It will be a downsizing year for the Beaver Area boys' soccer team, but expectations will remain high for the defending Section 4-AA champions.

One of the taller and more physical teams in Class AA last season, the Bobcats this year will be relying on smaller quicker players. Their tallest starters stand between 5 feet 10 and 6-0.

"All in all, we have to play the ball on the ground, which is our thing anyway," veteran head coach Sig Brauch said.

"When we put the ball in the air, in most cases, we get outjumped. The kids are smaller but we have picked up some great skill in these young players. All of them are playing on a Cup team and that is year-round practice. We have a lot of speed but in the long run our strength is soccer know-how. These players have a lot of skill."

The Bobcats, who were 18-4 overall, claimed the section title last year with a 13-1 mark. They defeated Belle Vernon, 4-0, in the first round of the playoffs before falling to South Park, 4-1, in the quarterfinals.

Beaver opens its season Saturday at Portersville Christian in a game at Geneva College. The Bobcats begin the defense of their section title Tuesday at Mohawk.

The defense will be led by returning senior starters Alex Amati and Austin Maddox. They will be joined by sophomore Jonathan Berger, who saw steady time last season.

Senior forward Jon Brauch, the coach's son, and junior Ryan Conley are returning starters who will try to pick up the scoring void left with the graduation of David Buckenheimer, an attacking midfielder and all-state player who scored 36 of his 92 career goals last season and added 28 assists.

"Conley and Brauch are not Buckenheimer," Sig Brauch said. "They are not as skilled as working the ball free and getting that shot on goal, but they worked well together and they can shoot.

"Conley has a tremendous shot and Brauch does, too."

Brauch believes his midfield will be the strength of the team with junior Sam Sestito and sophomore Zach Fisher returning as starters. Tom Feldmeier will see time at the midfield wing with four freshmen vying for playing time on the left wing.

Freshmen Sean O'Neil, Grant Mundy, Andrew Scheidemantel and Josh Turnley are expected to contribute this year on varsity and have filled in while some veterans are coming back from injuries.

Chris Lloyd decided to focus on hockey and did not come out for the team, but the Bobcats return senior Logan Noll, who will be the goalie this year.

Last year marked the ninth consecutive season Beaver has advanced to the WPIAL playoffs. Brauch attributes the success to players continuing to play well after the WPIAL season has ended.

"The soccer players that we have had were soccer players," Brauch said. "They were year-round players. They would play Cup and indoor and be on select teams.

"Before that we had a bunch of athletes who were enthusiastic about playing soccer and had some skill, but that was before the trend of year-round soccer. The year-round soccer has helped us and it was evident over the last nine or 10 years."