The West Branch girls soccer team faced a struggle when the fall season approached, they realized they would not have enough players to field a team. Hoping to still give the remaining players a season, West Branch joined with Bald Eagle just as the season was starting. 

West Branch has six players who travel to Bald Eagle to play, compared to the 13 players last year. The decrease in players was partly due to the graduation of three seniors. Alexa Prestash and Natalie Yingling, who played defense for the Warriors, while Sydney Sankey contributed to the team’s offense.  Another factor in the decrease in the number of players was that some players decided not to return.

The daily travel to Bald Eagle has been a concern for some players. Junior Nola Briscoe shared her thoughts on the daily trip to Bald Eagle. She said, “I think it can be very exhausting but playing soccer for Bald Eagle is such an amazing blessing… To not only continue to play soccer in general, but to create new friendships. The only downside to playing for Bald Eagle is how long the drive is when it comes to traveling there. But even then, the blessing outweighs the downside majorly.” 

The Eagles currently have a 4-2-1 record, with wins against Westmont Hilltop, Penns Valley, Huntington, and Moshannon Valley. They lost to Bishop Guilfoyle and Central and tied Chestnut Ridge. They are currently ranked 11th in the Laurel Highland Athletic Conference and ranked 12th in District 6. 

West Branch has scored six goals this season. Nola Briscoe leads the West Branch players with three goals, while McKenzie Harbold, Reagan Correll and Natalie Michaels have each added one. The team has also recorded four assists. 

The team will face Clearfield on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Clearfield enters the matchup with a 4-2-1 record, matching West Branch’s record this season.