C-M outlasts Bethel Park in WPIAL soccer playoffs
Canon-McMillan’s Andrew Balog tries to head in a ball past the goalie off of a teammate’s kick while Bethel Park’s goalie Cory Wiard grabs the ball preventing a goal during the first half of the game on Monday, October 26.
Canon-McMillan’s Brandon Byer (7) pushes past Bethel Park’s Michael Horgan during the first half of Monday night’s game.
Canon-McMillan’s Andrew Balog tries to take the ball from Bethel Park’s David Scott during the first half of the game.
CANONSBURG – It wasn’t a golden goal that proved to be the difference in Monday’s soccer first round match between Canon-McMillan and Bethel Park, but it was a golden boot.
And maybe a little bit of luck.
Luke Maher’s shot deflected off a Bethel Park player and into the net, helping Canon-McMillan survive the Black Hawks’ upset bid, coming back to win 2-1 Monday night at Memorial Stadium.
The fourth-seeded Big Macs (15-3) advance to play the Penn-Trafford Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
“I just cut to my left and hoped for the best,” said Maher. “It happened to take a deflection. You couldn’t get luckier.”
Maher, who has worn gold cleats since first picking up the game of soccer at a young age because of England and Manchester United star David Beckham, broke a 1-1 deadlock in the 50th minute. Working with teammate Brandon Byers in the corner, Maher received a back-heel pass from Byers, worked his way just inside the penalty area and unleashed a left-footed strike. The ball took just enough of a deflection to elude goalkeeper Cory Wiard to put the Big Macs ahead 2-1.
“Our goals are usually pretty clean, but tonight it’s playoff soccer, and you take whatever goes in,” said Canon-Mac coach Larry Fingers. “We’ll take the 2-1 win no matter how we get it.”
Luck played a factor in Canon-McMillan’s first goal, but its first goal was much more a work of individual skill and determination.
Defender Jonah Moore carried the ball down the left side, met a defender and muscled his way through, going down to the ground a couple of times but not losing possession, then managed to regain his feet, cut his way inside, then blasted a shot from 18 yards out that Wiard had no chance to stop.
The goal was Moore’s sixth of the season and erased the Big Macs’ 1-0 deficit.
“The last thing we wanted to do was concede first because they’re very good and very tenacious,” said Fingers. “We felt we’d have a handful if we conceded first. We had to chase the game.”
Conceding first is what Canon-Mac did following a defensive breakdown, one of few by the Big Macs, and resulted in David Conely poking in a loose ball from in close for the Black Hawks (8-8) just nine minutes into the game.
Fingers considered changing his team’s system in order to get a goal but, after conferring with his senior captains at halftime, elected to keep the status quo.
“We didn’t want to chase the game too much,” said Fingers.
After going ahead, the Big Macs pulled a couple players back into a more defensive system but did need to survive one last Bethel Park surge, with goalkeeper Christian Snatchko making a diving save with 54 seconds to go in the contest.