Penn Hills girls soccer looks to build numbers after taxing season

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, October 23, 2022 | 11:01 AM

Caroline McDevitt didn’t find the prospect of ironwoman soccer too taxing. When it comes to playing for the Penn Hills girls soccer program, McDevitt has become accustomed to having to play many minutes.

The Indians, who finished the season 4-14 overall and 1-11 in Section 3-3A, couldn’t quite muster up the gusto to grab a third straight playoff appearance. Penn Hills ended the season with 12 players, meaning the Indians only had one substitute.

Three Penn Hills players suffered season-ending injuries.

“It wasn’t easy,” McDevitt said. “We just had to keep a positive mindset and work as hard as we could considering the circumstances.”

Changing sections didn’t make things easier for the Indians. Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional came into the mix this season, both of which are perennial playoff contenders.

What will be nice for Penn Hills is the Indians will return plenty of experience for next season. The Indians’ roster this year had eight juniors and five freshmen.

“Well, they were resilient,” first-year Penn Hills coach Myron Cook said. “It was an uphill battle. The girls gave their best and were upbeat.”

The Indians picked up their lone section win against Greensburg Salem on Oct. 3 at Offutt Field. Penn Hills also won 2-0 against Brashear in a string of six games to end the season.

What Cook approved of most was how the Indians showed improvement. Cook felt Penn Hills played Franklin Regional much tougher the second time around.

What the Indians plan to focus on during the offseason is conditioning.

“The kids couldn’t look over at the bench because there was only one player sitting there, and they were there for support,” Cook said. “We had to pass well, keep possession and try to play keep away. It wasn’t easy.”

Penn Hills has struggled with numbers over the years. Cook said he is trying to work with the in-house program and some of the parents of players are even encouraging other kids to come out for the team.

Competing with some of the top programs in the section will require building depth.

The Indians making the playoffs the previous two seasons proved they could do more with less.

Penn Hills hopes eventually to have the depth so everyone can take a break.

“We’re used to it,” McDevitt said of playing with few substitutes. “We don’t have enough people, but we are just focused on staying focused and healthy.”

Tags: Penn Hills