The 2023 girls’ soccer season is one the Valley Central Vikings will remember for a long time.

They posted a 12-5 record, won their first fall Section 9 Class AA championship, and earned their first berth in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association regional championship game.

It was their second section title, but the first was during the abbreviated spring 2021 COVID-19-affected season.
This year, they’re looking for their second straight championship.

The Vikings lost Grace Del Pilar, Mackenzie Lennon, Sophia Stahl, Julia Capicchioni, Ella Brown, Adeline Galante and Rebecca Sibley from last year’s championship team.

But they will have a strong group of returning players in Samantha Setteducato, Hannah Stahl, Ayla Andrews, Dayna Scott, Cailin Swart, Lorena Rivera, Kelly Schmidt, Neveah Sancez, Raf Del Pilar, Sarah Del Pilar and Anna Ferraro.

Leianna Beers, Hayela Gourdet, Giana Villani and Grace Watson will join the team for the first time this season.

“We are very excited to be playing this fall,” fifth-year coach Jon Walsh said. “We are looking forward to developing our team over the course of the season and competing for a section championship again this coming season.”

Pine Bush

The Pine Bush Bushmen saw their multi-rebuild pay off last season when they reached the Section 9 Class AAA championship game.

However, that’s where they ran into a roadblock, getting shutout by the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders, 2-0, in the championship game. The Crusaders went on to be the state runners-up.

This year, the Bushmen have their eyes set on getting back to the title game and leaving with a different result.

However, they’ll have to do it without several players who have been key in the program’s rejuvenation over the last four years. Taylor Hoehmann, Deirdre Mehberg, Morgan Tubbs, Kileigh Smykla, Camryn Brown, and Grace Druke have been lost to graduation.

The Bushmen will return several strong players in Ava Boffalo, Katie Cragan, Leah Mehberg, Gianna Conklin, and Kenzie Brown.

The Bushmen opened their season on Thursday with a home game against the Warwick Wildcats. It’s the first of three non-league games before they open their Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I contest against the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks.

They will meet the Crusaders on Sept. 23 at Monroe-Woodbury High School, and then at home on Oct. 10.

“We have several returners that have experience and played in the section semis and a final,” Pine Bush coach Dan Conley said.

“Many have even won section titles in other sports, so we are hoping to put all of that together and win a soccer title.”

Wallkill

The Wallkill Panthers are coming off a 6-6-2 season last season and a berth in the Section 9 Class AA tournament.

However, as the fourth seed, they fell to the top-seeded Washingtonville Wizards in the tournament opener.

The Panthers will enter this season without graduated seniors Emma Dilemme, Valerie Cruz, Alexis Bernard, Imagin Matthews, Leisly Marin, Amy Crowley, Alex Dembinsky, Samantha Dembinsky, and Gabriella Salese.

Brianna Merrill, Mayah Simon, Jessica Avila, and goalkeeper Aoife Brady will return to a Wallkill team that is looking to stay focused and earn another Section 9 Class AA berth.
The Panthers will lead from the back this year.

“With a solid returning defense, we hope to find ways to get more scoring from our offensive players,” Wallkill coach Kelly Wood said. “It’s a great core of returnees with some excellent young talent being added.”

Chapel Field
The Chapel Field Lions will field a team this year, under the direction of Amy McDuffie, but school officials have not decided whether the team will play varsity or JV.