A little less than a year ago, Schuylkill Valley concluded its 2022 season with a loss to Berks Catholic and finished 6-10-1, its fourth straight losing season.
Despite the Panthers’ struggles, coach Jason Bagenstose recognized the potential of his younger players.
“I always told them, ‘You take your lumps now, and when you’re seniors, it’s all going to pay off,’ ” Bagenstose said. “And now they’ve been through it, and they’re faster and quicker. Now it’s paying off.”
With an experienced lineup and two of the top freshmen in the county, the winning results of Schuylkill Valley’s patient approach have come to the forefront. With a dominant 7-0 win over rival Hamburg in a clash of Berks Girls Soccer League Division III leaders Tuesday at Hamburg, the Panthers improved to 12-1.
“We’re stepping it up,” junior Addie Becht said. “This is a really big win for us. It really helps our confidence.”
The Panthers (5-1, 12-1) scored five goals in the first half and cruised to take a one-half game lead over the Hawks (5-2, 9-3) in the division. The win was Schuylkill Valley’s eighth straight and sixth shutout victory of the season.
“The strong start was the key,” Bagenstose said. “We needed this one.”
The county’s leading scorer, Becht finished with five goals. Freshman Lilah Gilmore and junior Abigail Ruth each had two assists.
“We had a lot of good chemistry,” Gilmore said. “We passed well to each other.”
The Panthers avenged their loss to the Hawks from earlier in the season, a 2-0 defeat in early September. The result marked the only time Schuylkill Valley allowed more than one goal this season.
“We’ve really been waiting for this opportunity to play them again,” Bagenstose said. “The girls were excited, they were focused.”
With five goals on Tuesday night, Becht leads the county with 24 goals and 58 points. She has scored three or more goals in four of her last five games.
“She’s really stepped up as a leader,” Bagenstose said. “She really works hard. She loves to play and she loves winning and she loves scoring goals.”
Freshman teammate Presleigh Finkbiner, who missed Tuesday’s game due to illness, ranks third in Berks with 15 goals and 40 points. With 12 assists, Gilmore is tied for the most assists in the county and ranks sixth in points with 28.
“She has an endless energy,” Bagenstose said about Finkbiner. “As a freshman, I haven’t seen many people that have her energy and even her composure on the field. She has complemented Addie (Becht) well.”
Powered by the trio of Becht, Finkbiner and Gilmore, Schuylkill Valley has scored 75 goals, 27 more than the next closest Berks team. While they have five games remaining in the regular season, the Panthers have scored more goals than any other Schuylkill Valley team in a single season since at least 2006.
“With Lilah in the middle, it’s just like a three-headed monster that’s coming at you from different ways,” Bagenstose said. “It’s a constant work-rate, which is awesome.”
While Finkbiner and Gilmore are in their first season of varsity soccer, the pair were ready to make an immediate impact.
“They’ve made the transition wonderfully, and the older players have helped them,” Bagenstose said about the pair of freshmen. “They expect greatness from themselves.”
The Panthers entered the season with optimism, and Bagenstose said his team’s chemistry has continued to develop throughout the year.
“I can see people playing more relaxed (and) I can see people having more fun,” Bagenstose said. “On and off the field, I’m seeing a more close-knit group develop.”
While they sit atop the division entering the final weeks of the regular season, Schuylkill Valley believes the best is yet to come.
“We should keep getting better,” Bagenstose said. “It’s a fun feeling.”
