South Fayette girls off to fast start under new coach

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 23, 2017 | 12:42 AM

Some teams enter the first season with a new coach needing time to adjust.

But the South Fayette girls soccer team has been playing at a high level from the start under the guidance of Katie Munnell. The Lions are off to a 6-1-2 start with a 5-1-1 mark in Section 4-AAA.

“I am happy with the program's direction,” Munnell said. “The girls have been reacting well to what we are doing. There are some loose ends we need to fix, but it is a growing process.”

Munnell was previously the coach at Trinity, Palmyra and Easton (Md.) and is currently a coach with the Riverhounds Development Academy. She played in college at Waynesburg.

Part of the early success can be credited to Munnell having a long offseason with the team.

“I was hired in March and met the team in April,” Munnell said. “In offseason training, we were throwing things at them that they had never seen before. So there was some early struggles. But that is part of the learning process.”

Brenna McGuire has been a catalyst for the Lions through the early part of the schedule. The senior leads the team with nine goals.

“Having her on the team makes my job easier,” Munnell joked. “No matter what the scoreboard says, having leadership like that is nice to have for other girls to look up to. It just isn't about words but also actions.”

Juniors Sara Meindl and Rachel Weis have both been solid with three goals each. Senior Rachel Helbling has added a pair.

“(Junior) Maura Gagliardino is more of a defensive mid, but she has been useful in the attacking half of the field,” Munnell said. “By switching the pressure up, it has helped lead to some opportunities.”

The defensive end of the field has been led by senior Maddy Burnside and junior Faith Falick. Burnside has been a leader as she has been paired up with some younger players. Falick, meanwhile, has been a presence in front of the net.

“(Falick) comes off the line and turns into another defenseman,” Munnell said. “Burnside has really stepped up as far as her communication and her play. She is a tough player and really holds her composure.”

The Lions suffered their first loss of the season Sept. 18 against Moon, 5-1. It was a tough game, but there were some positives for South Fayette. The top-ranked Tigers are likely one of the best teams South Fayette will see all season — Moon is off to an 8-0 start — and it gave the team a better idea of where it needs to improve.

“It showed we need to adapt to high-performing offenses on the defensive end better,” Munnell said. “That is something we will recreate with certain scenarios in practice. We also need to be more creative on the last third of the field. We can't be so predictable when finishing.”

While Munnell said she would like to see the team strive for a deep playoff run, she is more focused on how the team performs on the field over everything else.

“Obviously, the postseason would be nice,” Munnell said. “But I don't care what the scoreboard says as long as we are playing our style. We want to utilize different formations and be a possession-style team.

“I would rather take pride in our play over putting pressure on the win-loss record.”

Nathan Smith is a freelance writer.

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