Mars' White to GCC
ADAMS TWP — From one successful program to another. That's the path Jordyn White has decided to take.
The Mars senior soccer defensive star will continue to play the sport at Grove City College.
White started for the Planets all four years of high school, helping the team compile an overall record of 84-7-3 in that span, which included three WPIAL titles (2010-12) and a PIAA Class AA title (2011).
She is headed to a program that is the definition of stability. The Wolverines have been led by head coach Melissa Lamie the past 20 seasons. GCC has turned in seven straight winning campaigns and made the NCAA Division III playoffs last fall. Its run ended with a loss to eventual national champion Messiah College in the second round.
“I'm excited about this opportunity,” said White. “Hopefully, I will be part of future success at Grove City.
“I really liked the atmosphere of the campus,” she added. “I met the team and coaches and they all seemed very nice.”
White's work on defense did not get the same attention as the goal scorers for Mars attracted, but it never adversely affected her play.
“Our defenders knew that our job was just as important as scoring goals,” she said. “That was our motivation.”
Mars coach Blair Gerlach knows he has big shoes to fill now that White's high school playing days are over. She was a team captain her junior and senior seasons and a defensive MVP for the Planets since her sophomore year.
“Jordyn is the full package,” he said. “She leads by example and does so many things that do not show up in the stats. You just feel so secure knowing that she's back there on defense.”
White could star for GCC there as well, but Lamie is not opposed to moving her to another position if needed.
“It won't be until August, when we get everyone together on the field at the same time, that's when we'll find out where she will be playing,” Lamie said. “She comes from a great program and I expect her to vie for one of the starting 11 positions. Her size (nearly 5-foot-9) will certainly be a plus for us.”
A possible position switch is fine with White.
“I also play for Northern Steel and have some experience at center midfielder and forward,” she said. “I'm open to anything the team needs me to do.”
