(Pictured above: Wyoming Seminary boy’s soccer team)
Greater Nanticoke Area
2020 Record: 1-10-1
2021 Projected Record: 3-8-1
Head Coach - Josh Olzinski
Notable Players - Matthew Gomelko (midfielder, senior), Ethan Egenski (midfielder, senior), Owen Brown (senior, goalkeeper)
Notable Graduates - Joe Day
Returning this year for the Trojans is senior Ethan Egenski who led the team with 5 goals last season. Also, goalkeeper Owen Brown who was second in the league with 158 saves. Nanticoke’s only returning all-star Matthew Gomelko, will be back for his senior season.
With a new year on the horizon, they are hopeful for a playoff berth. Hopefully winning a couple more games than last season will possibly give them a lower seed. But hey… a lower seed is better than no seed.
Hanover Area
2020 Record: 1-8-1
2021 Projected Record: 2-8-2
Head Coach - Matt Clemons
Notable Players - Matthew Griffin (midfielder, junior), Elijah Noe (goalkeeper)
Notable Graduates - Tristin Davies, Nick Evans
The Hawkeyes were one of two teams to finish the season with only one overall win (the other being GNA). But throughout the year, we saw many of their games were closer than you would expect. They were a team that competed here and there, but just couldn’t finish the job.
This team is led by junior Matthew Griffin, who also led the team with goals scored in 2020. Perhaps if they can finish games this year, they too can be in the hunt for a low seed playoff berth.
Holy Redeemer
2020 Record: 8-4
Projected Record: 5-6-1
Head Coach - Michael Davitt
Notable Players - John Kuderka (forward, senior), Mark Atherton (midfielder, junior), Nick Dunleavy (midfielder, senior)
Notable Graduates - Lance McGrane, Connor Kane, Brady Rood, Alex Rymar
Last season was a really good one for the Royals, finishing 9-4 overall with the #3 seed in Class 2A. First team all-star and all-state player Lance McGrane has graduated, and is on to play for Michigan State. Another first team all-star in Connor Kane has also graduated, along with second team all-stars Brady Rood, and Alex Rymar.
So, this season might be a bit different than last year. However, their leading goal scorer John Kuderka is returning for his senior season. He was 4th in the league with 18 goals scored in 2020.
Lake-Lehman
2020 Record: 7-5
2021 Projected Record: 8-4
Head Coach - Gregory Gover
Notable Players - Bo Voelker (defender, junior), Cam Fleeger (defender, senior), Ben Wnuk (midfielder, sophomore), Evan Kaiser (defensive midfielder, sophomore), Cole Kaiser (forward, junior), Ty Woodrosky (defender, senior)
Notable Graduates - Max Paczewski, Matt Ash, Jared Barber
Despite losing league leading goalscorer Max Paczewski, this is a team we very much like heading into the 2021 season. They have a very strong defense in Bo Voelker, Ty Woodrosky, and Cam Fleeger. Returning for his junior season is Cole Kaiser, who led the team with 10 assists last year which was 5th best in the league.
We talked to Head Coach Gregory Gover, and he gave us his thoughts about the upcoming season.
“Losing the number of varsity seniors we’ve lost is never easy, but we’re lucky to have a strong core of returning players with a heap of varsity experience. This is not a “rebuilding” year for us; we’re stable, but we do have something to prove—and the kids are 100% willing to work toward our pre-season goals. Two of our three first team Coach’s All-Stars from last season will be returning sophomores (Ben Wnuk and Evan Kaiser).”
“Cole Kaiser is an athlete and a complete threat on offense—unfortunately he missed the first half of our season last year due to injury, but I feel like he’ll make a huge impact during his junior season. We also have a core group of offensive upperclassmen with a huge amount of varsity experience ready to start—and do some damage—this fall. Bo Voelker and Cam Fleeger will anchor our defense; they both did a fantastic job last season, so expect to read about them this autumn. Overall I’m very optimistic—and very excited for the upcoming season.”
Wyoming Area
2020 Record: 7-4-1
2021 Projected Record: 11-1
Head Coach - Ricky Branco
Notable Players - Kendall Heck (striker, junior), Dylan Kostik (midfielder, junior), Liam Burke (midfielder, sophomore), Hayden Foland (defender, junior), Braidon Kostik (defender/midfielder, junior), Shawn Pawloski (midfielder, senior), Sean Burke (midfielde/defender, senior), Zach Kostik (midfielder, senior)
Notable Graduates - Adam Wisnewski, Riley Gerhardt
A strong returning core of players has the Warriors as our favorites to win districts in the year 2021. A team that was so close for the past couple years… this can finally be the season they get it done. Liam Burke led the team with goals scored (12) in his freshman season, and Dylan Kostik was right behind him with 11 as he will be returning for his junior year.
The team does lose all-star goalkeeper Adam Wisnewski, and striker Riley Gerhardt. But with most of their other key players returning, it should be a very good season for this team. We have them with a projected record of 11-1, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if they went undefeated.
Wyoming Seminary
2020 Record: 11-0
2021 Projected Record: 7-4-1
Head Coach - Aaron Littzi
Notable Players - Thomas Iskra (junior), Owen Rowlands (junior), Ryan Chun (junior), Vaughn Kutish (senior)
Notable Graduates - Luke Johns, Gavin Flanley, Cooper Wood, Jacob Gilbert, Jose Santiago de los Rios, Evan Hromisin
Six is the number we are looking at when evaluating this Blue Knights’ team. They have six notable players who are now graduated. Luke Johns scored 22 goals last season in his senior year. Five out of their six graduating players were all-stars last year, along with goalkeeper Gavin Flanley also graduating.
However, Thomas Iskra had an outstanding sophomore season. He scored 16 goals which was 6th best in the league, and had 15 assists which was first overall in the WVC. Owen Rowlands was another standout player last year for the Blue Knights, scoring 4 goals and assisting 9. There might be a lot of pressure on these two juniors to keep things rolling over in Kingston, but it’s surely something they can handle. We expect a pretty decent season out of the Sem boys.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact @nepahighschoolsoccer@gmail.com
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