Masterman's Soccer Dominated Public League

The Blue Dragons have done it again! Year after year, the boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer teams continue to raise the bar. The boys, led by coaches Nichole Geiger and Tyler Weiss, climbed their way to a well-fought semi-final exit to their rivals, Northeast. The start of their season was rocky, to say the least. The boys were inches away from relegation at several points. However, in true Masterman fashion, they rose to the occasion and became an unstoppable force in the Public League, the highlight being sending home Franklin Towne in the quarterfinals, who they lost 5-0 to in the regular season. Senior captain Lachlan Pepersack, a four year varsity player, says, “I’m so proud of the entire team, I love all my teammates, and I’m so appreciative for everything they’ve done for me and everything we were able to achieve as a program.” The boys have been honored by the league as well, with sophomore goalkeeper Nery Tlapaya receiving Second Team All Public, and senior captain Yehuda Mahlab receiving First Team All Public. Mahlab has proven himself to be a star player, and has been an integral part of the success of the boys’ soccer program at Masterman. This year, his success in leading his team has landed him a spot on the All Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer team, as well as the PSCA All State Team, an incredibly impressive feat. Mahlab says, “I’m extremely grateful. When we began our season by fighting off relegation, awards like all-state never even crossed my mind. The fact that we were able to come back from such a deficit and advance to the semi-finals shows what kind of team Masterman soccer is. While it may just say my name on the award, it serves as a testament to the hard work, perseverance, and success of the entire squad.” It’s this team first sentiment shared by all the boys that helped them advance as far as they did. 

The girls’ varsity soccer team, or the lady dragons, had just as much success. With eight seniors, the girls went into the season with a desire to compete and a desire to win. Coach Tim Roache shares that sentiment, stating, “The season was a success because the girls really worked hard over the summer to get into shape and from the first practice in early august it was a group effort to be committed to being in the best shape we could be in.” Their hard work paid off, as their record in the regular season was 8-2, losing only to their rival Central. The highlight of the season for the lady dragons, however, was their shootout win over Franklin Towne in the semifinals. 5 brave players stepped up, and each one scored, bringing their team to the championship. Although they lost the championship game in double overtime, that doesn’t take anything away from the stellar performance they’ve shown throughout the whole season. The girls had several honors bestowed upon them, including First Team All Public for Sophia Brunelli, Anya Finlay, and Tori Okorodudu, as well as Second Team All Public for Jocelyn Goldstein and Rylee Porter. Just like the boys’ team, the girls’ team yields a star player in junior Tori Okorodudu. Okorodudu has made history multiple times throughout her soccer career at Masterman. She is now the all time leading goal scorer with 57 goals, and was named MVP of the public league two years in a row. Along with Mahlab, Okorodudu was also named to the All Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Team for the second year in a row, as well as the PSCA All State team. Okorodudu says, “It’s super cool that people from both teams were able to be honored, and I’m looking forward to seeing the team grow.” This is the first time in Masterman history that athletes from both teams were given this accolade. The 2023 soccer season may not have resulted in a championship victory from either team, but the achievements made by each and every player make this season one for the books.