Sharbaugh Spaeder’s soccer aggressiveness earns spot in BCSHOF
This is the 12th in a series of articles profiling the 2022 Butler County Sports Hall of Fame inductees
SARVER — Her father’s advice was simple and to the point.
“Dribble the ball downfield as long as you can and if you have a shot at scoring, take it,” Amanda Sharbaugh Spaeder said. “That’s the way my father wanted me to play soccer.”
So she shot and scored ... and scored and scored and scored. Spaeder wound up with 101 goals in her varsity soccer career at Knoch, a school record. She tallied 51 goals in her soccer career at Gannon University, also a record.
Now she’s heading into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame. Spaeder will be inducted with 11 other individuals at the organization’s annual banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Lyndora American Legion hall.
She is already a member of the Knoch Athlettic Hall of Fame and Gannon Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I’m very honored about this,” Spaeder said. “I didn’t know this was an option for me. There are a lot of great names in there.”
Spaeder had 37 assists to go with her 101 goals at Knoch. Her career-best season was 33 goals and 10 assists her junior year.
Her father, Doug Sharbaugh, played soccer at the University of Pitt-Johnstown. Her siblings played collegiate soccer as well — Adam and Olivia at Gannon, Danielle at John Carroll.
“I started playing soccer when I was 5,” Spaeder said. “I’ve always had a knack for scoring goals. My father taught us to play aggressively. I’ve always been a competitor and I still am, even when it comes to those records.
“I’m proud to still hold the Knoch and Gannon goal-scoring records after all these years. I check on that from time to time, just to see what’s going on with those programs. It means something to me.”
Spaeder graduated from Knoch in 2008 and from Gannon in 2012. She had 51 goals, 22 assists and 124 points at Gannon. Mars graduate Mani Brueckner broke her assists record in college.
At the time Spaeder graduated from Gannon, she had scored 17 more goals and 37 more points than anyone who has ever played there. She was named PSAC Freshman of the Year in 2008 and made All-PSAC first team in each of her four years. She earned All-Region honors repeatedly.
In the classroom, Spaeder was an Academic All-American along with becoming a PSAC Scholar-Athlete four times.
“The game that stands out for me is my freshman year, playing against Mercyhurst,” Spaeder said. “Gannon had not beaten them in 30 games and we won that day, 4-2. I scored a goal on a diving header.
“Fans swarmed the field, it was Senior Night .. it was awesome.”
Spaeder met her husband Dave, a baseball player at Gannon, during her college years. The couple has three children — 4-year-old Teddy, 3-year-old Mackenna and 9-month-old Samuel.
“They’re not involved in sports yet, but I’m hoping they will be,” Spaeder said. “We want them to do something they’re passionate about. We will introduce them to different sports and, naturally, I’d love to have my kids play soccer. But that will be up to them.”
Spaeder has been a high school assistant coach — one year at Erie, one year at Knoch, two at North Cathnolic — before having children. She hopes to return to coaching down the road.
“At some point, absolutely,” she said. “I love soccer. It’s been such a big part of my life.”
Tickets for the banquet are $30 in advance and are available at Parker Appliance in Chicora, Saxonburg Drug, the Butler Radio Network, Maddalon Jewelers in Zelienople and at www.bcshof.com. Tickets will be $35 at the door.
