Pieces fitting into place for Fox Chapel girls soccer

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, September 28, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The Fox Chapel girls soccer team is figuring out the puzzle pieces to compete in a section filled with unfamiliar opponents.

The Foxes were tasked with replacing their top defensive player, Anna Troutman, and assembling a roster that would be battle-tested by the time the postseason rolled around.

Fox Chapel needed players to fill new roles and produce at a high level. Maya DiPasquale has been one of the players called on to switch, moving from left back to center back to help keep things locked down on defense.

“Anna was the rock in our defense for the past four years,” Foxes coach Carlo Prati said. “Her graduation was a big spot to fill. Caylie Wilkerson and Maya have stepped up.”

Fox Chapel, which is the defending Class 4A champion, is sitting on top of Section 1-3A. The Foxes (10-0-1, 8-0) have only one blemish on their record, a 2-2 tie against former section rival Seneca Valley.

The Foxes recorded nine shutouts in their first 11 games. Fox Chapel has outscored its opponents 51-1 in section play. Shaler is the only section opponent which has scored on the Foxes.

Prati said that Fox Chapel hasn’t made too many dramatic shifts in formation.

“I thought we would be similar shape-wise,” Prati said. “Defense was one of the spots we knew we were going to have to fill. We’ve tried a few different girls out, but Maya was one of the ones who ran with it. She came and said, ‘If you need someone to play in the middle, I can do it.’”

The Foxes have also leaned heavily on Gionna Patterson in net.

Having a steady keeper behind an improving backline has been important for Fox Chapel.

“She’s gotten so much better since last year,” Prati said. “She’s more in command of the defense and is a great communicator.”

Fox Chapel has made sure to stay sharp by scheduling tough out-of-section opposition. The Foxes beat Penn Hills, 10-0, in a section match Sept. 25 and followed that up the next day with a trip to Westmoreland County heavyweight Norwin.

The Foxes want to stay sharp as they prepare for the Class 3A playoffs.

“That was one of our challenges. We haven’t played a lot of these teams before,” Prati said. “We weren’t sure what the competition was going to be like. I scheduled all kinds of big programs in 4A. Our schedule when we were in 4A was insane. I tried to throw in some challenging games for them so we weren’t coasting.”

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