the Cedar River Soccer Association in the Midwest, winning medals throughout Europe and the U.S. After that, he spent time as a junior college coach in the Midwest but knew it was time to come home.

“I always missed coaching and wanted to coach again,” Stiles said. “The timing is right now. I am settled in and am looking to be here for a long time.

“I know they made some strides last year. We lost a lot of seniors last year. We will be playing a lot of freshmen and sophomores this year. We will see where we are.”

Like any new coach, Stiles needed to gain the trust and build new relationships with his players. As the director of coaching for his youth program, he was familiar with ways on how to take over teams, making this move as seamless as possible.

“I have a lot of experience taking over programs. There were some team-building stuff that we did. I was just watching their style of play. I don't want to change who they are. I just want to refine it. There is a lot of work to be done and it can be done.”

The Gators won't be returning a lot of starters from last year, but one they will be counting on to keep the ball out of the net is senior goalkeeper Sam Meshanko. Meshanko was an All-WPIAL goalie last season and is someone Stiles knows he can trust.

“He has been around quality coaching and players his whole life,” Stiles said. “It is a good guy to have on your team.”

Stiles will make his return to the WPIAL sideline after 16 years when Gateway competes in the Ambridge tournament Saturday. The Gators will open the season against Highlands and will play Central Valley the following day. They went 2-0 and outscored their opponents 9-1 in the tournament last year.

“I am interested to see how we respond,” Stiles said. “We should know where we are coming out of that weekend against some very good opponents.”

Drew Karpen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Gateway