Moving forward
KARNS CITY — A soccer player for as long as she can remember, Haley Scherer also grew up playing other sports.
The Karns City senior played basketball and ran track and field through her freshman year in high school. She even returned to the basketball team her junior year.
Scherer stuck with soccer throughout her high school career and wound up scoring 87 goals for the Gremlins. She led the team with 34 goals and 10 assists last fall, was team captain and was named MVP of the Upper Allegheny Valley league.
“Haley never played club soccer,” KC coach Tracy Dailey said. “That's unheard of these days for anyone moving on to play in college.”
Scherer signed last week to continue her academic and athletic career at Lake Erie College of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
“I've had my eye on that school for a couple of years now,” Scherer said. “We always go to a preseason camp at Edinboro University and one of Edinboro's assistants was always there working with us.
“I got to know him pretty well. When he moved on to Lake Erie (as an assistant), he recommended me there and I've looked into the program.”
Scherer is the lone forward in the six-player Lake Erie recruiting class this year. Reni Lawrence is a first-year head coach with the program and Cooper Hoenigman is her assistant.
The Storm are coming off a 5-12-1 season and have not won more than seven games in a season in the past 10 years.
“One of their top scorers just graduated and they're hoping I can fill that position,” Scherer said. They run a 4-3-3 formation, using three forwards, and I like to think I can step in and help right away.”
Lake Erie scored only 20 goals as a team last year. Ashley Pryce, the Storm's second leading scorer with five goals and 12 points, graduated. The team's top scorer, Carley Kandel (8 goals) was a freshman.
“Haley is an offensive threat,” Lawrence wrote on the team's website. “She is aggressive, attacks the goal ... She doesn't care who she comes up against, she just goes at them and goes to the goal.
“She will be a huge help offensively to our team.”
Scherer carries a 3.9 grade point average and plans to major in biology. She will become the third KC girl in college soccer next season, joining Emily LoPresti (Seton Hill) and Megan McCartney (Gannon).
And just because she didn't play club soccer doesn't mean she's not dedicated to improving her game.
“Haley was on vacation at the beach and dribbled a soccer ball two miles down the boardwalk and back,” Dailey said.
“She was a four-year starter for us, but missed most of her freshman season with an ankle injury. That's the only reason she didn't score 100 goals here.
“Her work ethic will lead her to a successful college career. I'm sure of it. She never gives up on a play, never,” Dailey added.
Scherer's soccer goal at Lake Erie is the same thing she experienced at Karns City — winning. The Gremlins have been dominant in District 9 for years in the sport.
“Help the team win the conference and make it to the playoffs,” she said. “I'll do everything I can.”
