Seneca Valley boys soccer can’t get revenge in loss to Fox Chapel that hurts WPIAL section title hopes
JACKSON TWP — In its chance at redemption against Fox Chapel, taking the lead was not the problem for Seneca Valley boys soccer.
Holding onto it was the task that proved too much for the Raiders.
SV held a pair of one-goal leads in the first half Tuesday, but saw both slip away before Fox Chapel’s Rocco Poli netted the deciding goal less than seven minutes into the second half in the Raiders’ 3-2 WPIAL Section 3-4A loss at NexTier Stadium.
The Foxes have accounted for both of SV’s losses this season, having already earned a 2-1 overtime win Sept. 9.
“I thought Fox Chapel’s play was steady throughout the game tonight, where as we were up and down,” SV coach George Williams said. “There were times we did spectacular things, then others when we had mental lapses and left openings for them.”
Less than nine minutes in, Michael Pokrzywinski staked the Raiders (10-2, 5-2) to an early lead on a breakaway following a pass from Jacob Prex.
Eight minutes later, Fox Chapel’s Carson Torres scored the equalizer.
“This game was played at a much faster pace than the first one,” Fox Chapel coach Erik Ingram said. “Instead of feeling each other out, both teams got after it right from the first whistle.”
SV’s second lead came with 20:53 left in the half when Foxes’ goalie Brady Matthews came out to challenge Prex on the right side of the net. Prex’s shot ricocheted off the goalie and toward the goal face, leaving Ben Baronner with what amounted to an empty-net goal.
Again, the Foxes (11-1, 7-0) answered with Sean Regan’s score eight minutes later.
The Raiders earned four corner kicks in the second half, along with several free kicks and throw-ins near Fox Chapel’s net. But Matthews made three of his four saves over the final 40 minutes, thwarting SV’s final chance with 10 seconds left.
“I was very happy with the chances we created,” Williams said. “I just wish we could have finished on a few of them.”
Said Ingram: “They attacked without mercy and had us on the ropes in the second half, but we were able to put up the zero.”
Chase Good stopped six shots for the Raiders.
The Foxes are the defending WPIAL Class 4A champions.
“We lost a lot of speed from last year’s team,” Ingram said. “Our players are learning to play a different style.
“We’ve had 11 or 12 players score, and our top three have a combined 21 goals.”
Despite the loss, Williams believes the blueprint is in place for success moving forward.
“At the start of the year, we had to figure out where some guys were going to play,” he said. “We now feel we have the best possible combination of players at the different positions.”
SV travels to Pine-Richland on Thursday.
