Stanchina goes from foe to Huskies’ front row
Owatonna striker Ava Stanchina races to a loose ball in the Huskies’ game against Lakeville North last weekend. Stanchina made her OHS soccer debut last week against Farmington after transferring to Owatonna from Northfield this year. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips
The Owatonna girls soccer team has a new face headlining its attack this season as Northfield transfer student-athlete Ava Stanchina has joined head coach Nate Gendron’s squad as a senior for the team’s 2022 campaign.
Stanchina came to Owatonna last April after her family moved, ending her time as Owatonna’s fated foe and beginning a new chapter as a potential Huskies hero.
“It’s been great so far. All of the girls have been so welcoming. It’s a great team, and I think everyone shares common goals. I’ve started school already, too, and the teachers have been so helpful. Everything has just been really good so far,” she said.
Stanchina plans to make her name well known with Huskies fans this season as the striker brings a big-time scoring presence to the squad.
Already committed to North Dakota State University to play soccer next fall, Stanchina’s game is fast-paced and displays the high-level striking prowess that has made her Northfield’s leading scorer over the past two seasons.
“I think my speed and aggressiveness are the two biggest factors in my game. They’re what help me get me the opportunities I need to score – and I love scoring. It’s why I play forward.”
According to Stanchina, the change in tactics from her previous school to Owatonna has been relatively smooth as she is familiar with the formations and strategies the Huskies use due to playing in a similar system with her club team in the off-season.
After coming off a 9-8 season, Stanchina hopes to be the offensive threat that Owatonna will lean on to push the team toward the top of the Big Nine Conference pack.
Owatonna scored four or more goals in just six of 17 games last season, losing five games by one goal, and failing to secure a point with any draws last season.
Stanchina’s arrival in Owatonna could not have come at a better time for the team, as the Huskies will have a loaded away schedule this season with nine of 15 games being on the road.
Scoring on the road will be essential for Owatonna to contend with the competition and position itself with a strong playoff seeding.
While Stanchina will not get the opportunity to play her former team during the regular season in 2022, Owatonna’s striker said that she is hopeful a match-up with the Raiders will materialize sometime down the line in the playoffs.
Fans can watch Stanchina and the Huskies compete next when the team travels to Albert Lea for a match on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.