Who are the top returning girls soccer players and teams in District 10 this season?

Region 4 girls soccer is loaded again.

That region was District 10’s best in 2022. Just ask General McLane, which finished 4-3-1 in region play before its run to the PIAA Class 2A final.

The Lancers will renew rivalries with Cathedral Prep, defending D-10 champion Fort LeBoeuf and more in Region 4 this year. The league’s coaches predict it will be just as strong, but they’re not complaining about that, given D-10’s recent success at the state level.

“I’m a true believer that, when you have players who have experienced big games, it really helps and builds from year to year,” said LeBoeuf coach Bryan Kowalczyk, whose Bison went 6-1-1 to win Region 4 last year. “We have one of the strongest regions in the area, and possibly in the state. All of the teams in our region are really good and that prepares us for the playoff run that we all hope to make.”

Preseason prep: Everything you need to know for the 2023 District 10 football season

Fort LeBoeuf swept General McLane in three meetings last year, including the D-10 final, each by one goal. Both sides return an all-district player in midfielder Emily Samluk (FLB) and forward Sydney Rotko (GM), setting up another competitive series between the southern Erie County rivals.

“It’s going to be different, and losing a player like Brooklyn (Respecki) is always hard to replace, but I don’t have to replace one for one,” McLane coach Josh Hopkins said, referring to his team and the recently graduated District 10 Player of the Year. “Kobe Bryant said he didn’t want to be the next Michael Jordan; he wanted to be Kobe Bryant. I don’t want to be the next 2022 team; I want to be the 2023 team. We have to figure out what that means for us and how we’re going to go about it.”

The Lancers return eight starters and Bison return six. They expect stern challenges from perennial power Cathedral Prep, plus pesky squads in Harbor Creek and Fairview, the latter of which returns all-district goalkeeper Jocelyn Tatarko.

More: 2022 District 10 girls soccer standings

Defending D-10 Class 1A champion Mercyhurst Prep will again be among the favorites in Region 3, led by all-district midfielder Molly Taylor. Conneaut returns forward Hannah Brady and North East brings back forward and reigning Region 5 player of the year Ayiana Thomson, each an all-district selection from squads that finished first and second in Region 5, respectively.

Mercer forward Emma Cameron earned all-district honors as a freshman, helping her team to an undefeated finish in Region 1 while winning the league’s player of the year. Hickory and Slippery Rock tied atop Region 3 last year and McDowell will seek to defend its Region 6 and D-10 Class 4A crowns.

“We want to be elite at the basics,” Hopkins said. “We need to communicate, work hard, be positive, trust each other and rely on our technical skills. All the basics lay a good foundation, then we can worry about the rest of the stuff.”

More: Which District 10 girls golfers are serious contenders for PIAA Class 2A championships?

Players to watch

Here is a list of District 10 girls soccer players to watch in 2023. All were first-team all-region selections last year.

• Madeline Jewell, Mercer, junior, goalkeeper

• Morgan Miller, Mercer, senior, forward

• Maddy Bailey, Mercer, senior, midfielder

• Emma Cameron, Mercer, sophomore, forward

• Macie Steiner, Sharpsville, junior, central midfielder

• Isabella Candiottie, Sharpsville, junior, central defender

• Brooke Arblaster, Slippery Rock, senior, midfielder

• Cecilia Perman, Hickory, junior, forward

• Maya Turner, Slippery Rock, junior, defender

• Mallory Hammill, Seneca, sophomore, goalkeeper

• Molly Taylor, Mercyhurst Prep, junior, central midfielder

• Nola Zook, Cambridge Springs, senior, center back

• Jocelyn Tatarko, Fairview, senior, goalkeeper

• Olivia Dixon, Cathedral Prep, junior, forward

• Sydney Rotko, General McLane, senior, forward

• Emily Samluk, Fort LeBoeuf, senior, midfielder

• Jillian Agnello, Fairview, junior, defender

• Victoria Medrick, Conneaut, junior, left forward

• Hannah Brady, Conneaut , senior, right forward

• Alayna Ott, Conneaut, senior, central midfielder

• Ayiana Thomson, North East, junior, forward

• Evelyn Bish, North East, senior, forward

• Emily Boyd, North East, senior, central midfielder

• Alexandra Scholar, Corry, junior, forward

• Maddie Robertson, Conneaut, junior, fullback

• Vivian Sanders, McDowell, senior, goalkeeper

• Carmel Frenn, McDowell, junior, midfielder

• Abriella Whatmore, McDowell, junior, defender

• Olivia Murray, McDowell, sophomore, defender

• Dawn Flynn, Bradford, senior, center back

Postseason key dates

Dates subject to change.

• Oct. 21-25: District 10 opening round, quarterfinals

• Oct. 24: D-10 Class 3A final

• Oct. 25: D-10 Class 4A final

• Oct. 26: D-10 1A semifinals

• Oct. 30: D-10 2A semifinals

• Nov. 1: D-10 1A final, 3A subregional

• Nov. 2: D-10 2A final

• Nov. 4: 4A subregional

• Nov. 7: PIAA first round

• Nov. 11: PIAA quarterfinals

• Nov. 14: PIAA semifinals

• Nov. 17-18: PIAA finals at Eagle View Middle School, Mechanicsburg

All-stars: Meet the Erie Times-News 2022 Girls Soccer District 10 and Region All-Stars

Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Watch for these girls soccer players in District 10 in 2023