The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media 2022 Girls Soccer All-Area Teams

A state finalist, a repeat PCL champion, District 1 finalists in 4A and 3A, a gritty underdog postseason run and league champions highlighted the team level. On an individual scale, there were highlight-reel goals, remarkable saves, gutsy defensive plays and some standout numbers to go with a slew of all-league and all-state nominations.

The collective field was as talented as ever with plenty of worthy candidates filling out The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media Girls Soccer All-Area Teams.

Pennridge played for its second state title in the last three years, falling a goal short to a talented Central Dauphin team on the season’s final day. Again, the Rams were extremely robust in the back, led by All-Area Player of the Year junior Anna Croyle at center back. Croyle, a Syracuse recruit who scored both goals in the PIAA 4A semifinal win over Neshaminy, anchored a back line that allowed just 11 goals all season as a First Team All-SOL Colonial pick.

Joining Croyle from the Rams’ back line is junior fullback Casey Malone, the College of Charleston recruit adding plenty to the attack with a blend of pace, set piece precision and passing vision that unlocked plenty of opportunity. Malone was Honorable Mention All-SOL Colonial, helping post 18 shutouts this fall and closing down some top opposing players in the postseason run to the state title game.

Rounding out the Pennridge representation on the First Team is another of the Rams’ “Fab Five” in midfielder Liv Grenda. The junior bounced back from a season-ending foot injury as a sophomore to post 15 goals while pulling all the strings from the center of the field, earning First Team All-SOL Colonial honors and aiding the program in securing its seventh straight SOL division title.

Central Bucks East enjoyed another terrific season, the Patriots reaching their first District 1 title match since the 2015 season — falling to Neshaminy in a 3-2 thriller — and making the state playoffs for a second straight campaign. A well-rounded team, East got a superb year out of senior forward Camryn Williams who posted 15 goals and 18 assists while moving to the center forward position, the Seton Hall recruit also tabbing First Team All-SOL Colonial honors.

Elliot Forney was East’s powerful engine in the midfield, the senior bringing a mix of power, skill, size and finesse to the center of the pitch. A Rutgers signee, Forney was named to the PA Soccer Coaches Association All-State team after producing 12 goals and First Team All-SOL Colonial honors.

Abington was again one of the most dynamic and potent attacking teams in the area, the Ghosts capturing the SOL Liberty title behind an offense that put away buckets of chances. A main contributor in that torrent of scoring was senior Maura Day, who scored a blistering 28 goals and tallied double-digit assists, the Kutztown recruit also nabbing a PSCA all-state selection on top of First Team All-SOL Liberty honors.

A breakout sophomore season and injuries to teammates this fall put extra attention on Hatboro-Horsham junior Emma Levin, but the midfielder remained a threat as a scorer with 12 goals and facilitator. Levin, who has pledged to Towson, earned a spot on the All-Southeastern PA team and First Team All-SOL Liberty.

Archbishop Wood went back-to-back as Philadelphia Catholic League champion, the Vikings edging rival Lansdale Catholic 2-1 in an overtime classic. Pulling the strings for Wood was junior Ava DeGeorge, who scored 15 goals and assisted as many with 15 helpers on her way to being named the PCL’s MVP and a first team All-PCL selection that parlayed into a PSCA all-state honor.

It’s not a surprise that Day, Levin and DeGeorge put together strong fall seasons as all three were part of the PSC Coppa Rage U17 team that won the USYS national title in July playing under Wood coach Tom DeGeorge.

Megan Steinbach is often the smallest player on the pitch, but size of the Lansdale Catholic senior’s heart more than makes up for it, her dogged determination and constant energy and movement a catalyst for a Crusaders squad that reached the PCL final and PIAA 2A state tournament. A Rhode Island recruit, Steinbach’s never-give-in attitude earned her a First Team All-PCL selection and a spot on the PSCA all-state squad.

Wissahickon played her in multiple positions, but senior Sage Stelzer is always most at home as a fullback on the defensive side. The Pitt recruit, who came into the season off a silver medal with the United States’ U18 team in the Maccabi Games, was a standout wherever she played, netting eight goals and using her pace on both sides of the ball helping the Trojans to their first playoff win since 2016 and earning a First Team All-SOL Liberty nod.

