Playing for keeps

Adria Vitale’s parents watch from the stands as their daughter plays in one of her last regular-season games for the Lock Haven University women’s soccer team.

With an undefeated record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play, the Lady Eagles need the win over rival Bloomsburg.

Regulation play ends without either team scoring. The match goes to overtime, when Vitale takes the pass from sophomore teammate Brooke Rangi and kicks the game-winning goal.

"It was definitely one of my biggest highlights of my four years here," the forward later said. "I jumped on my friend Brooke’s back and gave my parents a big hug."

Vitale, a First Team All-Catholic selection at her alma mater, St. Maria Goretti High, has become used to celebrating victories at Lock Haven. The Lady Eagles advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in her first three seasons. Winning a Division II national championship is all that’s left.

Lock Haven ranks seventh in the nation and first in the Northeast Region. The 10-0-0 Lady Eagles have clinched the top seed for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament, which begins play Tuesday.

As the number-one seed, Lock Haven gets home-field advantage.

Vitale believes the team’s core of seniors also provides an edge.

"There are eight of us remaining [from freshman year], and it really helps because we’ve been playing together for the last four years," Vitale said. "We all have the same common goal of winning a national championship, and we try to instill it into the underclassmen."

The Lady Eagles have started each of the last four seasons with a different coach. When Shannon Champ took over the program in August, she knew she could count on the experience of all her veterans, including Vitale.

"All the seniors I have, including Adria, have been fortunate enough to win a conference championship and get a bid to the national tournament," the coach said. "She is very intense and will do whatever it takes to get the job done."


Contending for a national championship is a nice change of pace for Vitale, of the 2700 block of South 17th Street.

The athlete never experienced a winning season or the Catholic League playoffs during her days at Goretti. The best season in the seven-year history of the program came during the MVP’s senior year, when her team won three games.

Vitale’s individual skills and commitment allowed her to pursue her dream of playing college soccer. During her junior and senior years at Goretti, her parents drove her to Northeast Philly so she could play for the United German-Hungarian Soccer Club.

"It helped raise my level of play," said Vitale, who started playing soccer at age 11 in the Southeast Youth Athletic Association.

The athlete actually got a late start compared to the majority of her college teammates, who started playing almost as soon as they could walk.

"I think girls and boys in the Philadelphia area need to start playing soccer at an earlier age," Vitale commented.

She defied the odds for a city kid by scoring 22 goals her senior year and earning the opportunity to play college soccer.

"I am used to working hard and setting goals for myself," she said. "Once I set goals for myself, nothing is going to get in my way."

Former Lock Haven coach Peter Campbell brought Vitale off the bench as a freshman and came to refer to her as his "secret weapon."

The player’s 17 points (seven goals and three assists) that year ranked third on the team. Last season, Vitale tallied just two points after her coach moved her to fullback, which required her to play more of a defensive role. Even though the athlete loves to score goals, she has no regrets about last season.

"I said I would do whatever it takes to win," she said. "We won the PSAC championship and finished fifth in the nation, and I wouldn’t change that."

Coach Champ moved Vitale to an outside forward position this season. It’s paying off with five goals and two assists, which rank her fourth-best on the team.

Next fall, Vitale will return to Goretti to watch her younger sister Angel — who will then be a senior — play on the soccer team. Living in Lock Haven the last four years has made it difficult for Vitale to get back home to root for her alma mater.

Angel Vitale has the honor of being the only other Goretti player to wear the number-four jersey that her big sister made famous.

"I wanted the Vitale tradition to keep going, and she is doing a great job," said Adria, who is majoring in recreation management and aspires to become the director of a corporate fitness facility. "It’s going to be nice to come home and watch her play."

The player credits her family for being her cheerleaders all these years.

"I want to thank my parents and my sister for being a great support system and helping me be the best I can," she said.