Apollo-Ridge girls soccer aims for postseason victory

By: George Guido
Saturday, August 17, 2019 | 9:43 PM

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In just five years, the Apollo-Ridge girls soccer team has made major strides, including three straight trips to the WPIAL playoffs.

Matt Ross has been the program’s only coach, and he’s expecting more success this season with nine starters returning.

“We sure have made a lot of headway,” Ross said. “We’ve had a good group of girls and good groups of parents. A lot of those girls have had younger siblings, and there’s been a continuity and support.”

Last year, the Vikings went 6-7-1, finishing in fourth place in Section 2-2A and losing to Avonworth, 3-0, in the opening round of the playoffs. The Vikings played up in classification.

Also, 2018 was the first year players from Leechburg joined the squad to form a co-op.

Continuity is also been a hallmark of the coaching staff.

“I’ve been blessed with a lot of good coaches here,” Ross said. “We‘re all volunteers. We’re not supported (financially) by the school. Bill Baustert has been with me here since the beginning, and so has Kevin Ashbaugh, Eric Bonelli and Jim Galinec. It adds up to about 115 years of coaching at all levels.”

Goalkeeper Madison Galinec is back, along with midfielder Haley Usko, defender Delaney Shaffer, senior forward Maycen Anthony, Emily Bonelli and Adeline Bausert. Jessica Ross, the coach’s daughter, is a freshman and is expected to contribute along with classmates Sidney Duriancik and Kiera Myers.

Midfielder Bonelli has continued a family tradition after two older sisters had considerable success.

“It’s been a fun experience playing with all these upperclassmen. It’s different than playing backyard soccer with my sisters and with the youth teams,” she said. “We all know each other, and we have this bond that makes it all fun. Things have really worked out with Leechburg coming on with us. Now, we’d like to get to the playoffs and win a game there.”

Said Ross: “We got a good group of freshman this year. I was surprised we had that much coming up. The freshmen are giving the upperclassmen some challenging competition in this camp.”

There are about 20 girls out for the team. Ross got another welcome surprise when two sisters from Leechburg showed up from the now-closed Evangel Heights School.

Gracie and Maggie Shuffert reportedly are doing well.

“We have a lot of girls coming back from both schools,” Anthony said. “Our goal is to make it deeper into the playoffs. My goal as a captain is to make the team closer, and it’s cool to have a bond with the Leechburg girls.”

Anthony hopes to play college soccer at a Division II program and study to become a physician’s assistant.

Ross expects Burrell and Freeport to be tough in section play, along with Deer Lakes and Highlands.

Apollo-Ridge will open against Indiana at that school’s tournament at 5 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Vikings open section play at 6:30 on Sept. 7 against Freeport at Owens Field.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge