Girls Soccer: Five Players to Watch

Holly Nicolardi, Marple Newtown: Nicolardi missed last season with a knee injury, and her absence was felt by a Tigers team whose playoff run was one game shorter than the previous season. Back as a senior with a veteran nucleus, Nicolardi can pull the strings in midfield and bring the best out of the passel of forwards the Tigers boast.

Olivia Butera, Haverford: The mix of Butera and Jess Lyons in midfield is going to be a bear for opponents to contend with this season. Either of that pair could be here, but Butera gets the edge since she may get more of the goal-scoring glory, though both will share the two-way midfield dirty work.

Ami Iannello, Strath Haven: No one is expecting Iannello to be the next Gina DiTaranto or Morgan Glassford or Kristen Miller. But the senior winger is the closest thing the Panthers have to a senior forward leader, and her ability to bag goals with regularity will be a harbinger for the performance of a young, talented forward unit.

Emily Santana, Springfield: Santana’s thing is scoring goals. Whatever kind of athletic endeavor she’s partaking in, she seems adept at scoring whatever ball is in play in the operative net/goal. If she continues to do that, she has game-breaking potential for the Cougars.

Claire Micheletti, Agnes Irwin: No one needs a reminder to watch prolific scorer Kristin Burnetta or dynamic midfielder Hannah Keating, both returning All-Delcos. (It’s impossible not to notice them on the field.) That’s why Micheletti is so vital to this team’s success. They will score goals, for sure. But the veteran Micheletti will be called upon to shield sophomore goalkeeper Kendall Shein from as much work as possible.