A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Freeport’s Olivia Giancola

By: Abby King
Monday, October 10, 2022 | 11:05 AM

The Freeport girls soccer program has made a huge splash and is one of the teams to beat this season in the WPIAL in Class 2A, building an impressive record of 9-0.

Contributing to the success, among 14 seniors, is standout Olivia Giancola.

“I’m confident that we will do very well this season. The main difference this year is that we have different chemistry,” Giancola said.

“There are 14 seniors, and we have all been playing together since we were young.”

Giancola is the daughter of Jack and Denise Giancola. Outside of soccer, she is involved in the Ski Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, French Club, DECA, PJAS, Environmental Club and Empowerment Club at Freeport.

She is also a three-year soccer letterwinner and has a 4.6 GPA.

“Liv makes sure that all the players on the team are constantly cheering on their teammates and maintains the energy level,” said coach Joe Treglia. “She is also a great mentor to our two youngest goalies.”

Giancola took time out of her busy schedule to sit down and answer a few questions for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

Why did you choose soccer and why did you choose to be a goalkeeper?

I’ve been playing soccer since I was 5. I tried basketball and track, but I only stuck with soccer. U12 is when I started as a goalie. I started off really good, and I loved it. I then trained with different coaches to become the best goalie I could be.

Freeport is off to a good start this season. What has the team done to prepare for it?

Before preseason even started over the summer, (the seniors) held practices two times every week to run. Coach (Treglia) held practices two times every week as well during the evening to focus on foot skills. We’ve been preparing all summer.

How is the team preparing to compete with tough section opponents such as Deer Lakes and Burrell?

We take it one game at a time. We focus on that team’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ve seen every team at least once, so we know what to expect.

Considering you are a goalkeeper, your main job is to stay in the net and keep the ball out of it. How do you stay focused when the action is at the other end of the field?

Sometimes it does get difficult since we have such an offensive team. I stay alert, and talking with other players on the field helps me.

What are the team goals for this season?

Our goal, as always, is to go for our section title undefeated. We try our best to play against the harder teams.

Tell me a little bit about your fellow seniors. What makes your class stand out?

As mentioned, there are 14 of us. We are very good friends on and off the field and have played within both club and recreational teams. We know how each other plays.

The team has outscored opponents 26-10 in the first nine games. What mentality does the team go in with before a game to make this a success?

Something we try to focus on is that no matter if we get behind, we are able to come back easily. We have to stay positive and keep up the energy no matter what happens during a game.

What is your favorite memory from soccer?

Really, it’s any time I’m with my teammates, whether that’s practices, team bonding or games. I love having fun and being with them.

What does your pregame routine look like?

Personally, I wear the same lucky pink Crocs on gameday. One of our superstitions is that the team carries around a brick that has all of our signatures on it. If we are home, we listen to the same mixtape and lift each other up. We have a set warmup routine. Our mentality is key.

What are your future plans? Is soccer included?

I plan to attend a four-year university to major in political science. I don’t plan to play for a college, but I’d consider an intramural team.

What is one piece of advice you’d like to leave with your teammates?

I just want to remind everyone that even if we are losing or behind, we can come back. There are bad days, but they can be turned around. Time goes so fast, so appreciate every minute you have while on the team.

Tags: Freeport