Bentworth advances to state soccer final for 1st time
JOHNSTOWN – Bentworth's high-powered offense had been held to one goal or less in four straight matches before "exploding" for two goals in a 2-0 triumph over McConnellsburg Tuesday night in the semifinals of the PIAA Class A boys soccer championship at Price Field on the campus of Westmont Hilltop Elementary School.
The Bearcats improved to 22-0-0 and will play Lancaster Mennonite (16-3-1) Friday afternoon for the state championship. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg.
Bentworth will be playing for its first state title in program history.
"We will have to get to the books and start learning about Lancaster Mennonite," Bentworth coach Nick Malarbi said. "Camp Hill has always been a solid program, so for Lancaster Mennonite to beat them, we know it is going to be a tough game.
We know there will be a huge turnout from our community for the championship game."
Malarbi's team might be without senior defender Gaige Davenport for the championship game. Davenport went down with an ankle injury with 18:27 left in the second half.
"Who knows, maybe the x-rays come back clean and he springs out of bed tomorrow morning, but I don't think it's looking that way," Malarbi said.
The Bearcats needed penalty kicks to defeat Our Lady of the Sacred Heart to win their second straight WPIAL championship after neither team scored in regulation and double overtime, then won in the first round and quarterfinals of the state tournament by scores of 1-0.
Bentworth scored against McConnellsburg (19-4-1) on its first shot on target, with 14:43 left in the first half, when Adam Moessner's ball was retrieved by Billy Moyer, who buried the shot to the left of McConnellsburg goalkeeper Reese Alexander for a 1-0 lead.
The Spartan faithful believed Moyer was offside on the play.
"They called offside, and we saw it differently, but we had other opportunities to score," McConnellsburg coach Chris Mellott said. "Being down late in the game changes how everything is played, but that is all part of the game."
Mellott was proud of his team's effort and the season they had.
"We came into our district tournament as the No. 3 seed, to come back and win the championship by beating a team that we lost to twice in the regular season," Mellott said. "We only lose two seniors, and it was a tremendous accomplishment to get back to the state semifinals after making it two years ago."
The Bearcats maintained possession for the majority of the first 15 minutes but couldn't generate a shot on goal.
The Spartans had four shots on target over the next 10 minutes that were stopped by DJ Hays, including a header by Hoyt Glenn that was snagged by Hays.
Hays, a senior, made six saves for the clean sheet. Bentworth has won 11 straight matches by shutout.
"Honestly, it's just something you do in the moment," Hays said. "It's really all reactionary. My team helped me this whole year, so it's only right I step up when they need it. We will definitely watch film on Lancaster Mennonite and get ready for Friday."
McConnellsburg, who entered the state tournament as the District 5 champion, tested Hays early in the second half as Glenn put another shot on goal.
Ryan Moessner had a shot on goal in the 28th minute that Alexander pushed over the net, but the Bearcats earned a corner kick that produced a shot that hit the crossbar a minute later.
Adam Moessner fed a ball to his brother, Ryan, inside the Spartans' box, but his header was wide of the target.
Ryan Moessner didn't miss his second opportunity for a goal with 5:33 remaining in the first half when he went low and left to convert on a penalty kick and a 2-0 advantage after McConnellsburg was called for a foul in the box. The tally was Moessner's 45th of the season and 88th in his career.
"I don't really look at the keeper when I am ready to take a penalty," said the Bentworth junior. "I tend to just focus on my shot, and if the keeper makes a good save, he makes a good save. He guessed the wrong way and I was glad to put the game away."
