ESPN RISE

This school year marks the end of an era for Pennsylvania high school girls' soccer. Owen J. Roberts (Pottstown, Pa.) coach Joe Margusity and Emmaus (Pa.) coach Rob Rooney couldn't be happier.

Starting next year, all girls' soccer teams will play in the fall season, which will allow Margusity and Rooney -- longtime friends and coaches of respected fall and spring programs -- to finally go head-to-head.

In addition, the shift of nearly 200 spring-playing programs to the fall ends the split that has existed for more than 20 years and unifies the programs in the bid for state titles.

"Forever, there's been an ongoing argument -- not really among the coaches -- but a debate among the fans. Both seasons have teams that are top-level programs," said Rooney, whose Emmaus team is a spring power. "This move will unite the state championship tournaments, but, more importantly, it will allow there to be a more established and unified soccer calendar similar to what the boys have."

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors voted July 24 to consolidate girls' soccer, and the state will offer three fall titles next year: Class AAA (for the largest schools), Class AA and Class A.

"There will be some growing pains over the next few years, but the end result is a positive for the girls game, and that's what is best for the players," Rooney added.

From a fans' perspective, Rooney said, "it's always been fun to theorize who would win" between Council Rock South -- a spring-season winner of titles in 2001, 2002 and 2004 -- and Villa Joseph Marie, a fall-season program that has won nine state titles, more than any program in state history.

"People would love to finally see what happens when one of the Council Rock Schools -- South or North -- plays Villa Joseph Marie, which is the Catholic school in the Council Rock area," Rooney said. "Those kids have grown up playing together and play on club teams together, but have never had a chance to play each other at the high school level."

"I am in favor of this move," said Margusity, whose Owen J. Roberts consistently ranks among the state's top fall-playing programs. "It unifies the state title, is more consistent with college and the boys' high school season, and will allow for more consistency at the club level."

Rooney agrees.

"When you have spring club teams playing at the same time as the spring high school season, it can be a juggling act to try to get either team to play at its highest possible level when there's another team that also requires their attention," Rooney said.

"The club teams are where a lot of the college opportunities are going to happen, and where the greater training level is going to be, but the high school game, in Pennsylvania, is a very important social part," Rooney said. "High school provides the ability to play at night and the media attention that you don't always get at the club level, and to play in front of your friends in school uniform is a big deal as well. You're always balancing these two things, and that can be very hard."

And, for the first time, Rooney can pit his charges against that of Margusity.

Rooney -- who has served on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America spring high school ranking committee for the past 11 years -- has won four league and three district titles, and his teams have gone 86-13-3 in the past five seasons.

Rooney never has coached opposite Margusity, whose program won a state title in 2003.

Margusity, in his 14th season, has coached Owen J. Roberts since the program's inception, having crowned nine league champions, seven district titlists in nine trips, and winning a district crown in 2005.

He has reached the state tournament nine times, been a district runner-up on four occasions, and won states once in two appearances.

Historically the best team from District XI, and well-known as a dominant team in the Lehigh Valley Conference, Emmaus has gone 192-28-4 since 2000-01, was a state champ in 1997, and a runner-up in 2005.

"The first thing we did when we found out this move was happening was that Joe said, 'Hey, we should play,' and I said 'Absolutely, let's put a game together.' The next thing I did was call the athletic director at Downingtown East and said, 'Hey, let's put a game together,'" said Rooney, who has worked out a two-year deal with Owen J. Roberts.

"Joe and I have been friends for 15 years. We coach in the same club and live about five miles from each other. I was his oldest daughter's college coach. I was his assistant at Owen J. Roberts," Rooney said.

Emmaus and Owen J. Roberts will be Class AAA schools.

"We're going to coach against each other in about a year from now, and it will be the first game of the season for both of us," Rooney said. "It's a positive for the girls' game."

Fall soccer teams to watch

1. Downingtown West
2. Unionville
3. Conestoga
4. Strath Haven
5. Owen J. Roberts
6. Germantown Academy
7. Villa Joseph Marie

Fall players to watch

(Players are listed with position, name, high school, grade and college commitment, if applicable.)

D: Taylor Antolino, Villa Joseph Marie, Sr., Virginia Tech
D: Brittany Boss, Bethel Park, Sr., St. Francis (Pa.)
F: Jordan Calabria, Moon, Sr., St. Bonaventure
F: Emma Carp, Westtown School, Jr.
MF: Morgan Circe, West Chester Henderson, Sr., St. Joseph's
F: Dana DelleFemine, Norwin, Sr., Pittsburgh
MF: Paige Foughty, Franklin Regional, Sr., Akron
MF: Murphee greeley, Conestoga, Sr., Lehigh
D: Megan Johnson, Eric McDowell, Sr., Kent
GK: Megan Junker, Peters Township, Sr., St. Bonaventure
MF: Caroline Keefer, Moon, Sr., Pittsburgh
F: Caitlin Landis, Milton, Sr., Kentucky
MF: Samantha Lofton, Central Mountain, Sr., James Madison
D: Anna McCahon, Notre Dame, Sr., Yale
GK: Rachel Middleman, North Allegheny, Sr., Ohio State
MF: Hayley Miller, West Chester East, Sr., James Madison
F: Stephanie Myers, Downingtown West, Sr., Villanova
F: Nathasha Prentice, Penn Charter, Sr., Auburn
F: Taylor Schram, Canon-McMillen , Sr., Penn State
F: Meghan Toohey, Montgomery Christian, Sr., Michigan
F: Lauren Wilson, Downingtown West, Sr., James Madison