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That has been the name of the game throughout the four-year career of Gettysburg High girls' soccer star Kyele Bridel.
As a freshman, she started at striker. A year later, it was left wing. Then, in 2011, she played left outside midfielder. Finally, as a senior, she anchored a Lady Warrior defense that posted 10 shutouts in 17 matches from the center defensive back position.
At times during the 2012 campaign, she was also used at center offensive midfielder, outside midfielder and even at striker, depending on what was needed at the time.
"Having a player that can play that many positions well makes it easier to coach," Gettysburg head coach Scott Hancock said. "The needs of the team dictated where she played, but her versatility made it possible."
As a senior, she netted seven goals and dished out five assists to finish her career with 25 goals and 15 assists.
In the fall, she will join the women's soccer program at Messiah College. The Grantham school has won four NCAA Division III championships, including the last two and three of the last four, and has reached the Final Four in each of the last eight years.
She also considered Drexel and Lock Haven universities and plans to major in physical therapy.
She said, "It just felt right from the first time I went up there (to Messiah) to visit. The other girls up there made me feel very welcome."
Those
It is he first time an athlete has won two Player of the Year awards in the same year since Delone Catholic graduate Maggie Borden turned the trick in both 2001 and 2002, winning the top honor in girls' volleyball and girls' track in back-to-back years.
To Bridel, winning the Player of the Year in girls' soccer means Gettysburg has the winner in both boys' and girls' soccer as Zach Tarbox took home the boys' award in the fall. It is the first time both top honors in soccer have gone to players from the same school in the same academic year.
Bridel gave a lot of credit for her success in both field hockey and soccer to South Western High's Erin and Shannon Laird and the training that the three of them did together.
"We've known each other for a long time and I've been training with them since the beginning of last summer. I wouldn't have had the seasons I had without them. We all pushed each other very hard to improve," she said.
Both Lairds earned All-Area selections with Erin making the first team and Shannon named to the second team.
Hancock cited a 1-0 win at Shippensburg and a 3-2 victory at Greencastle-Antrim as matches that stood out to him. Bridel was moved closer to the front of the formation and she ended up scoring the deciding goal in both matches.
"Kyele trains in season, out of season. She goes out on the field by herself with a ball and she's always working to get better," he said. "She has learned when to play simple and when to pull out the tricks.
"The game that epitomized that was the Mechanicsburg game that we won, 1-0. She played almost a flawless game that night and, if she hadn't, we wouldn't have won."
Bridel was one of a quintet of seniors that started all four seasons of their high school careers in the maroon and white. Defender Emily Beamer, striker Meagan Hill, goalkeeper Kelsie Kluck and midfielder Sam Wright also started for their entire careers.
That group, along with high-scoring sophomore strikers Maddie Weikert and Rachel Lyon and senior defender Alisha Clapsaddle, helped to push the Lady Warriors to a school-record 14 wins and the first District 3 Class AAA appearance in school history.
In addition to starring in field hockey and soccer, Bridel was a part-time starter on the Lady Warrior girls' basketball squad that ran the table in the Mid-Penn Capital Division for the second straight year and captured the school's first Mid-Penn tournament championship.
"The teams that I've played on have been great," Bridel said. "I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I can be very intense, sometimes a little too much.
"But playing as a role player on the basketball team has helped me to see what it's like playing in different roles and to see what all of the players go through."
ALL-AREA GIRLS' SOCCER TEAM
FIRST TEAM
--- Rachel Asper, soph., Biglerville: A second-team selection in 2011, Aspers returns this fall after posting three goals and two assists and helped a defense which posted three shutouts.
--- Kyele Bridel, sr., Gettysburg: The All-Area Player of the Year heads to Messiah College this fall after a display of versatility all season that included seven goals and five assists.
--- Laken Bull, jr., South Western: Forced into the goal when keeper Haley Briggs was hurt, Bull's effort spearheaded a defense which allowed 19 goals all season. In the field, she also posted two goals and two assists.
--- Toni Harbaugh, jr., Fairfield: Another second-teamer from 2011 who moves up, Harbaugh posted a double-double with 18 goals and 11 assists for the high-powered Lady Knights.
--- Alexis Junker, soph., Fairfield: Last year's All-Area Player of the Year continued her strong play by leading the Hanover area with 20 goals. She added seven assists.
--- Kelsie Kluck, sr., Gettysburg: With 83 saves, Kluck posted 10 shutouts in goal for a Lady Warrior team which allowed 15 goals in 18 games.
--- Erin Laird, sr., South Western: A repeat first-team selection, Laird paced the Lady Mustangs with 15 goals and six assists for a team which qualified for the District 3 Class AAA Tournament.
--- Rachel Lyon, soph., Gettysburg: A first-team selection as a freshman, Lyon repeats after topping the Lady Warriors with 18 goals. She added eight assists.
--- Olivia Moore, jr., Biglerville: Moore earns her third All-Area first-team nod by scoring 14 goals and three assists for the Lady Canners.
--- Gabby Reichart, sr., New Oxford: Playing for a team which struggled offensively most of the season, Reichart was a formidable barrier in goal and piled up 212 saves
--- Maddie Weikert, soph., Gettysburg: Returning to the first team, Weikert contributed to a potent Gettysburg offense by accumulating 15 goals and tying for the team lead with eight assists.
SECOND TEAM
--- Emily Beamer, sr., Gettysburg
--- Shelby Brassard, soph., Spring Grove
--- Meagan Hill, sr., Gettysburg
--- Shannon Laird, sr., South Western
--- Allison Mack, jr., New Oxford
--- Kaitlyn McDonald, jr., Fairfield
--- Karina Padilla, jr., Biglerville
--- Abby Smith, jr., Bermudian Springs
--- Amy Spigelmyer, jr., South Western
--- Kim Vogan, sr., South Western
--- Cara Yocum, sr., Fairfield
