Confidence can be a funny thing.
When Ella Petrosh finished her freshman soccer season at Holy Spirit High School without scoring a goal, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get one. All it took was one game in her sophomore year to change her mindset.
“I shocked myself when I scored. I got a hat trick. Then from there, it just kept on going and going,” Petrosh recalled.
Petrosh netted three goals on opening day last year, and she hasn’t hit the brakes since. She ended up with a team-best 21 tallies last season along with eight assists in just 15 games. She’s continued that pace with 11 goals and six assists through nine games, just past the midpoint of her junior year.
She’s now one of the most confident players on the pitch.
“I really looked back on that and said, ‘Wow,’” Petrosh said. “I really did not think I could do that.”
Her coach disagrees emphatically.
“She’s a very good finisher, and she’s quick,” Spartans coach Alicia Downey said. “She’s one of the fittest players on the team, and she can strike a ball.”
What she doesn’t know how to do is sit still.
Petrosh plays basketball in the winter, lacrosse in the spring and club soccer for Hamilton Elite in the summertime. On the rare off day, she pops in the ear buds, turns up the country music, and goes out for a long jog.
“I’m a big runner,” she said. “I run two miles almost every time I have off. I just like staying in shape. If I’m not doing anything, I might as well go for a run.”
Her work ethic is becoming contagious around the Absecon high school. The Spartans soccer team is off to an incredible start, winning eight of their first nine games, and they have outscored their opponents, 54-4 through Oct. 12.
Her music choices have become contagious, too. Last spring, the lacrosse team put Petrosh in charge of the playlist for pregame warmups. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but the Spartans had their best season in the program’s history, reaching the state championship game for the first time. Petrosh played a key role as a defender on that team.
“It was the furthest we’ve ever gone, so that was really fun,” Petrosh said. “And we’ll be back.”
Petrosh is still considering her higher education plans, but one thing’s for certain. “I just want to play soccer.”
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