Canon-McMillan falls to Seneca Valley 2-1
Canon-McMillan players including Ian Brumbaugh (No. 9) Brandon Byer (No. 7), Nathan Cathell (No. 28) walk off the field dejected after losing to Seneca Valley, 1-0, in the PIAA soccer playoffs.
Nick Sodini (No. 16) of Canon-McMillan and Jorge Olan (No. 8) from Seneca Valley battle for the soccer ball during PIAA Class AAA boys’ soccer quarterfinal action.
Matt Saluga (No. 23) from Seneca Valley attempts to stop Luke Maher (No. 10) of Canon-McMillan from getting the soccer ball during PIAA Class AAA boys’ soccer quarterfinal playoff game.
WEXFORD – Canon-McMillan’s boys soccer team has developed a knack for scoring clutch goals and no matter the opponent, the Big Macs have found a way to win.
Each of their five postseason wins, including the WPIAL championship victory last Friday, were decided by one goal.
Saturday night, the clutch goal never came.
Seneca Valley scored with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation and held on to defeat the Big Macs, 1-0, in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals at North Allegheny High School.
The Raiders (17-2-1), who lost to C-M in the WPIAL semifinals on a late goal, advanced to the semifinals to face Springfield, a 2-1 winner over Fox Chapel.
The Big Macs’ season ends with a 19-4 record, which matches their win total from 2012, when they won their first WPIAL title.
“I’m proud of the guys,” Canon-McMillan head coach Larry Finger said. “To go from not being ranked in the top five by most publications in the preseason, go to win the section and have the year we’ve had; I told the guys there’s no way we’re hanging our heads.”
Seneca Valley’s physical, possession-minded style leads to long stretches of controlling pace of play. Canon-McMillan excelled when the Raiders, the WPIAL’s third-place team, found room in the attacking third, but it was a counterattack that made the difference.
After a turnover, Seneca Valley senior midfielder Griffin Mathew ran over a long pass down the sideline and took it to the corner, where he fired a quick cross near the Big Macs’ goal and senior midfielder Matt Saluga was there to redirect it into the far side net with 10:14 remaining in regulation. The Raiders used four defenders to hold on for the win.
After missing on several chances in the first half and the previous matchup in the WPIAL playoffs, Seneca Valley head coach George Williams was relieved to finally get a goal.
“We’re very, very happy about that,” Williams said of the goal. “Canon-Mac is a good team. They’re very disciplined and they have a lot of good players. Getting a goal on them is extremely difficult. Not many teams have scored on them this year. We knew it was a big task.”
The goal came after Seneca Valley nearly scored twice in the first half, but Canon-McMillan senior goalkeeper Christian Snatchko, who was selected all-state, made two diving saves. He stopped a high header and dove to his right to stop a shot from 10 yards out just before halftime.
Though Canon-McMillan was held to two shots on net, it created several scoring chances, but could not capitalize near the Raiders’ net with many loose balls being cleared by defenders.
The match was scoreless at halftime and Fingers wanted to help his players adjust to the Raiders’ movement on offense and create space in the midfield. The Big Macs made the adjustment, but unlike the two teams’ last meeting, a goal was elusive.
Senior striker Nick Sodini, who was also selected all-state, narrowly missed the net on a header attempt and junior striker Andrew Balog redirected a shot just wide.
“I told them if we figured out two of their guys, we’d be fine,” Fingers said. “We figured it out, but it happens. We gave up a goal and missed a couple skirmishes in the box to try to put one in. There’s nothing to be upset about. We just came up short.”
The Big Macs’ quick style was slowed drastically by a number of foul calls and three yellow cards. Fingers, Canon-McMillan junior center back Ryan Burke and Seneca Valley senior midfielder Jorgan Olan were carded as emotions ran high.
As it did in 2012, the Big Macs’ state title run ended in the quarterfinals against a WPIAL opponent.
“I thought we played a lot better today than we have for a large piece of the playoffs,” Fingers said. “Some outside things changed the pace of the game. It didn’t’ affect the outcome of the game, but it definitely affected the style of the game to say the least. Things got a little bit tense and emotions started going on both sides and that’s what breaks a game down. You start losing that technique and focus on how you want to play.”