NEWFANE —
There wasn’t a room big enough to contain the love and excitement Thursday as Newfane senior Gabriella Balseca reaped the benefits of an outstanding scholastic and academic Lady Panthers career.
Accompanied by her parents, Jose and Michele, and sister, Amber, and the cream of the crop in Newfane administrators, Balseca signed a National Letter of Intent to attend St. Bonaventure University in Olean, where she’ll play soccer.
There were plenty of hugs when the Balsecas arrived at the high school. There to greet the Newfane family were not only Newfane High School principal Thomas Stack, Newfane athletics director Douglas Ames and Gabby’s Lady Panthers head coach Linea Fetzer, but Newfane School Superintendent Christine Tibbetts as well.
“She’s just an outstanding young lady. It’s going to be very tough to replace her,” Ames said.
Fetzer and Ames described Balseca as a quiet, humble person.
“She’s going to be missed, not only by her coach, but by her team and the Niagara-Orleans League,” said Fetzer, whose team has captured the Section VI girls soccer championship in each of the last two seasons.
“Other teams and other players always looked up to her. We wish her the best of luck.”
Balseca netted 84 career goals and added 77 assists in her varsity girls soccer career, which began in the eighth grade.
This year, she scored 31 goals and had 14 assists, ranking second among Section VI points leaders for the 2011 fall season. She was the sectional Class B playoff points leader with 10 goals and two assists.
Besides Newfane, Gabby also plays for the Buffalo Soccer Academy Invaders as starting midfielder, a team that holds back-to-back state championship titles and has competed in the National League, playing against the best of the best girl soccer players in the nation.
“I want to be remembered as a leader and someone who tried to help her team and her teammates be the best they could be. Hard work pays off,” Gabby said. “Alexis Moreland was our captain and was a big part of my career, but everyone on our team did their job. I want to thank my parents and my coach, Linea, for their help and support over the years.”
Besides Amber, Gabby has an older brother, Jose.
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Related Photos
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Newfane High School senior Gabby Balseca, second from right, signs a Letter of Intent on Thursday to attend St. Bonaventure University on a soccer and academic scholarship. From left, first row, are Gabby’s sister, Amber, her father Jose, Gabby and her mom, Michele; second row, Newfane principal Thomas Stack, Newfane athletics director Douglas Ames, Lady Panthers girls soccer head coach Linea Fetzer and Newfane School Superintendent Christine Tibbetts. John D'Onofrio/Staff
Balseca is Bonnie bound
Newfane senior Gabby Balseca will play soccer at St. Bonaventure
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