Section V announces Girls Soccer Players, Coaches of the Year honors for 2020 season

ALLEGANY COUNTY DIVISION I PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Sophia Templeton (Fillmore)

In the midst of what has been another magnificent run all throughout the shortened 2020 season, and into the Sectional tournament, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore saw a bushel of young stars rise to the occasion in every game. Among them was junior Sophia Templeton, who completed a big comeback season after missing the majority of last season due to injury.

Templeton finished Top Five in both offensive statistical categories for a Fillmore team that made it all the way to the end in back-to-back seasons, ultimately to eventual champion Arkport/Canaseraga in overtime on their home turf, as she concluded her season with 17 goals, including her game winner against Keshequa in the Class D1 Semifinal round which sent the team into the Finals in the second sudden victory session. The 17 goals are marked fourth best in the County to go, which she paired with her area-high 14 assists to total 48 total points on the season.

ALLEGANY COUNTY DIVISION II PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Kate Pensyl (Andover/Whitesville)

It was a different viewpoint that some of the Whitesville soccer athletes had to adjust to over the course of the season, as it was announced that both Andover and Whitesville would combine their athletic programs for this past Fall season. Kate Pensyl was one of many of those athletes, but she picked up right where she left off from last season in her final season this year.

Although the Lady Panthers senior provided just one goal on offense, and helped out with an assist, Pensyl’s main stay is in the back behind the frontlines, where she provided yet another dominant display of defense during the regular season for a team that allowed only six goals on their way into this year’s Sectional tournament, where Andover/Whitesville ultimately fell to the eventual champion - Notre Dame-Batavia, in the Class D2 Semifinal round.

The Lady Panthers finished with a record of 8-5 in their first official season as a combined unit under head coach Al Barber.

SECTION V, CLASS D1 COACH OF THE YEAR - Jon Beardsley (Fillmore)

This may not have been the scene after their back-to-back trip to the Class D1 Finals again this season, but Fillmore head coach Jon Beardsley led his team through another tremendous outing, despite the schedule being cutdown due to COVID-19, as they finished the regular season perfect with a 12-0 record to win their sixth straight Allegany County Division I Championship.

Beardsley’s coaching pedigree continued to bring the best out of his girls in the condensed 2020 season, with multiple attackers leading the charge on the offensive front, as well as a new face in between the pipes for the first time in quite a few seasons for a very youthful Lady Eagles squad, leading to a Section V, Class D1 Coach of the Year nod for the longtime coach.

He was responsible for leading an offense that has recorded six shutouts behind 79 total goals (regular season/Sectionals), while only allowing nine during the regular season upon entering Sectionals. His first-year goalkeeper, Preslee Miller, tied with Andover/Whitesville’s Livia Simon and Belfast’s Kaitlin Sadler for the most shutouts in the County with six.

The team finished with an overall record of 14-1, the lone loss being just the seventh overall for the club in the last five seasons.

SECTION V, CLASS D2 COACH OF THE YEAR - Duane Powers (Belfast)

The Belfast Lady Bulldogs were one of the biggest stories this past Fall in the girls soccer arena, despite the season being shortened. The program had not been in a position to win the Allegany County Division II Championship in over five years, back when the Kevin Morton era was close to wrapping up.

But perhaps a new era of soccer is beginning to settle in after the Lady Bulldogs provided a monumental resurgence. After finishing with a record of 2-15 just a year ago, the Lady Bulldogs fought tooth and nail all season long to climb to the top of the Allegany County Division II mountain, rebounding with a 9-4 overall finish that featured the program’s first County title since 2015. It also led to head coach Duane Powers, in his very first season after making the move from the JV to the Varsity level, winning the Section V, Class D2 Coach of the Year award.

It was a balanced collaboration between all 11 Lady Bulldogs on the field across the board on both sides, a system that Powers offered his team to make an investment in, one that accepted almost immediately. As a result, Belfast collected six shutouts, including perhaps one of, if not, the County’s game of the season - a 1-0 shutout of Andover/Whitesville over the road in overtime to win their first County title in five seasons.

It would also lead to them locking up the top seed in Class D2 play for Sectionals, where their ride fell short in the Semifinals to Jasper-Troupsburg. Despite the defeat that ended their season, it was still one that laid the foundation down for what hopes to be bigger things to come for the Lady Bulldogs.