The 2024 EPC girls soccer season was one to remember.
Allentown Central Catholic became the first team not named Parkland to ever left the league championship trophy and Northampton captured its first District 11 championship in school history.
Now, both are looking to a new coach to continue that momentum.
The Vikettes welcome in Scott Baker who mentored under former coach Rob Spatzer for five years while Trajano Bastidas takes over for Michael Missmer at Northampton.
The Konkrete Kids will struggle to replace 12 impactful seniors, including five all-area selections, while the Vikettes return just two starters from a team that lost two of its three games all season to the eventual state champions, Northwestern Lehigh. They’re also losing their top returning scorer, Juliet Snyder, to the Tigers via a transfer this fall.
With plenty of work to do, Baker is channeling this pressure into excitement rather than excuses.
“My hope is that this season reflects our program’s overall depth. Many of these seniors and juniors have been patiently waiting for their time to contribute. Now’s that time,” Baker said. “Our expectations are the same. We want to contend for the EPC and District 11 titles.”
While the lone defending champions from the league reload, the perennial powers are ready to reclaim their crowns.
Parkland had won every EPC championship, eight of the last nine district championships, including four in a row, before last season.
It’s left a bad taste in the mouth of a talented returning group of Trojans.
“We never take for granted winning a championship … but in all honesty, it hasn’t sat well with everyone involved how we played last year,” Haddad said. “Like every year, we want to be better in September than August, and better in October than September. If we can focus on that, I feel we will be in the running at the end of the season.”
Crosstown rival Emmaus is right on Parkland’s tail and equally well-positioned to threaten for both league and district gold.
Coach Chris Hain returns the league’s leader in assists and the second-highest returning point scorer in Lizzy Bender who is entering just her junior season. Bender paced the Green Hornets attack with 16 goals and 18 assists, and she has an excellent lineup of attackers to support her once again.
Their attack will be strong, but arguably no one brings back more attacking threats than the Nazareth Blue Eagles. Madison Jankowski, Bella Danise and Abby Kilareski combined for 38 goals and 36 assists last season and all three are back to lead a lethal Blue Eagles attack. Add in the lone returning first-team all-area defender in Olyvia Hall, and you’ll see why expectations are high in Nazareth.
Throw in Easton, Whitehall and Bethlehem Catholic – who all return at least one promising, young star who graced an all-area team – and you’re left with an outstanding list of teams that can all end the year as champions of a wide-open, competitive league for the taking.
Three teams – East Stroudsburg North, Pocono Mountain West and Stroudsburg – hired new coaches along with Allentown Central Catholic and Northampton. Russell Bear takes over for the Timberwolves while Alyssa Simeone is leading a revival with the Panthers in the Poconos. Haley Skove made the move from Pen Argyl to Stroudsburg in an attempt to lead the Mounties to the postseason in year one.
Here are the preseason awards and expectations in a loaded EPC:
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Sr. Isabella Hallal, Parkland
Hallal had to share the spoils up top with Julia Hayward last season, but there’s no questioning who the target of Parkland’s attack is this year. The rising senior posted 18 goals and 10 assists last year with Hayward by her side, and those numbers could skyrocket in her final season with the Trojans.
With a spectacular shortlist of honorable mentions below, this could go to anyone at the end of the year, but the experienced Hallal takes the preseason nod for Parkland.
Honorable mentions: Madison Jankowski, Nazareth; Lizzy Bender, Emmaus; Bianca Yetta, Easton
Preseason Midfielder of the Year: Jr. Collene Sommers, Whitehall
Whitehall’s flying start to the season came to a screeching halt when Sommers went down with a season-ending injury, but the junior is back and ready to build on a terrific sophomore year. Sommers converted from a defender and quickly scored 19 goals and seven assists in half a season before losing the rest to her injury. A full, healthy season could put a short-handed Zephyrs squad back in the playoff picture.
