Site last updated: Friday, April 19, 2024

Log In

Reset Password
MENU
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Yellowjackets creating a buzz

Freeport's Olivia Gaspersic (3) is one of three big goal-scoring threats for the Yellowjackets this season. Gaspersic has eigjt fgoals and 16 assists and Freeport is unbeaten in section play.
Freeport girls soccer unbeaten in league play

BUFFALO TWP — Cameron Lindsay has played all over the soccer pitch.

Midfield, defender, forward. The Freeport senior has been a vagabond in soccer cleats.

But now she has found a home for the red hot Yellowjackets at forward, helping spur an offense that is scoring goals in bunches and winning match after match.

“I started off at (outside midfield) and I obviously didn't score as many goals there,” Lindsay said. “They decided since I was a physical player to put me on defense since we had a shortage of defenders last year.”

This season, she was moved to forward and has scored three goals in the last two matches.

She's just one of a triple threat of goal scorers for Freeport, and one of the reasons why the Yellowjackets are undefeated in Section 2-A and have sights on the program's first undefeated league season.

Senior Olivia Gaspersic has eight goals and 16 assists this season and freshman Sidney Shemanski leads the team will 11 goals.

Freeport has found the net 39 times already this season after scoring just 28 all of last season.

“We have three, four, five girls who are hungry to get that ball in the net,” said Freeport coach Brittni Grenninger. “We've had superb goalkeeping (with senior Cassie Suran), a tenacious defense and very skilled midfielders and very, very hungry forwards.”

Hungry is the buzzword around Freeport's new all-purpose stadium.

Freeport last won a section title in 2006 when the Yellowjackets went 11-1 in league play. That was also the last season the team advanced to the PIAA playoffs.

Both are huge goals this season.

“If I had one word to describe us this year, it would be hungry,” Grenninger said. “They come out every game knowing they want to win. They have been the most aggressive team we've ever had here.”

And that aggressiveness starts with Lindsay, Gaspersic and Shemanski, who have combined for 25 goals this season.

Grenninger said moving Lindsay to forward made the most sense late last year.

“She's one of the fastest players on the field and is always very aggressive,” Grenninger said. “Just watching her, there was something about her. She wants to go to the goal. You can just see it. She can get behind the defenses and she's become very calm in front of the net now. She's making the most of her opportunities.”

Gaspersic has been a rising star since she first stepped foot on the pitch for her freshman season.

“Her skill level and knowledge of the game are unlike any player I've seen and I've ever played with and coached,” said Grenninger, who scored more than 100 career goals at Karns City as a player. “She enjoys the one-v-one aspect of the game.”

Gaspersic said the biggest difference between last year and this year is the confidence to let a shot rip.

“We would never shoot on net and that was one of our problems,” Gaspersic said. “This year, we're always shooting on net.”

For Shemanski, having such senior role models has made her transition to high school soccer than much easier.

“It's amazing to have them,” Shemanski said. “It's going to be sad to see them graduate.”

Because that clock is ticking away, Shemanski said she and the rest of the underclassmen are hungry — there's that word again — to send them off with a section title.

And hopefully more.

“It's very important to us,” she said. “They are definitely very good role models for us.”

Freeport also has a new weapon this season.

It's new turf facility.

In 2015, the Yellowjackets played on grass, which made the transition to playing on turf difficult.

“It's hard to adjust, more than you think,” Lindsay said. “On grass, soccer is a lot slower. I think we play faster this year.”

Freeport, which is 10-2 overall and 9-0 in the section, has three more league matches remaining — against Springdale, Highlands and Deer Lakes.

Then, who knows what.

Hopefully, Grenninger said, the WPIAL championship and the state playoffs.

“That's absolutely the next step,” Grenninger said. “Not only is winning the section title on their radar, but they want to get into the state playoffs as well.”

More in High School

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS