Sewickley Academy, Quaker Valley girls soccer teams enjoy robust rivalry

By: Ray Fisher
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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It’s showtime for the Sewickley Academy and Quaker Valley girls soccer teams.

The players on both sides have been patiently waiting for Friday to arrive.

On that date, the Quakers play the Panthers at 4 p.m. in nonsection action. It’s a significant game for both teams.

“Growing up in Sewickley and playing soccer at Quaker Valley, I can unequivocally state the rivalry is real. QV-SA was a game everyone looked forward to,” QV’s co-head coach Maggie Behun said. “Whether I was attending the boys game at Nichols Field as a spectator or playing for QV at the stadium, our small-town rivalry was one of the most intense games of the season when I was growing up.

“You would see lots of people filling the stands to support their community, adorned in black and either red or yellow. Spectators with little interest in soccer show up for their alma mater. It always brings the town together, if only for a little while.”

Behun and Rachel Loudermilk serve as the coaches at QV, which won last year’s matchup 2-1 behind goals by QV graduate Mia Strelec and Ari Bosh, a junior midfielder on the 2024 squad.

“We have been doing our best to keep this tradition alive,” Behun said, “and to make sure the backyard brawl on Beaver Street is part of the culture and future of Quaker Valley and Sewickley Academy girls soccer. We expect a good game and to bring home a win.”

Much like their players, the QV coaches have been looking forward to the matchup.

“You can tell Maggie is passionate and excited about having the soccer rivalry reinvigorated,” Loudermilk said. “When I first started with the team seven seasons ago, we never played SA, but Maggie would talk about the tradition.

“Our girls don’t quite grasp the magnitude of the history there, but we are hoping to create a new history. Sewickley Academy has a solid team, so this is the perfect time to bring it back. I have no doubt each team will feel that excitement and pressure to see who the top team in the valley will be.”

Sewickley’s first-year field boss Gary Weber hasn’t fully experienced the rivalry yet.

“I’m looking forward to a competitive match,” Weber said. “It’s always beneficial for a team to compete against an opponent from a different section and classification. QV is in (Class 2A) while we are in Single-A. They’re having a strong season, and their teams consistently contend for the WPIAL championship.

“The schools are closely situated, and the players reside in the same general area. The players are familiar with each other, and I know some of them from club soccer. Some of the girls play on the same club teams or with the same clubs in the spring and also could compete against each other during the club season. Given these factors, it’s understandable that the game is significant.”

Last week, Sewickley edged Bishop Canevin, 2-1, to improve to 5-0-1 in Section 3-A and 5-1-1 overall. The Panthers are battling Seton LaSalle for first place in the section. The teams played to a 2-2 tie earlier this fall.

“The girls have been working hard, applying the strategies we’ve honed during our (training) sessions to each game,” Weber said. “Although the season still has a long way to go, we’ve managed to position ourselves favorably at the halfway mark.

“Our primary aim is to qualify for the WPIAL tournament. Once you reach that stage, anything can happen. Soccer can be a very cruel game; you might dominate your opponent and still lose 1-0. That’s why, in the tournament, it’s a single-game scenario for all: win and the team advances; lose and the season ends. With that in mind, anything is possible.”

Quaker Valley started out ‘24 with five straight shutouts and was 8-2-1 following consecutive clean sheets against Avonworth (3-0), Oakland Catholic (1-0) and Ambridge (6-0). QV also improved to 5-1 in Section 3-2A.

The Quakers held a 38-5 overall scoring advantage with nine shutouts (in 11 games) behind goalkeepers Ava Hajok, a freshman, and Clara Herman, a junior.

QV’s defensive rotation includes senior Mia Modrovich, junior Emma Currier, freshman Mia Duckstein, senior Anna Hanley and sophomore Maddie Gatehouse. Annabel Miko, a sophomore forward, led the Quakers offensively through 11 games with 17 goals, including a four-goal performance against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and a hat trick against Hopewell.

Bosh has complemented Miko offensively with eight goals.

“Both players are driven and creative when attacking,” Behun said. “Together the two control our midfield.

“The girls (as a team) have set certain goals they would like to achieve this season, and many are being fulfilled. Examples include winning at home, making playoffs and shutouts; thus far, we’re faring quite well. At the same time, Rachel and I believe the girls have yet to show their true potential, shutting down our opponent 110% for an entire game.”

QV’s coaches make adjustments to the team’s starting lineup on a game-by-game basis.

Against Avonworth, the lineup included Modrovich, Currier, Duckstein and Hanley on defense with Hajok protecting the net. At midfield and attacking, the starters were Miko, Bosh, Gatehouse, and sophomores Hope Waller, Rowan Wallace and June Lukasavage.

“June Lukasavage has been a nice surprise this year,” Loudermilk said. “Last year as a freshman, she was coming in off of an injury so we weren’t sure what to expect or where she might fit in. But she has put several scrappy goals in the back of the net, which we love to see.

“We have been subbing more than we have in past seasons, so a majority of our players are getting chances to gain field time. It is a good feeling as a coach to have confidence not in just the starting 11 but in the players coming off the bench as well.”

Behun believes one of the Quakers’ better efforts of the season came Sept. 16 in the second half a section loss to Beaver.

“We showed our true grit and eagerness against Beaver,” Behun said. “QV came out with vengeance in the second half, playing incredibly composed and tough. While being down in the first half 3-0, the girls worked their way back to a (final) score of 3-2. The effort and toughness they brought that night was immeasurable and impressive.

“While our local rivalry is Sewickley Academy, for many years Quaker Valley girls soccer has considered Beaver and Avonworth, in section, and North Catholic, out of section, to be our true rivalries.”

Sewickley is led by all-WPIAL senior forward Katherine Varghese, who racked up a team-high 25 goals last season.

The Panthers’ lineup also includes forward Makenzie Dice, center midfielders Emma Eannarino and Olivia Stefanik, wingers Grace Jardini and Marin Edmunds, defenders Quincy Sirko, Emilia Carrabba, Isabella Ballard and Josie Courtney, and senior goalkeeper Marie Bigi.

As of Sept. 23, Eannarino and Jardini led the team in scoring with 10 and seven goals, respectively. Varghese and sophomore Mya Spadafore each scored four times while Sirko and Stefanik added two goals apiece. Dice rounded out the scoring column with one goal.

Sirko, a senior, started at forward last season and netted 15 goals. Dice, Edmunds and Ballard are juniors while Eannarino, Stefanik, Jardini, Carrabba and Courtney are sophomores.

“Our lineup has remained consistent, with some players shifted to positions that better suit their strengths,” Weber said. “As a team, we’ve adapted our playing system to leverage these strengths more effectively.”

Sewickley outscored the opposition 30-11 with one shutout in its first seven games.

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy