Mohney inheriting talented, deep Butler boys soccer squad

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

August 31, 2006 Last Updated: August 31, 2006 02:51 PM High School

Butler senior forward Wade Grubbs is one of the Golden Tornado's three captains this season under first-year haed coach Troy Mahney. Butler is coming off a 17-4 season under Chuck Kelley, who is now coaching at Hampton.

There will be no growing into the job for Troy Mohney.

The first-year Butler varsity boys soccer coach is inheriting a team that lost only two players from a squad that finished 17-4 a year ago and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in five years.

Mohney was an assistant coach under Chuck Kelley last season. Kelley left Butler after just one season to assume the head coaching reins at Hampton.

"I was the assistant coach at Hampton before taking the Butler job last year,"Kelley said. "I loved working with these boys last season, but I live in Hampton and I was with that program a long time.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go back. Troy will do a great job in Butler. That transition should be smooth."

Mohney agreed.

"I was around last year,"he said. "The players know me and they trust me."

Steve Armahizer, now playing at Westminster College, and K.J. Ludlum are the only key players the Golden Tornado lost from last season.

Butler returns a balanced attack, led by senior tri-captains Wade Grubbs, Ben Horner and Kevin McCune.

"Our strength is our work ethic,"Mohney said. "We're ranked No. 5 in the WPIALin preseason and, yeah, we're expected to win.

"That's all part of the challenge. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Here is a look at area boys soccer teams this fall:

• Coach:Troy Mohney, first year• Last Year:17-4, lost in first round of WPIALplayoffs• Key Losses:Steve Armahizer (Westminster), K.J. Ludlum• Key Returnees:Senior forwards Doug Moran (7 goals) and Wade Grubbs, senior midfielders Ben Horner and Jack Peluso-Hoffman, senior defender Sam Morrow, senior backers Kevin McCune and Ryan Guiste, senior goalkeeper Tim Duffy, junior midfielders Andrew Schnur, Taylor Blose and Jake Huey, junior backer Alex Crouse• Mohney says:"We should be outstanding defensively. Winning the section is our first goal. There's a lot of good teams in our section, with Seneca Valley, North Allegheny and Pine-Richland among them."

• Coach:Brian Beil, fifth year• Last Year:11-5-4• Key Losses: Greg Hershberger, John Clausen, Mark Stein (Point Park)• Key Returnees:Junior goalkeeper Justin Gildersleeve, senior defender Gordon Craig, senior defender Nick Arnhold, senior midfielder Nico Hutchinson (8 goals)• Beil says:"Junior midfielder Jordan Nichols and sophomore forward Derek Brown could make an immediate impact with us. It takes 12 wins to get to the playoffs in our district and we've won 11 the past two years. We want to win a couple more this year and get over the hump. We gave up just 12 goals in 20 games last year and had 11 shutouts. Our defense should be strong."

• Coach:Chris McGrady, 12th year• Last Year:8-11, 6-8 in section• Key Losses: Mike Zeidler, Tyler Hawk, Jeremy Gugino, Brian Mason• Key Returnees:Senior forward Mike Woitas (13 goals, 8 assists), sophomore forward Ryan Scheestel (12 goals, 8 assists), junior midfielder Pete Cline (14 assists), senior defender Mike Delibero, sophomore defender Adam Bombalski, senior midfielder Bryan Huth, senior goalkeeper Ryan Fogarty, senior defender Andrew Kennihan• McGrady says:"We have a lot of experience coming back and our work ethic is strong. Our first goal is to make the playoffs. We haven't been there since 2001 and we're anxious to get back there. Hopefully, we'll surprise some teams and win a few games we're not supposed to win."

• Coach:Roy Parker, seventh year• Last Year:18-2-1, District 9 champion• Key Losses: Mark Ferguson, Justin Grubbs, Andrew Harmon (Penn State-Behrend), Dale Grimm (Thiel), Cody McElravy, Chad Zabicki (Thiel), Mike Lopresti (California, Pa.), Zach Fleeger (Pitt-Johnstown)• Key Returnees: Junior midfielder Chris Harmon (5 goals), sophomore midfielder Aaron McGarvey (5 goals), junior stopper Cody Zabicki, junior sweeper John Burns, junior fullback Charlie Beck, junior fullback Zach Sadowski, junior midfielder Cory Terwilliger• Parker says: "We lost a ton of senior starters, but with seven lettermen back, I can't say it's a rebuilding year ... But it's the next thing after that. I still think we can win the league if we find our identity. Are we an offensive team or a defensive team?We have to find out what we are and figure out how to play it."

• Coach:Doug Wood, first year• Last Year:13-4, 12-2 in section, co-section champion• Key Losses:D.J. Thomas (Robert Morris), Eric Steighner (California, Pa.), Ben Wetzel• Key Returnees:Senior forward Scott Herman, senior sweeper Eric Paul, senior goalkeeper Nathan Geibel, junior goalkeeper Steve Frye, junior midfielders Buddy Carr and Doug Vogus, junior forward C.J. Wise, senior defender Mike Ludwiczak, senior midfielder Mike Morehouse, sophomore defender Mike Hook, sophomore forward Adam Sharbaugh, sophomore midfielder Travis Tasker, sophomore stopper Jordan Kennedy• Wood says:"Our expectations are very high. If we play to our potential, we can control the section title. We're very sound defensively and our section will be extremely competitive."

• Coach:Blair Gerlach, fifth year• Last Year: 13-6-1, lost in first round of WPIALplayoffs• Key Losses:Drew Seigel, Kevin Seigel, Adam Dillner, Andrew Duillner, Greg Tabisz• Key Returnees:Senior midfielder Nick Perri, senior forward Bobby McKinney, senior sweeper Mark Dressel• Gerlach says:"We have a very strong freshman class and three of them (midfielders Ryan McKenzie and Michael Page, defender Jack Leslie) will probably be starting. In two years, this team will be tough. We hope to be in the playoffs again, but this is a bit of a rebuilding year for us."

• Coach:George Williams, 12th year• Last Year: Won first section title in program's history, reached WPIALplayoffs for third time since 2000.• Key Losses: David Monteleone (Robert Morris), Bobby Albrecht, Kevin Miller, Tyler Smith (La Roche), Steve Standiland• Key Returnees:Senior midfielders R.J. Case (7 goals, 3 assists), and K.J. Gorman, senior forward Kyle Connell, senior defenders Matt Jones, Zack Salopek and Scott Faller, junior midfielders Justin Geier and Ethan Richter, junior forward Ryan Zipf• Williams says:"(Senior defender)Kevin Berlin broke his leg early last year and we have him back. I feel very confident about this team. They're hard-working kids who take the game very seriously. We have a lot of versatile players and it will be fun to sort things out. Our goal is always to win the section, but that won't be easy to do."

• Coach: Anthony Buzard, third year• Last Year:17-2-2, lost in district semifinals• Key Losses: Joe Bryan, Alex Fair• Key Returnees: Sophomore striker Mike Ramirez (21 goals), junior striker Ryan Gercken (10 goals), senior midfielders Min-Woo Chung, Craig Bicehouse and James Brown, sophomore midfielder Dustin Hribal, senior defender Matt Durso, junior defender Josh Powell, senior defender Chad Stanley, junior goalkeeper Abir Chatterjee• Buzard says:"We want to get a little deeper into the playoffs and make a run at the district title. These kids have been playing together for a while and that's a plus. There are some good teams up north in Northeast and Harbor Creek and we need to get to that level."