EF set to defend section crown
By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com
The Elizabeth Forward boys soccer team is coming off one of the program’s most successful seasons in recent history.
Last fall, the Warriors won their first section title since 1998 on their way to an appearance in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals.
Head coach Doug Finke, last year’s Mon Valley Independent-BeeGraphix Fab 15 Boys Coach of the Year, would love nothing more than to see this year’s group replicate last season’s success.
But he’s not putting too much pressure on the Warriors following a 12-win campaign.
“It’s a good thing to have expectations, but the biggest ones are the ones we put on ourselves,” Finke said. “We want to put ourselves in a position to compete year in and year out, and that is no different this year. Our section is tough each year and we’ll have a little bit of a target on our back this time around, so we want to work to get better each and every week to put ourselves in that position to have the type of season we had last year.”
EF will have to replace a few senior contributors from last year’s group, including the team’s top three scorers in Andrew Smith (12 goals a year ago), Rob Hrabosky (12) and Donovan Woytsek (11). The trio, along with Mitchell Ulm, accounted for 37 of the 54 goals scored a year ago.
In their absence, Finke will rely on his returning crop of goal scorers and offensive contributors, including senior forward/midfielder Ethan Bowser. Bowser tallied three goals last year, but his main role was as a facilitator, notching 12 assists. He is currently fifth among EF’s all-time assist leaders.
“It’s all going to go through Ethan. He is that player who can create both for himself and for others,” Finke said. “After him, it’ll be a matter of everyone contributing by committee.”
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