Entering the Women’s Premier Soccer League playoffs, Reading United AC midfielder Abby Doyle was still looking for her first goal of the season.
While she was held scoreless in Reading’s inaugural regular season, Doyle scored the most significant goal in the club’s young history last Saturday.
The Wyomissing graduate found the back of the net in dramatic fashion, scoring the game-winner with five minutes remaining in overtime to lift United to a 1-0 win over Fever SC in the WPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference championship game, securing the first postseason victory in Reading women’s team history.
“It was a great feeling,” Doyle said. “It was really fun to have that win, especially in our first year. It’s amazing, because you can just see how much hard work pays off.”
Doyle and her teammates now have their sights set on continuing their playoff run with a win in the WPSL East Regional semifinals against the Rhode Island Rogues (6-1-3) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Bardonia, N.Y. The winner will advance to the regional final against either Susa FC or Clarkstown Soccer Club on Sunday at 5 p.m.
“As an organization, we’re super, super thrilled about the opportunity,” United coach Thomas “Goose” Gosselin said. “There’s a lot at stake for the club, but there’s actually no pressure. We’ve done so well.”
After finishing its regular season 7-1-2, Reading accepted an invitation to the WPSL playoffs. With a roster composed primarily of local players, United leaned on the players’ familiarity with one another to generate winning results.
“They made it happen,” Gosselin said about his players. “That’s the key to our team right now — chemistry.”
Team captain Rebecca Kotula, a Wyomissing graduate, led Reading (8-1-2) with seven goals in the regular season. Midfielder Gabriella Kurtas, a Berks Catholic grad, led the team in assists with three.
“The chemistry just clicked,” Kurtas said. “Everybody plays for each other, which I think is a lot different than some of the other teams we might play against. We play together and not just for ourselves.”
While not at the top of the stat sheet, Doyle’s impact in the midfield has stretched far beyond last week’s game-winning goal.
“She’s a steady presence,” Gosselin said. “She’s tough.”
Doyle played just one season of high school soccer with the Spartans, spending the majority of her high school years training with the PA Classics Academy.
As a senior at Wyomissing in 2020, Doyle led the county with 22 goals and was named the Berks Player of the Year and the Reading Eagle’s 2020-21 Female Athlete of the Year. She scored the game-winner in the Berks final, lifting the Spartans to their first county title since 2004.
“She’s a natural leader,” Gosselin said. “It’s in her DNA. She’s calm in the storm — doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low.”
Doyle was appointed to the United States Military Academy, where she continued her academics and soccer career through her freshman year before transferring. She appeared in 12 games with Army, registering one goal.
“West Point is a great school academically, (and) athletically they do really well,” Doyle said. “I just wanted to try it out, and see if I liked it. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had there.”
Doyle transferred to Fordham ahead of the 2022-23 school year, and will be entering her junior year this fall. She is studying business administration.
On the field with the Rams, Doyle started in all 17 games as a sophomore in 2022, registering one goal. She will be Fordham’s team captain this fall.
“For me, I was really passionate about business and being in the city,” Doyle said about Fordham. “I was more just thinking about what I wanted in my future. It’s been a perfect fit so far.”
After playing for PA Classics in the WPSL a year ago, Doyle was excited to reunite with former coaches and teammates in 2023 as a member of Reading United. Wyomissing girls soccer coach Rachel Hoffman is Reading’s associate head coach, and former Spartans assistant coach Amanda Bezner is United’s assistant coach.
“I love the coaching staff,” Doyle said. “Having them back here again, it’s so much fun and it just brings back so many good memories. They know your personality and they know your strengths.”
Doyle was one of five Wyomissing graduates on Reading’s regular season roster, which also included Kotula, Cadi Hoke, Molly Kuhn and Isabel Marshall.
“Being able to come back and play with your high school friends, it’s fun and it brings back some of the old memories,” Doyle said.
With another playoff game on the horizon, Doyle and her Reading teammates will have another opportunity to make some new memories on Saturday.
“We’re so excited,” Doyle said. “We’ve been working really hard for it.”
