Home Notice Box Sports Cash withdraws from ‘Creek girls soccer

Cash withdraws from ‘Creek girls soccer

0

BEAVERCREEK — One of southwest Ohio’s most prolific scorers is not returning to the soccer field this fall.

Beavercreek rising senior Marcella Cash — who led all soccer players in the region with 91 points and was second in the Dayton area with 38 goals last fall — recently informed Coach Steve Popp her high school career was over.

“I’ve been playing straight for the past three years, going right from nationals with my club (Ohio Elite) straight into high school season, typically missing (high school) tryouts because of how far my team normally goes in tournament compared to most,” Cash said. “And going into club last year I was a very large step behind the level of play I should have been been at with my team, along with a nagging injury, and it set me really far back when it came to playing.”

And then, while not being at the top of her game for Ohio Elite, Cash decommitted from Indiana when Coach Amy Berbary’s contract was not renewed and Erwin van Bennekom was hired as head coach. Cash said she will announce her new school on national signing day in November.

“I was on the verge of wanting to quit,” she said. “Thankfully my club coaches were very supportive and helped me get back and helped me work through the mental and physical issues I was going through. And from there my family and my coaches all came to the conclusion that I was getting burned out.”

Since she helped lead Beavercreek to a 24-0 record and Division-I state title as a junior — along with being named player of the year by MaxPreps and the Army National Guard — Cash said she didn’t mind not playing this fall.

Popp declined comment since this is a non-mandatory portion of the summer and tryouts don’t begin until Aug. 1

Cash’s three-year Beavercreek career will conclude with 70 goals and 23 assists along with a pair of All-Greater Western Ohio Conference selections. Cash’s 38 goals last fall is the most in the GWOC since at least 2006 and her point total is the second most in that span.

https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/07/web1_DSC_0327.jpg

By Scott Halasz

[email protected]

Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.