Catching Up With: Freedom's Danielle Bernotas, 2-time !

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Catching Up With: Freedom's Danielle Bernotas, 2-time Express-Times Girls occer !la"er o# the $ear
Da%id &ra'ss ( The Express-Times By Da%id &ra'ss ( The Express-Times Email the a'thor on March 02, 2014 at 5:15 PM Ask Danielle Bernotas hat she cherishes the !ost a"out her #ays of chool an# she%ll point to her tea!!ates

playin$ soccer at Freedom )igh an# her coach&

'(t%s the $roup of $irls ( $ot to play eek& ')o they

ith, the ca!ara#erie,' she sai# last

ere supporti*e after ( tore !y AC+& An# !y coach,

,eor$e -a.akos an# his lo*e for the $a!e&'

At ti!es, soccer

as *ery $oo# to Bernotas& She earne# All/State honors as as a t o/ti!e 12press/3i!es Player of the 4ear

a sopho!ore in 1005 an# in 1005 an# 1005&

Danielle Bernotas Soffa Courtesy photo

But if there

ere peaks, there

ere *alleys& She tore her AC+ prior to the 1006 season an# ha# to

atch

the Patriots 7inclu#in$ current 8ree#o! coach 9a!ie )alper: sol#ier on the top of the local soccer a"out orl#,

ithout her& She ha# $one fro!

ith colle$e recruiters knockin$ on the #oor, to a place of uncertainty

hether she coul# e*er play at the sa!e hi$h le*el a$ain&

)o e*er, Bernotas pro*e# resilient& After plenty of reha" an# ar!e#

ith #eter!ination, she "ounce#

"ack fro! the in;ury an# en;oye# a stellar senior season, scorin$ 20 $oals fro! her center !i#fiel# position an# earnin$ her secon# player of the year honor&

8unny thin$ a"out that AC+ in;ury, thou$h& (t also helpe# shape Bernotas% future& Many of the colle$es that ere recruitin$ her #isappeare#& So, instea# of $ettin$ out of Do#$e, or in her case, Bethlehe!,

Bernotas en#e# up roote# in the +ehi$h <alley&

'Before !y AC+, ( coul# ha*e $one so!e here else to play,' Bernotas sai#& 'But +afayette

as as no

intereste# in !e& 3hey thou$ht ( coul# still play& +afayette%s aca#e!ics are a!a.in$, so there =uestion in !y !in# a"out $oin$ there&'

At *a#a"ette,

here she !a;ore# in $o*ern!ent an# la , Bernotas% career

as rather "itters eet& She as na!e# a tea! captain

s itche# fro! !i#fiel# to #efense& (n;uries li!ite# her playin$ ti!e "ut she for her senior season in 2000&

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Catching Up With: Freedom's Danielle Bernotas, 2-time !press-"imes #irls $occer %%%

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'(t all

orke# out,' she sai#& '( en#e# up stayin$ here, ( en#e# up $ettin$ a ;o" here an# !eetin$ !y

hus"an# here&'

3o#ay, Bernotas is a custo!er e2perience an# infor!ation support !ana$er for the ,uar#ian +ife (nsurance Co!pany in Bethlehe!& She%s !arrie# to ?on Soffa an# they ha*e t o chil#ren, Shaye, 5, an# +ucas, 1 an# a half&

+ame: Danielle Bernotas Soffa *ocal connection: 8ree#o! )i$h School 7Class of 1005:> +afayette Colle$e 7Class of 2001: +ota,les: 3 o/ti!e 12press/3i!es ,irls Soccer Player of the 4ear 71005, 1005: 8irst/tea! All/State honoree 71005: Captain of the +afayette Colle$e o!en%s soccer tea! 72000: C'rrentl" resides: Bethlehe!

As a youn$ $irl, Bernotas took "allet an# #ance lessons "ut "eca!e intereste# in soccer as she ta$$e# alon$ her parents to ith

atch ol#er "rother 1ric, also a 8ree#o!

$ra# an# for!er 12press/3i!es Boys Soccer Player of the 4ear&

'( playe# *olley"all 7at 8ree#o!: an# also a little tennis, "ut soccer as !y sport,' she sai#&

+ike

hen they

ere $ro in$ up, the Bernotas si"lin$s continue to ser*e as each other%s "i$$est as #ia$nose# ith ly!pho!a& )o e*er, his sister reporte# last eek that it

supporter& +ast fall, 1ric

as in co!plete re!ission&

')e%s "een playin$ e*ery Danielle Bernotas sai#&

eeken# in a#ult lea$ues an# (%! sure he%s an2ious to resu!e playin$ a$ain,'

As for playin$ herself, the #e!an#s of

ork an# !otherhoo# as

ell as so!e of those ol# in;uries ha*e ith )alper an#

curtaile# Danielle%s a"ility to play& But that !ay chan$e& She%s thinkin$ a"out ;oinin$ up so!e of her other for!er tea!!ates an# hittin$ the pitch&

'@e2t year, a"solutely,' she sai#& '(t

oul# "e fun&'

An# so!ethin$ to cherish& "Catching Up With" is a weekly online feature that runs Sundays on lehighvalleylive.com. The subjects are former local high school or collegiate athletes who no longer live in the region. f you have an idea about an athlete you would like to see profiled! send an email to jfolck"e#press$times.com.

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