Building on success

Stephanie McAllister never saw it coming. The 2004 Catholic League girls’ soccer season had come to a close and the athlete, from the 2400 block of Fairhill Street, received an unexpected call from Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti soccer coach Jim McBride. McBride told McAllister she had been named Second Team All-Catholic.

"It was my first All-Catholic nod," the 16-year-old said. "Once I got the phone call from Jim, I couldn’t believe it. I was real excited."

Although the Saints didn’t score any goals, McAllister’s defensive efforts caught the attention of Catholic League coaches. McBride said the incoming-senior captain will play "the most important position" as stopper back in the upcoming season.

"Stephanie is going to anchor the defense," McBride said. "Hopefully, she’ll minimize the scoring chances opposing teams have on our inexperienced goalie."

Defense will be key to any Neumann-Goretti success as the Saints scored a total of two goals in 2004. They didn’t win any games, but they did tie West Catholic twice.

McAllister said, despite a lack of Catholic League wins – a total of three since her freshman year – the team is making progress.

"Since [my] sophomore year, we’ve grown really close as a team and become more fundamentally sound in the game and to play it," she said. "We’ve grown more as players."

McAllister is one of the Saints more experienced athletes. She started playing at age 8 at the Southeast Youth Athletic Association, Seventh and Bigler streets. She also plays basketball and softball for the Saints, but said soccer takes top billing.

"It’s the sport I’ve been playing the longest and you do a lot of running, which keeps you in shape," said McAllister, a member of the National Honor Society. "I’ve loved it since I was little."

THIS SUMMER, MCALLISTER tried soccer with a twist – barefoot on the beach. The Saints had 10 players participate in the Beach Blast Tournament in Wildwood, N.J. The girls, who played in the 18-and-under bracket, were split into two teams of four players and a goalie.

"When you play with less people you have to depend on your teammates more," she said.

If players accidentally kicked balls in the Atlantic Ocean, like McAllister did, they had to chase after it. Luckily, the teammates’ uniforms were their bathing suits.

Putting in extra time on the beach could benefit the Saints this season as they have an expanded 21-game schedule. The team is also getting off to a much earlier start with its first non-league game scheduled for tomorrow morning at Cardinal Dougherty. The athletes will play their first non-league home game Monday against Bishop McDevitt. McBride has scheduled three non-league games to prepare for the Sept. 7 Catholic League South opener at Cardinal O’Hara.

"I think the more games we play, the better we are going to become as a team," McAllister said.

McBride said he hopes the extra games will help the Saints improve by the season’s third week. At that point, the schedule will be loaded with Catholic League South league games.

The Saints, especially the freshmen and sophomores, will most certainly look to veteran McAllister for leadership and guidance. With her duties as officer-at-large for the Neumann-Goretti Student Council, it’s a role she wears well.

"I want to show the younger kids how to become leaders," McAllister said. "I want to teach them how to control themselves when they get frustrated and answer any questions they have."

McAllister hopes her efforts will create opportunities to continue playing soccer on the college level. Villanova and University of North Carolina are her early considerations for their academic standards, but if McAllister ends up playing soccer, she’ll more than likely end up at a Division III school.

For now, her focus is on the immediate future.

"I would like to win as many games as possible," she said. "I think we are going to be competitive with teams."