‘By George!’
LH junior records hat trick as Mustangs rally past Falcons
Laurel Highlands proved the legitimacy of the adage, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” in rallying from a two-goal deficit to defeat Connellsville, 3-2, on Monday in non-section boys soccer action at Mustang Field on the campus of Laurel Highlands High School.
The Mustangs (2-6-1, 5-8-1) have one more Section 2-3A match remaining at Albert Gallatin (0-8-0, 2-11-0), which they must win to stay in the WPIAL playoff hunt. A victory and three losses or two setbacks and one draw by Uniontown (3-4-0, 6-5-0) would clinch a postseason berth for Laurel Highlands.
The Red Raiders have section matches remaining with Ringgold (5-0-4, 7-2-4), Thomas Jefferson (5-2-1, 7-6-2) and Trinity (5-0-2, 7-0-5).
The Falcons (0-8-0, 2-11-0) had a 2-0 lead with 19:28 remaining in the first half on goals by Jace Gratchic, and to make matters worse for the Mustangs, head coach Alexander Guie’s team was down to 10 men for the final 3:22 of the opening half and the entire second after a red card was issued.
Laurel Highlands’ Roman George didn’t let the deficit or his team being a player short deter him, as the junior forward recorded a hat trick with all three of his goals occurring in the second half.
With a two-goal lead and playing with a man advantage, Connellsville went for the kill 11 seconds after the referee pulled out the red card, as Dylan Shallenberger put a shot on goal, but Mustang keeper Dan O’Neal made a diving stop for his third of four saves.
Laurel Highlands came out of the halftime break on a mission and cut the deficit to one when Elliot Boor sent a pass from 43 yards out to George, who raced past the defense and scored on a left-footed shot that traveled to the right and past the diving effort of Falcon freshman keeper Miles Diesel for the goal from 14 yards. Boor assisted on the tally.
Boor set up George to level the match at 2-2 with 27:47 of the second half. Matt Kolencik sent a touch to Boor, who booted a 33-yard pass to George, who controlled the ball with his right foot and sent a bouncing ball past Diesel, who came out to challenge, into the left of the net.
Shallenberger’s effort on goal was stopped by O’Neal with 15:55 left in the game. The senior’s shot on target was the Falcons’ sixth in the contest, but the only one for the visitors in the second half.
George had a shot travel wide left of the goal 25 seconds later before Shallenberger had an effort head to the left of the cage after receiving a pass from Tyler Burkus at 14:40 of the second half.
Boor created the sequence that led to the game-winning goal when he sent a soft touch on the outside of his right boot back to Mike Aubele, who made a 10-yard run before sending a ball to George, who had a step on the defense and jumped to put the ball behind Diesel from 20 yards out with 8:06 remaining in the match.
Diesel was able to get a tip on the ball, but it still went into the upper right-hand corner of the cage for a 3-2 advantage on the Mustangs’ seven shot on target. Diesel made four saves.
Gratchic had a shot travel over the goal with 46 seconds left after receiving a header from Shallenberger. Laurel Highlands’ Ethan Perkins pressured Gratchic on the play to hinder the senior’s left-footed effort.
The Falcons carried the play in the first half, as they had a shot hit off the woodwork before O’Neal stopped a shot at 37:35 of the opening half.
Shallenberger had a shot hit off the crossbar and travel wide left before Gratchic blasted a right-footed shot from 22 yards out to the left of the goal past a diving O’Neal with 30:30 remaining in the first half.
Connellsville’s Connor Basinger sent a pass from the left wing to Shallenberger, who had a second effort travel over the crossbar at 29:05 of the first half. Shallenberger had a run deterred by Ben Antol with 21:45 left in the opening 40 minutes.
Gratchic recorded the brace when he corralled a pass from Shallenberger, sprinted 12 yards downfield and lofted a shot with his right foot to the left of the cage past a charging O’Neal for a 2-0 edge.
Diesel stopped his first shot on goal when he denied Chase Hall with 13:40 left in the first half.
A yellow card was issued to a Falcon with 3:47 remaining in the opening half.
There weren’t many corner kicks in the match, as Connellsville earned two.