When a league is successful, what does it do? It expands, right?

That formula has worked for the NFL, the NHL, the NBA and the Big Ten, which has 12 schools, and the PAC-10.

So, it only makes sense that Chuck Etta is considering expanding the Ohio Valley Women's College Soccer League.

A Sewickley resident, Etta started the league three years ago. He did it to give area college players a venue to maintain and sharpen their skills during summer vacation.

"There really isn't any other place to play," said Jonna Handra, a South Allegheny High School graduate who will be a junior forward/midfielder on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte team this fall. "There are club teams out there but nowhere for college players to go.

"It's good just to go out and get some touches [on the soccer ball] in a game situation."

The league, which concluded play at the end of July, had four teams again this summer. One had mostly Division I college players on it, another had mostly Division II college players, a third Division III players and a fourth was a mix of NAIA, Division III and high school players.

"I will tell you that I thought the level of play was much better this year, more competitive," Etta said. "Naturally, the other teams wanted to beat the team of Divsion I players."

Two games were played Saturday afternoons at the Robert Morris University soccer field and enough players showed up each week so that games were almost always 11 on 11.

All of which has Etta thinking about expanding, but not in Western Pennsylvania.

"To add two more teams would mean increasing the size of the league by 50 percent and I don't think that's possible," he said. "Then I started thinking, 'How about another geographical area? Like maybe around Lancaster.' If we'd duplicate what we have here out there then maybe we could have an East-West all-star game and play one [game] here and one out there in the summer."

All of that could be in the future. As for the present, Etta was pleased with the way things went this summer and that the league continues to grow.

"We had about 100 girls and about 40 colleges were represented," he said. "We had about 25 girls on a team, which is what you need because many of them have jobs and with vacations everybody can't make all of the games. This way it worked out that we always had enough for full-team games.

"I've learned that if you have 25 on a team about 10 won't be able to make it [to games]. That way, teams always have enough."

Dawn Murphy is a North Allegheny High School graduate who will be a sophomore on the women's team at Washington & Jefferson College. She played in the league last summer and noticed a difference in the level of competition.

"It's not like playing a pick-up game. It's pretty competitive," she said. "Last year I think there were a couple times we played eight on eight, but I don't think that happened this year."

Murphy played on the Division III team with a number of players from Westminster, which competes against W&J in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

"I know a lot of the girls [in the league] because I played against them in soccer or basketball in high school," she said. "It's nice to be on the same team with people you've gone against."

It's also nice to have an opportunity to play different positions. Because the players coach themselves and set their own alignments, those who usually play defense for their college teams get a chance to play forward or midfield.

"Everybody is pretty flexible," Murphy said. "I played center midfield in high school but was at sweeper last year," said Murphy, who had two goals and an assist at W&J. "It was nice to play center-mid again."

Playing in the Ohio Valley League is also a good way for players to keep in shape. Murphy pointed out there is a difference between game-shape and just working out.

"I run 5 miles every day but I get out there in a game and I'm huffing and puffing after 30 minutes," she said.

For Stephanie Buckenheimer, a recent Beaver Area High School graduate, playing in the league was a great way to make the transition from high school to college. She will play at Division II Slippery Rock University in the fall.

"I was able to meet some of the players I'm going to be going to Slippery Rock with," she said. "I was on the Division II team and when we played the Division I team, it was competitive."

Being able to compete on the same field with older players and those attending Division I programs helped boost Buckenheimer's confidence.

"I knew some of the girls I was playing with," she said. "They made sure if I had any questions, I knew what was going on."

One of the few downsides to the summer for Etta is the league didn't attract more high school players. He said there were about 15.

"I expected more," he said.

But he understands that high school players can still participate on age-group traveling teams and that many of them attend soccer camps. That's not the case for the college players.

"We had a couple players from over in Youngstown and a couple came up from West Virginia," Etta said. "With the games at Robert Morris it's pretty easy for players to get there from all over."

The cost for the players was the same as last season -- $100 for the season and that included a jersey.

Players interested in playing in the league next summer can contact Etta at www.pghthunder@aol.com

Brittany Grabski, left, a Hopewell High graduate who plays at Westminster College, and Jennilee Morrison, who has played for Jeannette High School and Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa., go up to head a ball in Ohio Valley Women's College Soccer League action last month at Robert Morris University.

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