Oct 25, 2017 5 min read

MCMURRAY – Top-seeded West Allegheny scored twice late to break open a close game and defeat upset-minded Belle Vernon 4-1 Wednesday night in the WPIAL Class AAA boys soccer quarterfinals at Peters Township High School.

It capped a rough night for local team as Class A’s top-seeded North Catholic blanked Bentworth 4-0 in the opening game of the doubleheader.

“They are a talented team and there is no shame in losing to them” BV coach Rob Miele said of West Allegheny. “I think this season, as a whole, was good and only one team ever meets their expectations and that is the state champion.”

West Allegheny (18-1-1) scored first as Fletcher Amos gave the Indians a 1-0 lead when he scored form 20 yards out with 34:50 to play in the first half.

The score remained 1-0 into the second half, and the Leps (14-5-1) had a solid chance to tie the score with 35:33 to play, but it wasn’t to be.

Markello Apodiakos had a breakaway and dribbled down outside of the right hash and set up Hunter Martin with a shot from 15 yards out, but he airmailed it above the net and through the football goal post.

The Indians made the score 2-0 with 30:34 to play when Gabe Haines scored.

BV goalkeeper Cam Guess came out of the box to play the ball, but Haines chipped the loose ball over Guess, played it and shot it in past a Belle Vernon defender who attempted to head the ball out of danger.

Belle Vernon cut the lead in half minutes later as Apodiakos was awarded a penalty kick after being run over from behind in the box.

Apodiakos was playing the ball forward at full speed and he tried to stop which drew contact and the penalty kick.

After Apodiakos drilled the goal with 28:37 to play, his 37th and only the tenth the Indians have given up all season, the Leopards had the momentum.

The Indians were primed to extend the lead after Apodiakos was called for a yellow card and moved the ball towards the net and just as Steven Abbott was about to receive a pass and have a one-on-one against Guess, BV defender Mark Lovett reached out at the last second with his leg to deflect the pass with 24:17 to play and maintain the one goal difference.

Miele pulled Guess out of goal with 13 minutes to go and put Jake Sepesky in so that Guess could play midfield.

Miele pulled Guess out of goal with 13 minutes to go and put Jake Sepesky in so that Guess could play midfield.

“The guys know what Cam brings us and whether you lose 2-1 or 3-1, we had no choice,” said Miele. “We had a couple of opportunities but what are you going to do.”

West Allegheny put the match away when Evan Blunkosky scored on Sepesky with 9:05 to go, and Blunkosky added another with 3:32 to play.

Miele talked about his first season as coach and his seniors.

“I think this season, as a whole, was good and only one team ever meets their expectations and that is the state champions,” he said. “We graduate nine players and they welcomed me with open arms and it isn’t always easy to have seniors who was set in their ways.

“I wish them the best and we have work to do with the guys coming back.”

North Catholic, 4-0

Bentworth saw its season come to an end with a 4-0 loss to top-seeded Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in the Class A quarterfinals.

“We are right there and (North Catholic) is a good team,” said Bentworth coach Gary Amos. “One of these years.”

Bentworth’s strategy was to mark Joe Kearney, North Catholic’s leading scorer, and Mitchell Loughman did a great job.

But with Bentworth trailing 1-0 halfway through the second half, Amos said his team had to adjust and Kearney, who had a hat trick in North Catholic’s first-round win over Quigley Catholic, recorded three goals within six minutes and 15 seconds to make the score 4-0 with 11:08 to play.

“We lost the last two years in the quarterfinals by one goal, and with 20 minutes left we took Mitchell off of him,” said Amos. “We wanted to try and score a goal to get back in the game.

“As soon as we adjusted, within a few minutes, Kearney scored, then he scored again, and again.”

North Catholic’s Bryce Kopchak opened the scoring with 29:21 to play in the first half off of a rebound on a deflected shot. It was the only goal of the half.

North Catholic controlled play for most of the first half and finished with 10 shots on goal to Bentworth’s two.

Levi Jordan had Bentworth’s first shot on goal with 25:01 left in the first half. Even when the Bearcats would push the ball down into North Catholic’s end, they couldn’t generate many quality attacks.

“We had some chances on some free kicks and different things,” Amos said. “We just couldn’t get the tying goal.”

Bentworth had its first chance of the second half with 29:02 remaining when Jacob Davis played a free kick in from 43 yards out, and Jordan tried to play it in front of the left post on a header, but it skimmed out of bounds.

“Had we scored a goal, we could have stayed on Kearney,” said Amos. “We played the right ball (toward the goal) but we couldn’t get it directed there.”

Bentworth would not challenge again and Kearney recorded the hat trick to send the Trojans to the semifinals.

Amos praised his senior class, which includes eight starters and 13 players.

“They have been great and six of them play Cup soccer and play year-round,” said Amos.

“This is the most skilled class I have had in 12 years, some of them started four years and a lot started for three. We are going to miss them.”