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Repeat performance: Lady Vikings’ Gesinski again chosen as H-S Girls Soccer POY

By Rob Burchianti 3 min read
article image - Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Mount Pleasant junior Morgan Gesinski is the Herald-Standard All-Area Girls Soccer Team Player of the Year for the second season in a row. Gesinski led the WPIAL in goals scored during the regular season and helped the Lady Vikings win a third straight section championship while improving their section record to 30-0 in that span. She also was the lone local player to be named to the All-State Team.

Morgan Gesinski was the WPIAL girls soccer leader in goals scored, was the only area player to be named to the All-State team and helped lead Mount Pleasant to another section championship and a playoff win.

That was more than enough to earn the junior star the Herald-Standard Girls Soccer Player of the Year honor for the second season in a row.

Gesinski scored 33 goals during the regular season and added three more in the postseason for a total of 36, increasing her career total to 97. She also upped her career assists total to 43.

The H-S Coach of the Year is Mount Pleasant’s Rich Garland, who guided the Lady Vikings to the Section 4-AA championship and a first round playoff win before falling to Burrell in the quarterfinals.

Mount Pleasant swept the H-S Team’s top honors with junior Laurel Rummel taking the Goalkeeper of the Year honor. The Lady Vikings allowed just 10 goals all season.

Mount Pleasant was the only local team to win a section title and a playoff game. In fact, the Lady Vikings have never lost a section game with Gesinski or Rummel on the team, rolling to three straight first-place finishes with a combined 30-0 record.

Waynesburg Central’s Terry Clutter is the Coach of the Year runner-up for taking a Lady Raiders team hit hard by graduation into the postseason. Waynesburg was 14-3 overall and finished second in Section 2-A with an 8-2 mark.

Other local teams to qualify for the playoffs were Laurel Highlands, Belle Vernon, Southmoreland and California.

The top 10 goal scorers in the regular season (according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette statistics) among local players were Gesinski, Aubrey Seder of Southmoreland (25), Rylin Bugosh of Mount Pleasant (23), Allison Novak of Uniontown (22), Kolbi Rastoka of Waynesburg (20), Leah Hartley of California (18), Adrianna Walker of Laurel Highlands (18), Megan Mehall of Southmoreland (16), Emily Rafferty of Waynesburg (13) and Ava Scalise of Belle Vernon (12). Also hitting double figures in goals scored were California’s Lauren Hartley (10) and Waynesburg’s Rylei Rastoka.

All 12 of those players along with Rummel are on the H-S First Team along with Morgan Ferris and Elle Mancini of Laurel Highlands, Sara Tinkey of Connellsville, Maddie Barrick, Caitlyn Fullman, Raygan Mizikar, Isabel Overly and Brooklyn Ulerty of Mount Pleasant, Hannah Conn of Southmoreland, Samantha Mincone, Abby Russell and Grace West of Belle Vernon, Bailey Bernot of Beth-Center, Alexa Lewansowsky of Brownsville, Bree Clutter, Jaden Tretinik and Peyton Cowell of Waynesburg.

The complete Herald-Standard All-Area Girls Soccer Team follows:

Player of the Year: Morgan Gesinski, Mount Pleasant

Coach of the Year: Rich Garland, Mount Pleasant

Goalkeeper of the Year: Laurel Rummel, Mount Pleasant

First Team

Morgan Gesinski, Lauren Rummel, Rylin Bugosh, Maddie Barrick, Caitlyn Fullman, Raygan Mizikar Isabel Overly and Brooklyn Ulerty of Mount Pleasant, Aubrey Seder, Hannah Conn and Megan Mehall of Southmoreland, Allison Novak of Uniontown, Kolbi Rastoka, Emily Rafferty, Rylei Rastoka, Bree Clutter, Jaden Tretinik and Peyton Cowell of Waynesburg Central, Leah Hartley and Lauren Hartley of California, Adrianna Walker, Morgan Ferris and Elle Mancini of Laurel Highlands, Ava Scalise, Samantha Mincone, Abby Russell and Grace West of Belle Vernon, Sara Tinkey of Connellsville, Bailey Bernot of Beth-Center and Alexa Lewandowsky of Brownsville.

Second Team

Caitlin Miske, Ava Rohland, Rami Grayson and Lizzy McCune of Brownsville, Isabella DeHaven, Emma Guesman and Lacey Blair of Albert Gallatin, Camryn McClean, Taylor Irwin and Brianna Marzano of Laurel Highlands, Rylee Leasher, Avery Lape, Addison Bandemer and Madison Gratchic of Connellsville, Olivia Murtha, Disaya Craggette, Rylan Fike, Isabella McClelland, Sarah White and Emily Gammon of Uniontown.

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