| Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, TRIB-LIVE
After a successful summer playing for the Beadling Bulldogs U17 team, Fox Chapel senior Deena DeBaldo is gearing up for the Foxes’ fall soccer season.
Last year, DeBaldo was a key performer as the Foxes made it to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals.
“I think we can make it to the finals this year, despite losing some very good seniors,” she said. “We have a solid group of starters returning, and we have some freshmen who can really play.”
The talented midfielder, who also played some forward last year, made a verbal commitment to Duquesne as a sophomore and is looking forward to playing for the Dukes in the fall of 2017.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I hope that I can play a lot as a freshman. I will give a 110 percent effort when I get there and work on being a leader. I think I’ll have to work on communicating on the field, but I’m confident I can do what it takes.
“I think my strong points as a player are distributing the ball and seeing the whole field.”
She is undecided on a major but is leaning toward education as her main course of study.
Right now, she has her sights set on helping her team take the next step in the playoffs.
“If we maintain our focus and work hard, I think we’ll have a very successful season,” she said.