Talent-infused Greensburg Salem boys soccer team eyes 1st for program

By: Mike Kovak
Monday, August 19, 2019 | 7:00 PM

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A whitewashing against eventual state champion West Allegheny in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs meant Greensburg Salem finished with a losing record.

In many ways, however, last season was a resounding success.

Thanks to a 7-5 record in Section 3, the Golden Lions qualified for postseason play. That’s not an every-year occurrence for the boys soccer team. By the best guesstimates of players and coach Sam Lauris, it was just the fifth time Greensburg Salem reached the playoffs.

“It meant a lot,” said senior Shayne Kasic, who is moving from center back to goalie this season. “That was pretty much our goal to start the season. The goal was to make the playoffs. We made it, so it was a pretty successful season.”

Greensburg Salem’s 8-9 record was a four-game improvement from the 2017 season. The Lions aren’t expecting a similar jump in the win category, but they do have their sights set on a program first.

The boys soccer team never has won a playoff game.

“Of course, that would be huge for us,” senior center midfielder Josh Klueber said. “To be the first group to do something for our school would be great.”

In order to do so, Greensburg Salem needs several things to happen.

For starters, the Golden Lions must stay healthy.

With only three seniors — center defender Sean Galvin is the other — among its 18 players, Greensburg Salem will rely heavily upon a six-player junior class and seven freshmen. Among the juniors is returning all-section forward Wyatt Ramer and promising newcomer Michael Akingbehin, a native of Nigeria.

“The big thing for us is training hard and learning,” Lauris said. “We did a lot of stuff in the summer but not conditioning. I don’t believe in doing conditioning without a ball. We worked on change of direction, explosiveness, plyometrics.”

The training program worked.

Last year, Lauris said he could rely on 12 or 13 players. This season, he believes the freshman class can contribute valuable minutes, and many will need to in order to compete against section favorites such as Trinity, Belle Vernon, Ringgold and Laurel Highlands.

“We lost a little bit in quantity, but we gained in quality,” Lauris said.

Last season, Greensburg Salem used the snug confines at Offutt Field to its advantage. The Golden Lions lost just one section game to Belle Vernon on the surface. They will need the same type of results this season, but better play on the road is something Lauris wants to see.

“We have a harder time defending all that space on the road against the tough teams,” Lauris said.

Defense has been a preseason emphasis. Individual defending, shielding and arm battling have been important parts of practice, and with experienced players in Kasic, Galvin and Andrew Edwards, the Golden Lions figure to be sound defensively.

And if Greensburg Salem’s freshmen adjust quickly, the Golden Lions could surprise.

“Come section time, I see us trying to do what we did last year,” Lauris said. “We’re realistic. We’ll probably be a three or four seed to the big dogs. … Could we win the section? Maybe. We’re trying for that, but we’ll need luck on the way there because of a lot of teams are very good.”

Tags: Greensburg Salem