Lasting Legacy
BUTLER TWP — After helping to establish a tradition at Butler, Gabby Boden is looking to continue one elsewhere.
A senior midfielder for the Golden Tornado girls soccer team, Boden will continue her academic and soccer career at Gannon University.
The Tornado had four winning seasons and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs in each of her four seasons with the program. Boden scored nine goals last season as Butler won its first section title in 17 years.
“They have a great physician assistants' program at Gannon and that's the field I want to get into,” Boden said. “Couple that with the quality of the soccer program there and it was an easy decision.”
She also considered Villanova, Kent State and Youngstown State before deciding on the Golden Knights. Gannon has reeled off five successive winning seasons since finishing 9-9 in 2014.
Head coach Colin Petersen has 158 wins in 19 years as Gannon head coach.
“A number of Butler County players have gone up there and contributed to the success of that soccer program,” Butler coach Steve Perri said. “Gabby fits that mold of player.
“Gannon likes to recruit athletes who are aggressive. Gabby is fearless in the sense that she expects to win that battle for the ball against the defender in front of her.”
Currently playing an abbreviated spring schedule, Gannon was 8-7-2 overall in 2019. Karns City graduate Megan McCartney, a senior, was the team's leading scorer with five goals and 14 points.Seneca Valley graduate Mary Sinan is a freshman goalkeeper for the Golden Knights.The program's top two leading scorers all-time are former Butler County soccer standouts. Mars graduate Mani Brueckner scored 46 goals and 137 points, Knoch graduate Amanda Sharbaugh 51 goals and 124 points at Gannon.“There is a lot of tradition there,” Boden said. “I want to join that list. I've been wanting to play college soccer since I was in seventh grade.“I just want to get stronger, make a contribution, become a better player.”Boden played forward for the Century club soccer team. Also a standout in track and field, she's run the 200 and 400 meters for the Golden Tornado, along with a leg on the 4x400 and 4x100 relays.“My biggest goal at Gannon is to create good leadership on and off the field,” she said.Perri has little doubt she'll do that.“They want the type of player she is, mentally and physically,” the coach said. “Gabby is the total package academically and athletically.”