Honorable mentions: Bella Danise, Nazareth; Tallia Hill, Bethlehem Catholic; Leah McWilliams, Stroudsburg
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sr. Olyvia Hall, Nazareth
As the lone returning all-area first-team defender, the choice was clear for this preseason award, but not as simple from a broader view. Both Julia Cohen and Vivian Dietrich earned second-team honors and will be back anchoring defenses that will need to look sharp to lead to breakout seasons for the Rovers and Golden Hawks. Strong showings by either squad could make defensive player of the year conversations far more difficult in October.
Honorable mentions: Julia Cohen, Easton; Vivian Dietrich, Bethlehem Catholic; Emma Paradise, Emmaus
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year: Sr. Sophia Arvelo, Bethlehem Catholic
Not many local goalkeepers are back in the net for 2025, but Sophia Arvelo will be for the fourth straight season at Bethlehem Catholic. She kept her team alive in countless games last fall and will be tasked with a similar role in coach Brad Kratzer’s team. If she’s at her best, the Golden Hawks could surprise a lot of people this year.
Honorable mentions: Sadie Rizzo, Pleasant Valley; Brooklyn Pronovich, Freedom
The Favorites
Parkland Trojans (17-4-2 overall, 14-1-1 EPC)
Expectations are high after a down year for the Trojans who will have seven senior leaders looking to leave the program how they found it: as champions. They have a good chance to do so with excellent younger players like Mackenzie McNeely and Delilah Zaiter supporting them after breakout freshman seasons.
Key players: Sr. Katie Sammarco, Sr. Isabella Hallal, Sr. Avery Maier, Sr. Jummai Umaru, Sr. Megan Tarantino, Sr. Sarah Huff, So. Mackenzie McNeely, So. Delilah Zaiter.
Lizzie Bender of Emmaus heads the ball away from Sarah Pulcini of Easton during a District 11 Class 4A soccer semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. Bender scored 16 goals and had 18 assists as a sophomore last year for the Green Hornets. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Emmaus Green Hornets (17-5-2 overall, 13-2-1 EPC)
Hain has six seniors to replace but an exciting core of young talent that can do so for multiple years. It starts with Bender up top, but the stars stretch all over the field and give the Green Hornets a great chance to win their first district championship since the spring of 2009.
Key players: Sr. Emma Paradise, Jr. Sofia Isaksson, Jr. Sophia Shutkufski, Jr. Lizzy Bender, Jr. Giuliana Meyer, So. Ella Scharper, So. Stella Pietrulewicz
Nazareth Blue Eagles (18-3-2 overall, 11-3-2 EPC)
There’s an argument that the Blue Eagles return the most talent of any team in the league, which plants them in the upper echelon of this season’s contenders. Danise and Jankowski will light up the scoreboard and Hall will anchor a back line that should keep the ball out of the net. Don’t be surprised if this is the year Nazareth snaps a district championship drought just one year shorter than Emmaus.
Key players: Sr. Olyvia Hall, Sr. Bella Danise, Jr. Abby Kilareski, Jr. Madison Jankowski, Jr. Maddie Ott
Rebuild or reload?
Allentown Central Catholic Vikettes (22-3-2 overall, 14-0-2 EPC)
The Vikettes finally broke through and ended Parkland’s long reign over the EPC last year, but they’ll be hard-pressed to repeat with a new look roster in 2025. There’s plenty of talent to go around, but with a new coach, the loss of the EPC MVP and the school’s all-time leader in goals, titles will prove more difficult this year. Only time will tell if it’ll be a reload or a rebuild.
Key players: Sr. Claire Seagreaves, Sr. Emma Devers, Jr. Alana Ho, Jr. Aveline Bubnis, Jr. Charlotte Patterson, Jr. Gabrielle Eddinger
Northampton Konkrete Kids (16-6-1 overall, 12-3-1 EPC)
A dozen seniors, including the top three goal scorers, are gone, which points to the Konkrete Kids heading toward a rebuild. Trajano Bastidas takes over and will try to change that as he looks to returners like Brielle Szoke and Alayna Hahn to spearhead another successful season.
