We are three weeks into the girls soccer season and what have we learned?
Right now there may not be two better and deeper teams in the city than Beacon and Tottenville, my early seaon favorites to meet for the PSAL Class A title. Both are dealing with injuries. Sophie Kligler and Tyler Sloan have missed time for Beacon and the Pirates beat rival MSIT without midfielder Kasey Murphy, who will be out at least a week with a slight MCL tear.
Other teams are getting healthy. Last season’s CHSAA state runner-up St. Joseph Hill may prove to be the city’s best team by year’s end. The Hilltoppers saw star forward Gianna Smith (leg injury) take the field for the first time this season Saturday and score twice against Moore Catholic on Monday. Her team struck the first blow against rival St. Joseph by the Sea with a 1-0 win. The only team to score on Hill this season has been itself with an own goal. The Hilltoppers have held league opponents without a goal for 11 straight games and have only allowed three scores in their last 13 matches dating back to last season.
Two seasons ago, Francis Lewis reached the PSAL Class A semifinals. Last year, the Patriots were trying to take that next step, but finished second in Queens A-IV and lost in the quarterfinals. Every Lewis player I’ve talked to this season gives me the sense that this year’s group is on a mission to live up to the promise and talent that is on its roster. Wins over Bayside and Cardozo are a big step in the right direction, especially seeing Gena Koutsounadis and Libby Zelikowitz score big goals.
Emma Pichl is the best all-around player in the city hands down. Sure there is plenty of talented kids, but no one player does more for her team than the Notre Dame senior. She is a weapon whereever coach Mike Pfeffer puts on the field. Pichl can dribble through multiple defenders, put a rocket shot on net from midfield, push up and score from sweeper and was even put into goal for a penalty kick last week.
So St. Francis Prep proved me wrong. I thought Archbishop Molloy would beat them 2-1 last Friday at Fort Totten. Instead the Terriers defense made star midfielder Maria Canicatti’s amazing free kick goal standup with a little help from the crossbar that Molloy star Kyra Meli hit early on. The game’s real star was SFP defender Aimee Kasmally. She was in the middle of every Molloy attacking chance and risked her already injured body countless time. I’d love to see St. Francis Prep play St. Joseph Hill or even Beacon.
So how good is Christ the King? The jury is still out. I got rave reviews about the Royals in the preseason. Adding striker Ashley Raaf to Christina Viaggio and Fabiana Rebecca gives them as good a front line as you will find in the city. They didn’t play their best game in a 1-1 tie against a Notre Dame team that had not played a game/scrimmage or practices on a full field all preseason. The talent is there for CK. One big win might be all it takes to get them rolling.
QUICK STRIKES
This hasn’t been a typical year for McKee/Staten Island Tech. The Sea Gulls have already lost twice, each by a goal to Petrides and Tottenvile. I wouldn’t write them off just yet in that division. The losses may just serve as motivation for Jackie Bruno and Co.
Brooklyn Tech and Niri Halperin remain the class of Brooklyn in the PSAL, but Leon Goldstein’s sophomore Pamela Wishart is one of the city’s most explosive scorers. The flashy forward already has 20 goals.
Bronx Science freshman midfielder Isabella Pecorari is the real deal. She is great with the ball at her field and has poise beyond her years. She has six goals and three assists already.
