South Allegheny boys will set bar high after winless season

By Dean Dellamalva Jr.

MVI Sports

It has been seven years since the South Allegheny boys soccer team last qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. 

Since the 2013-14 season, the Gladiators have struggled mightily, winning only 12 section matches and 22 games overall.

Last season, SA hit rock bottom, going winless (0-18, 0-12 in Section 2-A). They were shut out nine times and were outscored, 143-14.

There is reason for optimism in 2020, however, as the Gladiators have a new head coach in David Ganchuk. 

He takes over the helm after eight years as an assistant coach and playing experience at the high school and collegiate level. 

While an immediate turnaround is a lofty expectation, Ganchuk believes setting the bar high will help the program.

“Anything less than successful expectations would doom us to fail before the season even starts,” Ganchuk said. “The players understand the difficulties last year, but do not use that as an excuse. In fact, I believe it has been a powerful driver this season.

“This is a group that comes to practice ready to work hard and learn the game and our direction is to take each game at a time. They are a close-knit team that understands the challenges they face and are ready to prove themselves on the field.”

Like many schools, South Allegheny has struggled with getting bodies to come out for the team. But the influx of freshmen last year gives the Gladiators experienced sophomores this year.

“We have been challenged the past few years with smaller classes coming in, which results in the players understanding the need to work that much harder,” Ganchuk said. “Last year, we were fortunate to have a larger freshman class and I can already see the improvements that a year makes.”

While the pandemic has limited many teams from their normal routines, South Allegheny has used it to its advantage. 

The extension of voluntary workouts and the delayed start to the season has given the Gladiators extra time to hone their skills. Everyone on the team has been on board.

“The season being delayed resulted in extending the voluntary workouts an extra week and throughout that time, just about every player attended each practice,” Ganchuk said. “This really tells me that they are willing to put the time in that will be necessary to compete this year. The players seem to really embrace what it takes to have a successful season, and this has been extremely encouraging to see.”

To read the rest of this story, please to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.