2026 girls soccer top storylines in Butler County: Freeport dealt major blow, Seneca Valley searching for goals, more
Losing talented players to graduation can hit a high school program hard, but coaches and players alike see them coming. They are expected departures.
Freeport girls soccer, preparing to defend the first WPIAL crown in its history, received a more bitter pill to swallow during the offseason. Camryn Woods, who scored 26 goals and added 16 assists to earn Butler Eagle Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors in 2025, will miss her senior season after an ACL tear suffered while playing club soccer in the spring.
“She was often double- and triple-teamed, but remained a consistent scorer for us,” Freeport coach Steve Kukic said. “We will have to figure out a different way to go about it now. It will have to be a team effort, that's for sure.
“We still have a confident, experienced and skilled team.”
The Yellowjackets return a lot of players who filled integral roles in last year's historic run, which ended in the state semifinals. Elena Jenkins, a junior forward, is now the team's top returning scorer after finding the net 15 times last year.
“She will be moving into Cam's spot, center-forward, and will be getting the same scoring opportunities,” Kukic said. “Elena has scored a lot of big goals for us the last two years, and I have faith in her.”
Also back are midfielders Cece Schlegel, Ella McConville and Tess Hanak. Brinley Sullivan and Alyssa Cooper, a three-year starter, return to lead a staunch back line.
Freeport does have to replace a three-year starter in net as Alyssa Alcorn is now playing at Mercyhurst University. Sophomore Sophia Crawford is slated to start in goal for the Yellowjackets.
The following are other girls soccer storylines to watch in 2026 as Butler County teams get set to kick off the season.
Karns City brings back a pair of senior forwards in Phoebe Brandon and Bree O'Donnell. The duo combined to score 41 goals and dish out 37 assists last year.
The biggest question marks surrounding KC's chances of winning a 28th District 9 title are located at the other end of the field.
Aubrey Taylor is the lone starter back from the team's back four. The Gremlins may also have a new face in net. Peyton Claypoole, a junior who last played in junior high, has returned and could take over as the starting goalkeeper.
“Giada Bonetto played very well for us in goal last year as a sophomore,” KC coach Tracy Dailey said. “But her natural position is at outside back. She will compete for time somewhere on the field. We are getting Peyton back into the swing of things as a goalie.”
Unlike Karns City, Seneca Valley lost the majority of its scoring prowess, including all-state midfielder Karly Majeski (now a James Madison University).
“We have girls who have the potential to score, they just have not done it at the varsity level yet,” SV coach Mark Perry said.
What the Raiders do have is experience in net with three-year starter and senior Sydney Postler, who was voted All-WPIAL as a junior after posting 10 shutouts and allowing just 12 goals all season in 2025.
“She's tall, very smart and has as good of footwork as any goalie I've coached in girls soccer,” Perry said.
Postler will have much talent playing directly in front of her. Senior defender Maddy Wooster is a Waynesburg University commit, and sophomore Joslyn Grillo is a rising star after starting as a freshman.
“We expect our defense to be strong,” Perry said. “The question is: can we score enough to win games?”
Butler has a freshman class of 20 players.
“This is the first time in my four years that we will have a lot of depth,” said Golden Tornado coach Dan Buzzard, who is anxious to see what players step up in the wake of the graduation of forward Cecelia Wolford, who scored 30 goals over the last two seasons.
Three seniors — midfielder/forward Lucia Leyland, defender/midfielder Malina McElroy and defender/midfielder Kara Lubinsky — will spearhead this year's effort.
“Our wingers are still up in the air,” Buzzard said. “We're more confident in the midfield right now.”
