9/13/2012 - West Side Leader
     

COPLEY — Copley girls soccer head coach Wally Senk said his players are very good at working together as a team — now he just wants to see them be a little more “selfish.”

“Believe it or not, we need to be more selfish on the ball,” he said. “We have a ton of talented girls capable of running at and breaking down defenders in one-on-one situations. Their decision-making with the ball is very good, but we need to continue being diligent about making educated runs off the ball and creating space for one another.”

Senk said his team features players who “really enjoy being around one another.”

“I like the chemistry of this team, and they take care of one another on the field,” he said. “We are also a technical side that understands how to play the game the right way. They are interested in playing an entertaining, possession-oriented style — something that is rare today at the high school level. Each of the girls is very coachable and more interested in accomplishing our team goals than they are their own personal goals. Obviously, both are important, but accomplishing team goals will offer us more success as a team in the end.”

According to Senk, the Copley girls soccer team is fairly young overall, but the players have plenty of varsity experience.

“We only have three seniors and several underclassmen that either start or contribute every game,” he stated. “Although I would classify our team as a young team, the majority of the girls have had experience playing at the varsity level.”

The seniors on this year’s team are Taylor Farber, Stephanie Fragale and Amanda Revesz.

“Taylor is very coachable, hard-working and a spirited leader,” Senk said. “Stephanie is coming off an [anterior cruciate ligament] injury and continues to work herself back into the game. Amanda is our senior captain that can create fits for opposing teams. She is relentless, leads by example and can be dangerous running at opposing teams.”

In addition, the coach said, Copley has a number of underclassmen who have stood out this year.

“Freshman Gabby Banayan is a tough defender, reads the game well and has played every minute so far this season. Sophomore Brooke Brenner is a tireless worker with great field awareness and vision. Sophomore Courtney Campbell is an excellent defender who is strong on the ball, plays educated balls and has a competitive edge to her,” he said. “Sophomore Jordan Cotleur is a silky player with a creative soccer mind working her way toward becoming a clinical finisher. And freshman Kailah Ransom and sophomore Kennedy Armour are two other newcomers who also will contribute a significant amount of time.”

According to Senk, the team also features a number of juniors who “can surprise people at any particular moment.”

“Junior captain Beth Moore is an exceptional goalkeeper who is a great shot-stopper, has good hands, is a vocal leader and is very good with her feet. Anna Haverchak is dangerous every time she touches the ball. She is quick, very technical and has the ability to run at players and create opportunities for herself and her teammates,” he said. “Junior captain Makenzie Mozik and junior Grace Connolly help solidify the back and can also get forward in the attack. Newcomer Celine Olorunto, a junior from Toledo, is also a great addition to an already creative group. She is technical, has good pace and can finish.”

Last season, the team finished with a 9-6-3 overall record.

“The end result was a bitter taste in the mouths of the girls in a game where we created a ton of chances but couldn’t finish,” Senk said. “The expectations were to win our district, and we failed to accomplish that goal.”

The coach said his team has a strong slate of goals this season.

“Our realistic goals this year are to win the Suburban League again, win our district and represent Northeast Ohio at the state tournament,” he said. “We are looking to improve upon our balance on the field, being creative in the offensive third and dynamic runs to become dangerous.”

This is Senk’s fourth year at Copley. His assistant coach is Karen Ransom.

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