Somerset boys fall to Belle Vernon in PIAA Class 2A 1st round
· Yahoo Sports
BELLE VERNON, Pa. – Somerset’s boys soccer season started at Belle Vernon with a preseason scrimmage. Thursday, the Golden Eagles’ campaign ended on the same sandy-looking field.
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District 7 champion Belle Vernon scored three goals in the second half to come away with a 3-0 win over District 5-8 champion Somerset and advance to the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals Saturday.
After an evenly played first half, it was the Leopards (19-1-2) who dominated the second to pull away for the win.
“It really wasn’t because of something they did different,” Somerset coach Mark Wassilchalk said. “We really started keeping the ball on the foot too much. When we do that, some guys wear themselves out.
“When we move the ball, we can be dangerous, but when we’re carrying too much, we get ourselves in trouble. That’s what happened tonight.”
While the Leopards had more chances in the opening half, the Golden Eagles looked poised to take an early lead.
A great ball was sent in right to the foot of Hoyt Emert, but Belle Vernon goalkeeper Morgan Bunch came off his line and made a sliding save. Somerset followed with another shot, but Belle Vernon’s Landon Bell slid to block it and keep the ball off frame.
“We had a great opportunity there and their keeper made a great save,” Wassilchalk said. “You could really see the momentum swing there.”
The Leopards applied enough pressure to force five corner-kick opportunities in the first half, but Somerset’s defense and goalkeeper Deegan Pile were up to the task to keep the game scoreless at halftime.
“We came out a little lackadaisical defensively and offensively,” Belle Vernon coach Tyler Caterino said. “I don’t know if it was that hangover from Saturday’s game. The passes weren’t crisp enough. The touches weren’t there. They almost made us pay for it.”
The Leopards broke through with 31:19 remaining in the second half.
Jordan Jerome, the goal- scoring hero in the District 7 championship game, got his team on the board. After a great touch from teammate Gavin Metzger, Jerome touched the ball back to his right foot, turned and sent a rocket into the top right corner of the goal.
“Once they get that first one, you kind of have to break from what you’re doing to try to get that tying goal,” Wassilchalk said. “They’re a great team and they definitely carried the play in the second half and really applied the pressure.”
The Leopards were awarded a corner kick with just over 20 minutes remaining. As the ball bounced around in front, Jerome got a good header on frame, but Somerset’s Dominic Gardner intentionally committed a handball and punched it over the goal.
Belle Vernon was awarded a penalty kick, and Gardner was shown a red card, ending his junior season.
Leopards junior Chris Showman hammered home the penalty kick to make it 2-0.
Metzger scored with 45 seconds remaining.
“I think we had a conversation at halftime that we should have never had to have at this point of the season,” Caterino said. “We needed to be more intense. We really turned it up a notch in the second half.”
The Golden Eagles (14-3-4) never seriously threatened over the closing 20 minutes thanks to strong fundamental play from Belle Vernon’s defensive unit of Bell, Mason Glassburn, Carter Stairs, Cason Blair and Dom Pireaux.
Bunch also remained steady in goal, though he wasn’t called on to make the type of spectacular saves in the second half that he did in the first.
“If Morgan doesn’t make that save, it could be an entirely different game,” Caterino said. “He’s an amazing shot stopper and he’s always there whenever we need to call upon him to settle things down or make the big save. We couldn’t be more thankful he’s on our side.”
For Somerset, the season ends with a District 5 championship and plenty of optimism moving forward.
Wassilchalk – a Belle Vernon graduate – said the Golden Eagles made significant strides from that preseason scrimmage to Thursday’s state playoff matchup.
“When you look back at the scrimmage here, we weren’t anywhere close in that game,” he said.
“Tonight, we were in this, particularly in the first half. I mean, these guys came a long way.
“We changed some style, we changed some personnel and went through a lot of growth.
“We’re a district champion and we’re here because we have 31 guys on this roster pushing each other.
“We lose four seniors that were important to this program, but we’re a pretty young team. We’ll get back started in December with some indoor and start building for next season.”
Belle Vernon will face District 7 third-place finisher North Catholic in a rematch of the district semifinal Saturday at a site and time to be determined.