Kruczek’s foot puts Canon-McMillan back in semifinals
Fox Chapel’s Charlie Connelley, left, and Canon-McMillan’s Nick Sodini battle for possession during the second half Thursday.
Canon-McMillan celebrates while Fox Chapel players sit in shock after the Big Macs’ wins 1-0 Thursday night.
WEXFORD – For the second year in a row, Canon-McMillan received a tough road in the Class AAA boys soccer WPIAL playoffs. The Big Macs don’t mind.
Last year’s run ended in a WPIAL title, and after a strong showing Thursday night they are one step closer to repeating a championship run.
Junior forward Josh Kruczek, who was the Canon-McMillan’s hero in last year’s title game, led the Big Macs to a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Fox Chapel in the Class AAA quarterfinals at North Allegheny High School.
Fox Chapel had allowed only eight goals all season and the Foxes were seeking the school’s first WPIAL title since 1995. The Big Macs had other plans.
“We attacked in the first half and most importantly, we survived,” Canon-McMillan head coach Larry Fingers. “We stuck to our guns, but got away from it in the second half and almost paid for it. When we took our foot off the gas and gave up some chances around the goal.”
Fox Chapel’s defensive prowess was on display early with the Foxes clogging passing lanes and limiting scoring opportunities. Using a patient approach, Fox Chapel’s playmakers set up scorers with touch passes in the Big Macs’ end. The flawless approach set the Foxes up with five corner kicks in the first half – none of which they capitalized on.
It took one scoring opportunity for Canon-McMillan to secure an early lead. After a costly turnover at midfield by Fox Chapel, Big Macs junior forward Jake Wilcox had a throw-in opportunity. Wilcox tossed the ball high, and Kruczek leapt into the air; knocking the ball down with his chest. Kruczek gathered the loose ball to the left side of Foxes senior goalkeeper Jacob Henry and fired a shot at a drastically narrow angle that went over Henry’s shoulder and into the far top corner of the net with 16:49 remaining in the first half.
“It’s a special time of the year; it’s like Christmas,” Kruczek said. “Teams come at each other differently than in the regular season. It’s really rewarding and we’re happy to have pulled this off. We’ve been dealing with injuries and sickness. We hope to go further.”
The Big Macs advance to the semifinals of the WPIAL tournament, which they won last year by defeating Upper St. Clair behind a game-winning goal by Kruczek. The win sets up a rematch against Section 5 rival Peters Township and an interesting storyline for Canon-McMillan. On Oct. 8, the Big Macs lost to Peters Township 3-1, when they gave up three unanswered goals in the second half – losing the opportunity to gain a higher seed in the WPIAL playoffs.
Since the devastating loss, the Big Macs have outscored opponents 13-3 in five games. The Foxes piled on a barrage of shots in the second half, set up by six corner kicks, but each attempt was stifled by Canon-McMillan sophomore goalkeeper Christian Snatchko, who recorded his 13th shutout of the season.
“Peters played a great game in the second half and scored on three set pieces,” Fingers said. “We adjusted how we defended the plays and it definitely showed tonight. We’ve changed the team’s defensive mentality and have been stressed accountability.”