Celebrating stellar seasons
Big Red’s Saccoccia, Catholic Central’s Meyer named Second Team All-Ohio
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Both Big Red and Catholic Central's girls soccer teams had strong seasons in their own right -- large in part to some key players leading the way.
One of those key players for each team -- Big Red's Libby Saccoccia and Catholic Central's Maria Meyer -- had their efforts recognized by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association on Tuesday by being selected on the All-Ohio Second Team in their respective divisions.
Saccoccia landed on the Division II list, while Meyer was recognized in Division III.
Saccoccia, a four-year starter for Big Red, scored 30 goals and added nine assists in her senior season, helping lead Steubenville to its first District Championship and Regional appearance in program history.
"She is a coach's dream player," Big Red coach Annie Curti said. "She is there for her teammates. She is a leader on the field and a leader in practice. Her work ethic is phenomenal, and that showed with her being our leading scorer this season and other coaches complimenting her. She deserves it.
"It means a lot (to have an all-state player) this year because we did make it so far in the state tournament. I think it highlights that the girls worked hard and they deserve the recognition."
Her 30 goals were just three shy of the program record of 33 held by her former teammate Mary Marshall.
"She has always truly passionate about soccer," Curti said. "Her dedication to work hard and keep improving shows. We played her in a lot of positions and, no matter where we played her, she rose to the task and it paid off this year. I hope she is very proud of that accomplishment because it is really great.
"I think it is hopeful for the girls that are younger and working hard to become better soccer players to see that it is possible to accomplish big things on the Big Red soccer team."
Saccoccia was one of a group of seniors that had played together since they were in youth leagues.
"She was part of a special group that had been playing together since elementary or middle school," Curti said. "To see those girls make it as far as they did, and, to see Libby make second team all-state and the other seniors get Eastern District recognition, it is going to mean a lot to them."
Meyer, a junior for the Crusaders, netted 27 goals and five assists in helping Central earn the No. 3 seed in its tournament bracket and an OVAC Class 1A/3A runner-up finish.
"She is a wonderful girl and a wonderful player," Central head coach Jonathan Hoover said. "She is a great student. She is always looking for that encouragement in what she can do to get better. Even though she putting quite a few goals in, she constantly wants to get better and continue to score and do well for the team.
"It is always good to have a player get recognition and to get them to the highest possible level is always the goal. But it comes down to the player performing on the field and the teammates around her giving her the opportunities to excel."
Meyer being a junior, she will be back and able to contribute for Hoover's club again next season.
"That might be one of the first times in my career I've had that," he said. "I've coached programs that have had all-state players before, but usually it happens during their senior year. To have it happen with a junior that is coming back, it makes us very excited.
"It also means that she is going to work hard because she is going to be a player that people look out for. It means she is going to have to work harder to get the opportunities, which I know she can do."
Her recognition, he said, was a sign of the progress the program has made in a short period of time.
"It speaks volumes about the program and the development (the players) have had over the last few years," Hoover said. "We really have made a lot of progress and I'm really proud of the team. They have bought into the system, they have bought into what we are trying to do."