Nov 18, 2024 By Jonathan Guth 5 min read

MECHANICSBURG — Bentworth man-marked Lancaster Mennonite’s Msafiri Amisi in Friday’s match in the PIAA Class A boys soccer final at Eagle View Middle School, and the strategy worked for the first 88 minutes and 49 seconds, until the senior striker earned a free kick from 20 yards out in the first overtime.

Amisi, who entered the match with 20 goals this season, buried a left-footed blast through the wall put up by the Bearcats’ defense and to the left of goalkeeper DJ Hays to score the “golden goal” for the Blazers in their 1-0 overtime victory for the second state championship in program history.

“I couldn’t ask for a better way to end my high school career,” Amisi said. “The only sad thing about this is that I won’t get to play with these guys again. It was such an awesome feeling to score the game-winning goal. I didn’t get many chances, but I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity I was given.”

Lancaster Mennonite finished its season at 17-3-3. The Blazers won their first state title in 2011.

“He (Amisi) is a difference maker for us,” Lancaster Mennonite coach Fred Winey said. “He is just a special player. His touch, his vision and he just reads things and is so hard to mark. The fact that Bentworth altered what they normally do speaks to the awareness that he was the guy that makes us go. We couldn’t ask for a better guy to take that free kick, and it probably was going to take something like that to win this game.”

Bentworth suffered its first loss this year to finish at 22-1, but the Bearcats won their second straight — and overall — WPIAL championship and advanced to the state final for the first time in program history.

“It sucks to take it to OT,” Bentworth coach Nick Malarbi said. “You got a foul, and it was a foul, but you get a guy like that on the ball, he’s dangerous and he hit a shot that you’re not saving unless you are standing there. It was a fantastic shot. Obviously, congratulations to the champions. No doubt in my mind they are definitely a good team, and they earned the right to be here.

“The stands were filled and people were standing along the fence, and everyone complimented our fans. The energy in this place tonight was great, and Lancacster had a lot of fans here.”

Bentworth’s strategy limited Amisi to just two shots on target, as his first came with 13:15 left in the first half. Hays made a chest-high save that Amisi directed to the right of the cage. Hays stopped three shots in his final high school match.

Hays is one of six Bearcat seniors who finished their high school soccer careers.

Gaige Davenport, Aiden McMurray, Isaac Reynolds, Andrew Vipperman and Bryan Taylor will graduate next spring.

Davenport wasn’t able to play because of an ankle injury he suffered in the state semifinals, but Malarbi was pleased with the effort that was given in his defensive stalwart’s absence.

“We put Dillan Colbert back, and we also had Austin Hollier and Caden Hackinson in place of Davenport,” Malarbi said. “I thought they filled in admirably. Our guys only gave up five goals all season, one was in the state final, and one was against our backup keeper, so these varsity guys only gave up four goals all season. I didn’t even think that was possible, and it was not like we didn’t score on the other end.”

Bentworth didn’t have a shot on target in the first half, but won seven corner kicks and had an opportunity in the opening 10 minutes when Ryan Moessner sent in a free kick that Vipperman headed over the net.

A warning was issued to Lancaster’s Cooper Halvorsen and Hays with 26:17 left in the first half when Halvorsen went hard to the net and collided with Bentworth’s goalkeeper. The two exchanged words before the referee ordered the clock to be stopped and spoke to both players.

Moessner’s corner kick at 17:15 was snagged out of the air by Blazers goalkeeper Lucas Kratz.

Billy Colbert had a shot go wide of the net for Bentworth.

Caden Hackinson had the Bearcats’ first shot on target in the second half with 27:15 remaining but Kratz made the save, despite juggling the ball on his first touch. Lancaster Mennonite benefited from no rebound opportunity. Kratz stopped Moessner with 18:35 left in the second half. Kratz, a freshman, made two saves, and earned praise from Amisi.

“He (Kratz) is the best freshman in the league,” Amisi said. “I am so glad to have him on my team.”

Moessner had a shot go just over the cage three minutes into overtime.