20 SportsUnion | OCTOBER 19, 2018
high school
Soccer
Peering outside the window, one can tell that the weather
has gone from those high 80 degree temps to the more fall
like temps of the 50’s. That could only mean that the playoffs
are coming around the corner.
By Matt Ondesko Managing Editor
The old saying goes that de-
fense wins championships.
With the weather changing,
defense is going to be more
important that ever in the
game of soccer. The cold
weather plays havoc on the
attackers and midfielders -
especially in Western New
York.
The keepers will be expect-
ed to make the key saves to
keep their team in the game.
They will be expected to steal
a game or two to help their
team get the championship
game.
For Nichols School, the
girls soccer team is hap-
py they have a pretty good
keeper in Isabella Simon-
celli. The Western New York
Flash keeper is one of the
best keepers in WNY, and the
best keeper in the Monsignor
Martin Athletic Association.
Her play is one of the rea-
sons why the Vikings are
fighting a powerful St. Mary’s
High School team for the top
spot in the MMAA.
“I learned from Nichols that
being close with your team-
mates will better our per-
formance on the field. The
chemistry off the field can
translate to better chemistry
on the field,” stated Simon-
celli. “Our togetherness and
willingness to fight for each
other and push each other
can be more powerful than
a team with great skills, but
don’t get along.”
Simoncelli’s story is like a
lot of young girls from WNY
these days. She is a talented
Flashing
potential
soccer player who has taken
her talents to one of the best
club teams in the area in the
WNY Flash. The Flash have a
tremendous track record of
getting their players to the
next level.
The academy plays some of
the best competition in the
country - and this year was
no different. Simoncelli was
part of a team that represent-
ed WNY in Seattle over the
summer. There Simoncel-
li was able to test her skills
against some of the best play-
ers in the country.
It gave her a chance to see
how she stacked up against
players with maybe a little
more skill than those that
play in the WNY area.
“The competition was in-
tense. It’s a whole other level
of soccer that excited me, and
humbled me. It showed me
how far I have come as a play-
er, but also showed me I still
have lots of work ahead of
me. Specifically, I need to rely
more on my instincts. At that
level, the game speed doesn’t
allow hesitation. One hesita-
tion could be the difference
between winning and losing
a game, especially as a goal-