Meet Catawba County Soccer's 7 Unstoppable Female Scorers

With two games left in the regular season, Gabby Vatrano is already the all-time leading scorer in school history with 48 points.

Vatrano focused on club soccer in Charlotte during his sophomore and junior years. The Western Carolina University commit decided to come back and play on his high school team as a senior. She said it's good for her to be able to play for her school, especially considering the quality of the Bandidos team.

Maddie Hatley's presence is one of the reasons the team is doing so well. She leads the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference with 26 assists. This is two shy of the school's single-season record.

Hatley said she quickly formed a connection with Batrano.

“We didn't know if she was really coming back or not,” Hatley said. “But once I started playing and doing things like give and go, it just clicked.”

Head coach Rick Lester said Vatrano's biggest strength is his vision. “I can't teach you that,” he said. “You either get it or you don't, but she gets it.”

He said it also helps that she can score with either foot. Vatrano said he is working on developing both feet because it will be difficult to defend.

“In those situations where everyone is huddled together on the ball, you have to be able to go either way,” she said. “If you can't enforce it unilaterally, it's even harder to defend.”

Hickory's offense this year is led by a veteran senior and a freshman phenom. Together, they account for nearly half of Hickory's points this season.

Mia Zulueta started playing soccer at the age of 10. This is her senior year and so far she is Hickory College's leading scorer with 21 goals and eight assists. Her head coach Brian Jillings said he relies on her versatility and her desire to continue learning.

“Mia has good technique and a high soccer IQ,” he said. “She does a great job of creating space off the dribble and freeing herself up for shots, and is able to hit the ball with power and beat the keeper with deft touches.”

He added: “She has also worked hard on developing her non-dominant foot, which makes her more difficult to defend.”

Freshman Piper Jillings ranks second on the team with 14 points and paces the team with 10 assists.

“I always work hard to keep the ball and get the ball,” she said. “But I also like to put my teammates in good positions to score goals and bring out their best qualities.”

Her selflessness is also evident to Coach Jillings, who is also her father.

“(She's) someone who's probably more interested in creating opportunities for her teammates than creating opportunities for herself,” he said.

Piper's selflessness was also on display earlier this season when he switched positions to fill in for an injured teammate. “She'll play anywhere as long as it helps a good cause,” Coach Gillings said.

Piper said he hopes to win a state title this year and has a goal of playing Division I soccer in college.

Sophomore Emma Brown is poised to lead the Tigers in scoring for the second year in a row. She has 16 goals in 15 games and is looking to break Ford's career goals record.

It will be a long time before Brown breaks his school record of 95 goals. Brown scored 12 goals as a freshman. Coach Stanley Elliott said he thinks she might be the type of player to achieve her goals.

“Emma is driven. She has a unique talent for finding the back of the goal,” Elliott said. “She would want to line her up with anyone… She's happy that she wears our colors.”

He said the two things that set Brown apart are the power behind her shot and her explosive speed.

“She’s having a burst,” he said. “She's found a way to create space for herself with that explosive speed of hers… Her first three to five steps are very explosive.”

Isabella DeMartino had a breakout year as a sophomore last season. She led the team with 12 goals.

The junior led the Blue Devils to a 7-3 record and third place in the conference. DeMartino has taken on a more vocal role on a young team.

“Bella is definitely one of the vocal leaders on our team,” coach Taylor Smith said. “She's played a lot of soccer in her life, so the way she sees things on the field is different than a lot of girls. She's always proactive and wants her teammates to do their best.” I will encourage you to do your best.”

In elementary school, DeMartino was a multi-sport athlete. “I participated in gymnastics, ballet, softball and basketball,” she said. She said, “If I had the chance to play an active role, I would definitely like to participate.''

Smith said the key to DeMartino's success is her tenacity. “I think her work ethic is what sets her apart as the scorer she is,” Smith said. “Bella never gives up on the ball. She's always been one of the hardest workers on the field.”

DiMartino's goals for his senior year include becoming a better passer and attracting the attention of college recruiters. “My long-term goal is to play in college,” she said. “All my hard work over the years has finally paid off and I hope to be on a solid team in college.”

Freshman Vanessa Villa leads a balanced Newton-Conover attack with 17 goals in 15 games this season. Ingrid Garcia is a junior. She added nine goals and six assists in just 10 games.

Garcia said Villa's powerful shooting is what makes her a great scorer. “She's got really strong legs,” Garcia said. “She has really good footwork, so I'm confident she'll do well for the rest of her high school career.”

Villa said Garcia's decision-making is what sets her apart.

“She's a really smart player on the field,” Villa said. “I think she’s making the right decisions when she takes shots and when she gives passes.”

Despite being the team's top scorer, Villa still respects Garcia and his older sister Anahi. Anahi is a junior midfielder on the team. She leads the team with nine assists. Between school, home, and club soccer, the Garcia and Villa sisters have played together for years.

That connection is paying off for the Red Devils. “We have a lot of good players with really good shots,” Garcia said.

“I'm not the only one they have to look at,” Villa added. “Our winger, Taryn (Propst), has a really strong left foot and she just plays it. She's marking up often and people are paying attention to her.”