Duo from Villa Maria's final soccer team to reunite during City vs. County matches
Ella Raimondi and Lauren Baloga thought they'd been soccer teammates for the final time in November.
That won't be the case, thanks to Friday's City vs. County All-Star Games.
Raimondi and Baloga will represent the now-closed Villa Maria during the girls match, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Gannon University's McConnell Family Stadium.
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The boys match follows at 7 p.m.
Raimondi and Baloga were seniors for 2021 Victors, whose season ended with a 3-0 loss to North Catholic in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals.
That loss doubled as the final girls soccer match in Villa's 130-year history. The Catholic Diocese of Erie closed the all-girls school in early June. Students will attend a co-ed Cathedral Prep starting this fall.
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“There were a lot of tears at the end of last season,” Raimondi said. “Lauren and I don't play for the same (summer) club team, so I genuinely thought that was going to be the last time we played together. This is incredible I get to play with her one last time.”
Raimondi, a midfielder, was named the District 10 girls soccer player of the year by the Erie Times-News. She's playing this summer as a defender for Internationals Soccer Club in Akron, Ohio.
For subscribers: Meet the 2021 Erie Times-News Girls Soccer District 10 and Region All-Stars
Raimondi will return to Ohio to start her college soccer career. She signed with NCAA Division I Dayton, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Baloga, who was a defender for the Victors, has participated in summer matches with the Erie Admirals. She's set to attend West Virginia University and play club soccer.
Baloga plans to major in psychology and become a therapist. She offered some self-analysis when she spoke of how soccer has emotionally helped her sense of well-being.
“I've been playing since I was five,” Baloga said. “Whenever I feel sad, it's always helped clear my head. I could always go to it whenever I'm having a bad day.”
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Schedule change
Raimondi is scheduled to leave for Dayton on July 31. That's the same day she'll learn if she's voted the girls soccer player of the year during the USA Today High School Sports Awards.
Raimondi was one of 24 nominees for the honor.
Raimondi's stature as a Division I recruit, combined with that departure date, are reasons why City vs. County organizer Pedro Argaez moved the matches from early August to late July.
Argaez said the change to the schedule will likely be permanent.
“The kids who are going D-I leave early (for college) and they simply cannot participate anymore (in August),” he said. “I'd much rather have (smaller rosters) because of people who are maybe on vacation than have it on a date in which it's impossible for the (college-bound) players to play. It's just too late now.”
Argaez, president of the Erie Premier Sports staff, also mentioned the abundance of local summer soccer camps as another reason for the matches' earlier start time.
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Gannon recruits
Fort LeBoeuf graduate Maggie Morrison will represent the County girls Friday.
Scheduled to play in the boys match are Joshua Howells (Girard) for the County and Amar Al Balkhi (Erie High) for the City.
The next time those three appear on McConnell's new field turf will be as Gannon freshmen.
Morrison is listed as a freshman forward for its women's soccer team, which is coached by Colin Petersen. Howells and Al Balkhi are listed as a midfielders for coach Billy Colton and the Gannon men.
For subscribers: Meet the 2021 Erie Times-News Boys Soccer District 10 and Region All-Stars
Back at McConnell
Gannon also hosted the 2021 all-star matches. Each was played after a year's absence because of COVID-19 safety precautions.
McDowell graduate Alayna Wicker scored the lone goal in the City girls' 1-0 victory a year ago. The City boys, behind a hat trick by Cathedral Prep graduate Jack Foht, won 4-3.
2021: City wins both matchups of 14th annual City/County All-Star Soccer Game
Wicker scored five times during her first season for Division II Clarion. Foht recorded nine goals as a forward for Division III John Carroll.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Villa Maria soccer stars reunite for Erie City-County all-star match