The Challengers
Easton Red Rovers (12-8 overall, 11-5 EPC)
The Rovers lost star forward Sarah Pulcini to Moravian Academy this offseason, but freshman phenoms Bianca Yetta and Natalie Celia sparked a powerful youth movement last year. A year of development could prove impactful as Easton aims to respond to some costly losses with a big year.
Key players: Sr. Alexa Lively, Sr. Julia Cohen, Sr. Taylor Harper, So. Natalie Celia, So. Bianca Yetta, So. Lainey Lively, So. Miley Moyer
Whitehall Zephyrs (11-9 overall, 9-7 EPC)
Small and mighty is the mentality this season for the Zephyrs who will have a small roster but one littered with talent. Sommers leads the charge while Larken Good and a group of seniors provide coach Chris Bleam with optimism.
Key players: Sr. Morgan Laub, Sr. Audrey Muller, Sr. Emma Potocnie, Sr. Isabella Brogna, Jr. Collene Sommers, So. Larken Good
Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks (10-9 overall, 9-7 EPC)
A trio of seniors – Hill, Dietrich and Arvelo – could spark a breakout season for the Golden Hawks in the EPC. Hill will fight for the honor of the league’s top goal scorer while Dietrich and Arvelo will aim to lead one of the area’s top defenses. After disappointing first round exits in the playoffs, coach Brad Kratzer’s group is aiming to enjoy a bit more October success.
Key players: Sr. Tallia Hill, Sr. Vivian Dietrich, Sr. Sophia Arvelo
Playoff hopefuls
Pleasant Valley Bears (9-10 overall, 7-9 EPC)
Last year was about rebuilding a roster decimated by graduation. This year, Pleasant Valley is poised to turn that experience into a playoff berth. Marta Perry returns as the top scorer and Sadie Rizzo takes care of the other things at the opposite end. In between, the Bears have enough to do just that and pull off an upset or two in the postseason.
Key players: Sr. Sadie Rizzo, Sr. Peyton Foder, Sr. Ella Collins, Sr. Josie Fetterman, Jr. Marta Perry, So. Keegan Merklin, So. Payton Shillady, So. Jordan Fleming
Freedom Patriots (9-10 overall, 8-8 EPC)
Close losses to good teams became the story last year for the Patriots who were a play away on too many occasions. Coach Anthony Billone is hoping year two leads to flipped results and dramatic wins rather than heartbreaking losses. If that’s the case, his team should find themselves in the league and district playoffs.
Key players: Sr. Danni Herman, Sr. Yzabella Garces, Sr. Gianna Gerould, Jr. CeCe Warren, Jr. Avery Billone, Jr. Brooklyn Pronovich, So. Abby Barone
Liberty Hurricanes (5-12-1 overall, 5-10-1 EPC)
Coach Andrew Uhler has felt that his team has been knocking on the door of the postseason time and time again the last few seasons. He’ll rely on some younger talent this year to make it happen, but he believes this could be the year for the Hurricanes.
Key players: Sr. Jocelyn Amador, Sr. Andrea Ramirez, Sr. Angelique Carvalho
Pocono Mountain East Cardinals (5-13 overall, 5-11 EPC)
The top freshman in the Poconos, Avery Harmon, is back after a big year and is joined by a solid core of seniors looking to take the Cardinals to the next level. Like Freedom, Pocono Mountain East found itself on the losing end of countless close games, so the potential to grow is there.
Key players: Sr. Maddy Matos, Sr. Jade Fasuan, Sr. Ava Ugocionni, So. Avery Harmon
Predictions: 1. Parkland (District 4A champion); 2. Nazareth (EPC champion); 3. Emmaus; 4. Allentown Central Catholic; 5. Easton; 6. Bethlehem Catholic; 7. Northampton; 8. Freedom.
Derek Bast is a freelance writer who can be reached at derekbast11@gmail.com.
