MORGANTOWN – After a 20-win season that was capped off with a Class AAA state championship, the Morgantown girls soccer team is prepared to take the field to begin its 2023 season and defense of its title.
The Mohigans will face the year with a few obstacles to navigate with first-year head coach Bri Frontuto taking the helm after the departure of Stirlin Rivers, and a roster of only 13 players total during their initial week of practice.
The good news for MHS is that the roster still includes WV State and Gatorade Player of the Year Gracie Brown, who contributed 25 goals and 17 assists last season on her way to first-team all-state honors also. The senior also committed to play at Auburn after high school.
Brown isn’t the only first-team all-state player returning to the roster as junior defender Ariana Borneo also earned the honors last season as a sophomore. Lily Staples and Emily Carpenter will look to make a positive impact for MHS as well.
Coach Frontuto, a Green Bay, Wisconsin native, is excited for the challenge that comes with being a first-year coach of the defending state champions.
“The girls are really hard workers, and I love the grit that they play with,” Frontuto said last week during practice. “They know how to work hard and do the little things right. The numbers are a bit small right now, but the leadership and talent on the team is still very strong and I’ve been impressed so far.”
Frontuto played goalkeeper in Division II for Northern Michigan University before playing semi-professionally in the Women’s Premier Soccer League for the Green Bay Glory.
“Coming together as a team is going to be really important for us,” she said. “These girls are a solid unit and some have been playing together since before they were playing here. The skill is also nice to see, I went to a small high school and we were teaching some girls how to pass.”
The Mohigans will hit the road for their first four games, visiting Buckhannon-Upshur on August 19th to open the season. The going to Bridgeport, Oak Glen, and Wheeling Park. The first home game will see Linsly visit MHS on September 7.
“My biggest challenge is definitely the numbers right now,” Coach Frontuto said. “The talent is there but having 13 girls is going to be a challenge. We need to make sure being short on players doesn’t change the level of our play when it matters most.”