In the AACA, Gwynedd Mercy Academy enjoyed a bounce-back season that saw the Monarchs reach the District 1 3A title match. Junior Riley Morris was a driving force in the turnaround, controlling the field as a center defensive mid, adding eight goals and three assists while finishing as the runner-up to the AACA’s MVP. She recently committed to Rutgers.

Central Bucks West had an up-and-down regular season but the constant for the Bucks was the play of senior Jules Broskey in goal. Playing through a serious shoulder injury that would have sidelined most, Broskey made highlight save after highlight save for a young team and repeated as First Team All-SOL Colonial keeper then led the No. 26 Bucks to a district semifinal and state quarterfinal appearance.

The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media 2022 All-Area Girls Soccer Teams

FIRST TEAM
F – Ava DeGeorge, Archbishop Wood
F – Camryn Williams Central Bucks East
F – Megan Steinbach, Lansdale Catholic
M – Emma Levin, Hatboro-Horsham
M – Liv Grenda, Pennridge
M – Riley Morris, Gwynedd Mercy Academy
M – Elliot Forney, Central Bucks East
M – Maura Day, Abington
D – Casey Malone, Pennridge
D – Anna Croyle, Pennridge
D – Sage Stelzer, Wissahickon
GK – Jules Broskey, Central Bucks West

SECOND TEAM
F – Alex Devers ,Upper Dublin
F – Kylie Friedman, Wissahickon
F – Piper McGinley, Abington
F – Cameron Schuler, Pope John Paul II
M – Carley Slavin, Abington
M – Kenzie Derstine, Dock Mennonite
M – Ella Koschineg, Gwynedd Mercy Academy
D – Courtney Moylan, Central Bucks West West
D – Daryn Savage, Archbishop Wood
D – Brooke Roumy, Central Bucks East
D – Olivia Boccella, Lansdale Catholic
GK – Ellie Verrill, Gwynedd Mercy Academy

HONORABLE MENTION
Abington: Harper McGinley, Lily Gray, Anna Cleary
Archbishop Wood: Paige Eckert, Giulia Nevrotski
Central Bucks East: Gwyn Krystkiewicz, Sofia Mignon
Central Bucks South: Allison Sauers, Kristen Conway
Central Bucks West: Kate Weyer, Emery Sterling
Cheltenham: Amelia Fishman
Dock Mennonite: Ashley Lapp, Billinda Leisner
Faith Christian: Kendall Garber, Autumn Landis
Germantown Academy: Taylor Weiss
Gwynedd Mercy: Caroline Drakeley, Keira Cassidy, Alexandra Berish
Hatboro Horsham: Abby Waeltz, Caroline Shegogue
Lansdale Catholic: Cassidy Saulino
Lower Moreland: Payton Lennon, Amelia Brown
Methacton: Aubrey Beaugard, Mackenzie Coupe, Kendall Ricca, Molly Rowland
Mount St. Joseph: Kate Donovan, Sophia D’Alonzo
North Penn: Maddy Murphy, Lauren Blanch
Pennridge: Lindsey Balmer, Tori Angelo, Sophie Craig
Phil-Mont Christian: Julie Lesshafft, Laura Chapman
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Caitlyn Dinh, Brianna Reynolds, Angelina Balcer
Pope John Paul II: Mallory Hurlock, Kyanni Escudero, Olivia Rubinich
Quakertown: Carolyn Sipprell, Darby Vail
Souderton: Abby Allen, Alexis Stefanowicz
Springfield Township: Kaleigh Evans, Alana Decker
Upper Dublin: Lilli Kleiman, Erin Seabrook, Regan Rubin
Upper Merion: Brooke Olsen, Olivia Smith
Upper Moreland: Willow Taylor, Kylie Wiest, Annalise Messina
William Tennent: Kaitlyn Frank, Erin Somerville
Wissahickon: Margo Kasenchar