Herald-Standard All-Area Girls Soccer Team
Brownsville’s Kovscek led WPIAL in goals during regular season
Leading the WPIAL in goals is one thing, but to do it as a ninth grader makes what Brownsville’s Gloria Kovscek accomplished this season even more impressive.
The Lady Falcons’ forward found the back of the net 36 times to lead District 7 across all classifications in the regular season.
Kovscek also helped lead Brownsville back to the WPIAL playoffs, as the Lady Falcons finished the season at 12-5-2 and qualified for the Class A postseason.
Kovscek’s scoring, combined with Brownsville’s return to prominence, has led the striker to be named the Player of the Year on the Herald-Standard All-Area Girls Soccer Team.
Although the Lady Falcons didn’t win their first-round playoff match, Kovscek was proud to see how far the team came this season.
“I thought a lot about how our team was going to do this season last year,” Kovscek said. “I had a feeling we were going to be good this season. We have a young team, and we are very excited for the future. Our team really came together this year, and we put in so much hard work.”
Brownsville also benefited from the play of ninth graders Addy Brown and Ellie Haddad, who have also made the Herald-Standard All-Area Girls Soccer Team.
Kovscek has played all over the pitch during her soccer career from center-back to center-mid to forward, but she believes to have found her position as a striker.
“I really focus on taking every shot when I have a chance,” Kovscek said. “I am not shy about attempting to put a shot on target, which has helped me to become a better striker.”
With the Lady Falcons’ success as a team and Kovscek’s scoring prowess, the name of Brownsville’s most accomplished soccer player comes to the forefront.
For those unfamiliar, the Lady Falcons’ all-time leading scorer, Tessa Dellarose, helped lead Brownsville to three-straight WPIAL playoff appearances from 2018-2020, including first-round victories in 2019-20 while also scoring 108 goals.
Dellarose, who currently is the captain of the women’s soccer team at University of North Carolina, played three years in high school before focusing on club soccer with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Kovscek plays for the Riverhounds, and witnessed Dellarose play first-hand when she was younger, however, comparisons would be unfair to both players.
“My sister, Ava, played high school soccer with Tessa,” said Kovscek. “It is a huge honor to be recognized, especially as a freshman, but I am just looking to help my team. My brother, Nate, also played for Brownsville, so soccer is in my blood.”
Brownsville continues to play its home matches at Redstone Field in Republic, which is a grass surface that can be tricky for the opposition.
“We definitely have a home-field advantage at Redstone Field,” Kovscek said. “It catches other teams off guard.”
First team
Belle Vernon’s Saylor Lee and Abby Russell; Brownsville’s Gloria Kovscek; Laurel Highlands’ Adrianna Walker; Mount Pleasant’s Caitlyn Fullman, Morgan Gesinski, Laurel Rummel (keeper) and Raygan Mizikar; and Southmoreland’s Hannah Conn; Waynesburg Central’s Kolbi Rastoka and Rylei Rastoka.
Second team
Brownsville’s Addy Brown, Ellie Haddad, Alexa Lewandowsky and Ava Rohland (keeper); California’s Lauren Hartley; Laurel Highlands’ Ella Doman, Taylor Irwin, Camryn McClean, Ava Ruvalcaba and Addison Stroko (keeper); Uniontown’s Sarah White.
Coach of the year: Terry Clutter, Waynesburg Central
Clutter led the Lady Raiders to the semifinals of the WPIAL Class A playoffs as the 11th seed. Waynesburg defeated Winchester Thurston, 1-0, and Seton LaSalle, 3-1, before losing to eventual champion Bentworth, 1-0, in the final four. The Lady Raiders’ season ended in the third-place consolation match to Springdale in a 3-1 setback.