Allderdice’s Marty, Portillo get All-Section honors; program growing after first WPIAL season
The Dragons (6-9-2) are like rock climbers after their first season in the WPIAL. They’re happy to have reached a critical foothold, but they’re excited to keep climbing higher.
(Year, position) Aedan Marty was listed as All-Section (which section), and he was also named to the list of All-WPIAL all-stars.
“Aedan really had a great year,” said Allderdice head coach Sam Bellin. “He was just as unstoppable on the dribble in the WPIAL as he was in the City League.”
Sweeper Jonas Portillo was an Honorable Mention on the All-Section list. “He had a good year,” said Bellin.
Bellin also noted that senior striker Jon Muniain also had a very good year, in spite of all of the changes. Muniain scored 29 goals in his junior year, but seven in his senior year.
“In the middle of the field he was just as good as ever,” Bellin said about Muniain. “He was nearly impossible to close down. He just really had a hard time finishing.”
Bellin noted that Muniain often had two and three opponents covering him before he could shoot; a testament to the high physicality and competition level of the WPIAL.
“All of my boys were very impressed. The level of play is so much higher in the WPIAL than it is in the City League … There were so many players who were fast and strong and fit and who would run hard [in the WPIAL]. In the City League we would wear teams down with our possession. In the WPIAL, they’re full-speed-full-intensity all 80 minutes.”
In spite of finishing with a record below .500, the Dragons did a lot right. They tied playoff teams (Fox Chapel and Plum) during the regular season. Allderdice kept possession scales tipped in its favor, and was successful in passing and getting shots off.
“But it’s so much harder to score goals in the WPIAL,” said Bellin. He noted that WPIAL teams are often equipped with strong, athletic defenders and four midfielders who race back. Goal-scoring, Bellin said, was the missing element for Allderdice this year.
Nonetheless, the Dragons are ready to move on. Bellin is organizing opportunities for players to attend offseason conditioning. The Allderdice team is now seeking to improve strength and fitness in order to play on par with WPIAL teams. Additionally, the team had a young roster in 2012. The players will come back in 2013 having learned from their first WPIAL season.
“That’s the good thing about moving up,” summarized Bellin. “We had become a very big fish in a very small pond. Now we’ve got room to grow.”
(Year, position) Aedan Marty was listed as All-Section (which section), and he was also named to the list of All-WPIAL all-stars.
“Aedan really had a great year,” said Allderdice head coach Sam Bellin. “He was just as unstoppable on the dribble in the WPIAL as he was in the City League.”
Sweeper Jonas Portillo was an Honorable Mention on the All-Section list. “He had a good year,” said Bellin.
Bellin also noted that senior striker Jon Muniain also had a very good year, in spite of all of the changes. Muniain scored 29 goals in his junior year, but seven in his senior year.
“In the middle of the field he was just as good as ever,” Bellin said about Muniain. “He was nearly impossible to close down. He just really had a hard time finishing.”
Bellin noted that Muniain often had two and three opponents covering him before he could shoot; a testament to the high physicality and competition level of the WPIAL.
“All of my boys were very impressed. The level of play is so much higher in the WPIAL than it is in the City League … There were so many players who were fast and strong and fit and who would run hard [in the WPIAL]. In the City League we would wear teams down with our possession. In the WPIAL, they’re full-speed-full-intensity all 80 minutes.”
In spite of finishing with a record below .500, the Dragons did a lot right. They tied playoff teams (Fox Chapel and Plum) during the regular season. Allderdice kept possession scales tipped in its favor, and was successful in passing and getting shots off.
“But it’s so much harder to score goals in the WPIAL,” said Bellin. He noted that WPIAL teams are often equipped with strong, athletic defenders and four midfielders who race back. Goal-scoring, Bellin said, was the missing element for Allderdice this year.
Nonetheless, the Dragons are ready to move on. Bellin is organizing opportunities for players to attend offseason conditioning. The Allderdice team is now seeking to improve strength and fitness in order to play on par with WPIAL teams. Additionally, the team had a young roster in 2012. The players will come back in 2013 having learned from their first WPIAL season.
“That’s the good thing about moving up,” summarized Bellin. “We had become a very big fish in a very small pond. Now we’ve got room to grow.”
soccer