MaxPreps 2013 Soccer Early Contenders: St. Anthony's girls

St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.) has been voted previously as having the top high school athletic program in the state of New York, including by Sports Illustrated. It's been a Top 50 program in the country as well.

Football has long been a signature sport at St. Anthony's, but you need balance to attain overall athletic program greatness. That's what the Friars girls soccer team, coached by 25-year veteran Dave Prutting, helps bring to the equation. They are one of 10 fall girls teams to be honored as a national title Early Contender, presented by adidas and Dick's Sporting Goods.

The St. Anthony’s girls are coming off back-to-back New York Catholic High School Athletic Association titles, ones that were anchored by standout players such as Maggie Bill (now at the University of North Carolina), Sydney Arestivo (Fairfield University) and Jessica Lukas (Dartmouth).

See all the 2013 Fall Soccer Early Contenders



But it was a member of a strong sophomore class last season who sent the Friars to Buffalo for the Catholic Association State Tournament. Midfielder Mackenzie Kober scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Long Island rival Kellenberg in the CHSAA championship game.

Then-junior Tricia Hanley, the Friars' leading goal scorer, and Lukas each scored in a 2-0 win over Sacred Heart Academy of Buffalo in the state semifinals. St. Anthony's achieved the latter despite missing a week of practice prior to the game due to superstorm Sandy.

St. Anthony's will be returning 11 players with starting experience, including All-League player Katie Gonsalves and junior Rebecca Safranek, who started her first game in the 2012 state final, a 6-0 shutout over Notre Dame Academy of Staten Island.

With such a large contingent of returning players, the Friars are looking forward to another outstanding season. This is a team - and an athletic department - with such dedication to the cause that it has its own indoor practice facility, as seen in the accompanying photos.

See the entire St. Anthony's photo gallery.

Local outlook: "The Friars struck gold a quarter of a century ago when they selected Dave Prutting, then 49 years old and with scarcely any experience beyond youth leagues, to run the girls varsity soccer squad. Some 400 wins later, he's the iconic and beloved coach at a school that wins -- and typically wins big -- in just about everything. Our favorite Prutting-ism: He's been known to have his players work on taking corner kicks with their opposite foot ... during games."
- John Moriello, President, New York State Sportswriters Association (@nysswa)
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State classification: CHSAA Class AA

Enrollment: 2,500



Athletic director: Donal Buckley

2012 finish: 19-2-1 (No. 24 NSCAA poll, No. 38 MaxPreps computer rankings)

Head coach: Dave Prutting (2012 CHSAA Coach of the Year)

Years at school: 25

Career record: 405-41-17

Notable team achievements: 19 CHSAA championships

Notable soccer alumni: Approximately 60 to 70 graduates, both women and men, have moved on to the next level of soccer after St. Anthony's.

Notable non-soccer facts about school: St. Anthony's graduate Rob Scuderi has played on two NHL Stanley Cup championship teams, with Pittsburgh in 2009 and Los Angeles in 2012.
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Key Player Losses:



Maggie Bill (North Carolina)

Syndny Arestivo (Fairfield)

Jessica Lukas (Dartmouth)

Danielle Maurice (Scranton)

Daniella Ganiaris (Stonehill)

Key Returners:

Sr. Katie Gonsalves (All-league 2012)



Sr. Tricia Hanley (leading scorer)

Sr. Erin Hughes

Sr. Katheryn Crescenzo

Sr. Michelle Santangelo

Rising Contributors:

Sr. Cassandra Davis



Jr. Kelly DiGregorio

Jr. Mackenzie Kober

Jr. Niccola Venenzia

Jr. Chelsea Steigman

Jr. Kaitlin Loughren

Jr. Rebecca Safranek
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Toughest Games: "Our league is divided into two divisions, based on ability, so this makes every game in AA highly competitive. Kellenberg has beaten us twice over the past two years; St. John and Sacred Heart have been tough playoff opponents and St. Francis Prep always plays a tough defensive game. We have also put together a challenging nonleague schedule. We open against Holy Name of Ohio, and then follow with the tough New Jersey schools Immaculate Heart Academy and Notre Dame High School, and have the perennial (Long Island public school) powerhouse Massapequa," said Prutting.



Question Marks: "Coming off consecutive state championships, there is always concern if the young players fill in and catch up quickly. Who is going to step up and be the new leader," Prutting said.

National Look: Between the teams it faces every day in the CHSAA and the great public school tradition among Section 8 and 11 teams on Long Island, St. Anthony's is surrounded with national-caliber soccer.

In Summary: "We are excited about the upcoming season. It is always fun to watch how the mix of new players come together. Every year the goal is the same, but the team personality is very different."
- Head coach Dave Prutting