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Thursday, September 27, 2001

By Paul Zeise and Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

SCHOOL: Shady Side Academy

WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-1 senior who is considered one of the best soccer players in the WPIAL.

	Shady Side's Tom Sochacki (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

LAST WEEK: Has scored four goals and five assists in the Indians' past five games. The Indians are 4-0-1 in those games.

SEASON/CAREER: He is tied for sixth in the WPIAL and leads the Indians with 11 goals and 12 assists. Has led the Vikings to a 7-2-1 record and a No. 4 ranking in WPIAL Class AA. He has 38 goals and 34 assists in his career.

MORE SPORTS: Although soccer is his top sport, Sochacki is also a three-year starter at guard for the Indians' basketball team and will start at third base and pitcher for the baseball team. He also plays baseball for West Hempfield American Legion in the summer and plays for the elite Beadling Soccer club year round. His father, Tom Sr., played baseball at West Virginia and in the Rookie League.

LONG DRIVE: Shady Side Academy is located in Fox Chapel. Sochacki lives in New Stanton, nearly 50 minutes away. "At first, the commute was tough," said Sochacki, who leaves for school at 6:30 a.m. every day. "Now, I'm used to it, so it's not so bad."

BIG THRILL: Sochacki hit a buzzer-beater to lift the Indians to a 62-61 upset victory over top-ranked Aliquippa in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals. He said it was the high point of his basketball career.

MORE THRILLS: Last summer, Sochacki was selected to play for the Continental Alliance National Team (soccer) and traveled to Germany and Austria to play against European All-Star teams. This year, he made the Super Clubs National Team and played in England and Wales.

HEALTHY AT LAST: Last season was frustrating for Sochacki because he missed most of all three sports seasons with a nagging knee injury. "I missed more games last year than the rest of my life combined."

COACH'S COMMENT: Shady Side soccer Coach Harry Fleischman said "he is the key to our team because he scores in every game. He doesn't just rack up numbers against bad teams, he can score against anyone. Offensively, he runs the show for us."

-- By Paul Zeise

SCHOOL: Mars

WHO IS SHE? A sophomore forward on the Mars girls' soccer team, which is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class AA by the Post-Gazette.

THE PAST WEEK: Bugel scored a goal in the Planets' 2-0 victory against Deer Lakes on Monday. Last Wednesday, she scored a goal in a 2-1 victory against Freeport.

SEASON: Bugel is among the top goal-scorers in Class AA with 11. Mars is 9-0-1 overall and 7-0 in Section 3.

CAREER: Bugel was Mars' leading goal-scorer a year ago with 20 and helped the team win the WPIAL Class AA title. Mars has not lost a regular-season game since 1999. The only blemish on the Planets' record this year is a scoreless tie with Hampton, the No. 1-ranked Class AAA team.

"Mallory has great ball skills," said Mars Coach Dale Giovengo. "She's very tenacious and she's extremely quick. Of course, she has a great shot, too."

SWEPT AWAY: Giovengo saw Bugel play numerous times before she got to high school. He was impressed, but Bugel usually played the sweeper position. Giovengo had other plans for her.

"When she came to the high school team, I asked her to convert to forward because we needed someone there," Giovengo said. "She's made a good transition to the position."

BUGEL BOYS: In the spring, Bugel plays for two teams -- the Pittsburgh Strikers and the Mars Soccer Club boys' team. Mars has a girls' team in the spring, but Bugel elects to play on the boys' team.

"The boys are a lot faster and stronger. It's more challenging with them," Bugel said. "It makes me a better player. It's a different kind of game with the boys. It's a much faster game, and they're more skilled."

FAMOUS NAME: Bugel's father, Gary, grew up in Munhall and is a cousin to Joe Bugel, a former NFL head coach for the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders.

-- By Mike White