Seneca Valley's shooting stars
JACKSON TWP — The most successful team in the history of Seneca Valley's boys soccer program had its share of stars, seniors Matt Saluga and Adam Mascio the brightest among them.
The forward and midfielder, respectively, were both chosen to the All-State team and helped the Raiders reach the state playoffs for the first time, culminating with a trip to Hershey for the PIAA Class AAA title game.
Saluga tallied 12 goals and 13 assists and Mascio 10 goals and 10 assists. Their efforts earned them Butler Eagle Boys Soccer Co-Player of the Year honors.
“They were our top two scorers this year,” said Raiders' coach George Williams. “Both are very dedicated and worked very hard. Being named All-State, it means a lot. It's one of the highest honors one can achieve in high school soccer.”
Saluga, who was named the player of the year as a junior, was dealing with a right foot injury at the start of the season.
“It took a while, but as the season went on, I got back to being myself, scoring goals,” he said. “Being named All-State, it's amazing. I can't thank my teammates enough. They helped me become a better player.”
“I know he was frustrated with not being 100 percent at the start of the season,” said Williams of Saluga. “He stuck with it and I'm very happy for him.”
According to Saluga, Mascio made a “massive improvement” from last year.
“His physical presence in the middle certainly made my life easier as a forward,” Saluga said. “He can play defense, but also can focus on the offensive end.”
“My skills have improved,” Mascio said. “I made better decisions this year and was thinking ahead on the field and that helped me. It's nice to be recognized for the hard work I put in.”Williams echoed Saluga's thoughts on Mascio's versatility and what it meant to the team.“The ball gravitates toward Adam,” he said. “He is such a good and experienced player. He can win a ball when you need it, but can also bring it forward and make a pass.”Seneca Valley's run to the state title game included back-to-back 1-0 wins over Canon-McMillan in the quarterfinals and Springfield in the semifinals.“That's what I will remember most about the season,” Saluga said. “To win two very difficult games like that in less than a week, that was a huge deal.”The regular season also offered highlights for the Raiders (18-3-1). Mascio recalled one of them.“We were down 2-0 to Pine-Richland (Sept. 29) and ended up scoring four goals in the final 10 minutes to win,” said Mascio, who contributed a goal and an assist to the comeback. “I thought our coaches put in formations this season that allowed all of us to play to the best of our abilities. Everybody seemed to be happy with it.”
