Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Flying start for new Reading United team
With three local coaches and a wealth of local talent, Reading United has won two of its first four games in team history
Years ago, a young Molly Kuhn sat in the bleachers and watched the Reading United AC men’s team, inspired to chase her own soccer dreams.
However, Reading had no women’s team, so Kuhn figured she would never have the opportunity to represent her home county beyond high school soccer.
That all changed this past winter, as Wyomissing girls soccer coach Rachel Hoffman contacted Kuhn, a former Spartans standout. Hoffman informed her that United would field its first women’s team this summer, and asked if she’d be interested in being part of the inaugural squad.
“I was ecstatic,” Kuhn said. “I was so grateful.”
Months later, Kuhn is one of several local players taking the field for Reading in its first season in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, an amateur league featuring 131 teams across the United States, with rosters composed primarily of collegiate players. Several players will be college freshman this fall.
“I think it’s really cool that they gave not only us the opportunity, but those young girls in the audience that don’t really know what they’re potential could be,” Kuhn said. “They see us playing out here and they think ‘I can be that.’ ”
The United women’s team is rich with local connections, starting with the coaching staff. Berks native and Wyomissing graduate Thomas “Goose” Gosselin is the head coach, and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position.
“Berks County soccer gave me everything,” Gosselin said. “When you get an opportunity to give back to the next generation, you don’t say no to that.”
Gosselin is an assistant coach for men’s and women’s soccer teams at Penn State Berks. Prior to his current positions, he was the head coach of the
women’s teams at Mount St. Mary’s and McDaniel College.
Gosselin was the Wyomissing girls soccer coach from 1993-99. He also served as an assistant coach at Wyomissing, Alvernia and Mount St. Mary’s.
“To have an opportunity to coach the best of the best, you can’t say no to that,” Gosselin said. “It’s exciting to be back in Berks County.”
Gosselin’s assistant coaches are Hoffman and Amanda Bezner. A former Wyomissing and Penn State standout, Hoffman is currently the Spartans girls soccer coach. Bezner, a Wilson grad, is one of Hoffman’s former assistants, and is the interim women’s soccer head coach at Alvernia .
“To have Rachel, for her and I to be coaching together again, that’s incredible,” Gosselin said. “Amanda I’ve just gotten to know, and she’s amazing.”
On the field, 24 of the 39 players on the Reading roster played either high school or collegiate soccer in Berks. Ten Berks and six PAC high schools (Boyertown, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, SpringFord) are represented, as are two Berks colleges — Kutztown and Penn State Berks.
“They’re an exceptional group of women,” Gosselin said. “Their parents, the organization and fans should be really proud to come and support (them).”
The first player to commit to the team was midfielder and team captain Rebecca Kotula, a Wyomissing graduate and rising senior at East Stroudsburg. She was an All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first-team selection last season.
“It’s a lot easier to want to win here,” Kotula said. “This is Berks County and this is where I live. It’s an innate sense of pride. There’s a couple girls from Wyomissing, a couple girls from (other) Berks schools that I know they feel the same thing.”
With home games held at the turf field at Alvernia, the United players thoroughly enjoy playing in front of family, friends and community members.
“This is a representation of my home,” said Kuhn, a rising sophomore at Drew. “There’s just so much pride there. This is where I grew up, this is where I was born. It takes a village to raise you.”
Heading into Friday, Reading was off to a 2-11, with both wins coming at home. United has two home games remaining in the regular season, scheduled for June 9 and June 30 at 7 p.m. at Alvernia.
“This team is way ahead of schedule,” Gosselin said. “To watch them come together so quickly, it gives me a lot of joy.”
Kotula, midfielder Melissa Martin and forward Olivia Thompson led the team with two goals apiece going into Friday. Martin is a Gov. Mifflin and Penn State Berks graduate, Thompson a Owen J. Roberts graduate who recently completed her first year at Bloomsburg.
“We’re defending with honor and we’re playing with pride,” Kotula said. “That’s the reason that we play.”
And according to Kuhn, they’re also playing for the little girl watching from bleachers.
“I’m just so grateful that we have that chance to be those role models,” Kuhn said. “That’s what inspires me.”
Reading United Roster Player, position, high school, college
Nicole Brown, M/D, Daniel Boone, Clarion Sophia Chipriano, M, Blue Mountain, N/A Ryleigh Cook, M, Pottsville, Shippensburg Ashlyn Crawford, GK/F, Boyertown, King’s Lauren Davis, D, Oley Valley, Cedar Crest Rebecca Delp, M, Pottsgrove, Kutztown Kaitlyn DiCandilo, D, Souderton, Shippensburg Abigail Doyle, F, Wyomissing, Fordham Magi Earnest, M, Millville, Mansfield Emma Elwell, F, Boyertown, Millersville Hayle Foreman, GK, Conrad Weiser, N/A Abigail Frew, F, Pine Grove, Penn State Harrisburg Samantha Goffice, F, Boyertown, Scranton Erin Griffin, F, Daniel Boone, N/A Haley Gschrey, F, Bethlehem Freedom, La Salle Cadi Hoke, M, Wyonmissing, Monmouth (committed) Bailey Hunt, F, Owen J. Roberts, Millersville Rebecca Kotula, M/F, Wyomissing, East Stroudsburg Molly Kuhn, F, Wyomissing, Drew Gabriella Kurtas, M/F, Berks Catholic, William & Mary Isabel Marshall, F, Wyomissing, N/A Melissa Martin, M, Gov. Mifflin, Penn State Berks Caroline McDonald, F/M, Spring-Ford, Kutztown Mikayla Moyer, D, Boyertown, Seton Hill Rachel Negron, D/M, Conrad Weiser, Nyack Lindsey Pazdziorko, GK, Souderton, Towson/Seton Hill Katherine Pazdziorko, F, Souderton, Seton Hill Halee Peters, D, Schuylkill Valley, Mount Aloysius Emely Pichardo, M/F, Muhlenberg, Barton Paige Reali, D, Berks Catholic, West Chester Leilah Sallee, F, Fleetwood, Delaware Megan Thompson, M, Blue Mountain, King’s Olivia Thompson, F/M, Owen J. Roberts, Bloomsburg Caroline Thompson, M, Owen J. Roberts, Drexel/ Kutztown Morgan Weaver, D, Owen J. Roberts, Boston University Abbey White, M/D, Schuylkill Valley, Kutztown Haleigh Wintersteen, D, Conestoga, Misericordia Emme Wolfel, GK, Pottstown, Kutztown Madelyn Zielke, M, Perkiomen Valley, Millersville