Tough pill to swallow
Falcons suffer 3-2 setback to Springdale in playoff opener
HARRISON CITY — Brownsville coach Chad Rohland knew Springdale was going to be a tough out for anyone in the WPIAL playoffs, but he didn’t envision it would be his team that lost to the Dynamos.
Springdale entered Monday’s match in the first round of the WPIAL Class A girls soccer playoffs as the 14th seed, but the Dynamos benefited from a penalty-kick goal to end the first half and carried that momentum to a 3-2 victory over the Falcons.
“We knew Springdale was going to be tough,” Rohland said. “I told my daughter before the seedings came out, ‘Somebody is going to get Springdale, and somebody is going to get upset,’ and it was us.”
Rohland’s squad defeated Springdale, 2-0, on Sept. 30 at Springdale in a non-section contest during the regular season, and his team had a 1-0 lead early in the first half on Monday, but the Dynamos tied the match with 2:35 remaining in the period before being awarded a penalty kick with 17 seconds left in the opening 40 minutes when Brownsville was called for a foul in the penalty area.
“That was ridiculous,” said Rohland regarding the foul call in the penalty area. “I don’t know how you give a call against the keeper when two girls collide in the box. That was a bad one, and it was a difference maker, but unfortunately, we have to be able to get through bad calls and still win games.”
Adele Walters-Vrabel scored the game-tying goal when she sent a shot to the right of Falcons senior keeper Ava Rohland before the penalty was called.
Springdale senior Makenna Haas took the penalty kick, and sent a shot high and to the left of the cage and past a diving Rohland for the 2-1 lead at the half.
Brownsville tied the match at 2-2 with 21:04 left in the second half when Gloria Kovscek scored off a corner kick that was sent in by Addy Brown. The sequence to the Falcons leveling the match began from another corner that Brownsville sent in, but the Dynamos cleared the ball over the goal line for a second set piece, which the Falcons took advantage of.
Ainsley Wade scored the game-winning goal with 16:16 left in the match.
Brownsville pushed for the tying goal, but Springdale put its forwards back and was able to hang on for the win.
Ellie Haddad scored the opening goal off an assist from Kovscek.
Ava Rohland made nine saves in her final high school match.
In addition to Rohland, the Falcons are losing Blair Long and Haylie Riggar to graduation, but will have the majority of their starters and primary players returning next season.
Brownsville finished its season at 15-2, and won its first section championship in splitting the Class 2-1A title with Bentworth.
“It was a great season,” Chad Rohland said. “It sucks to go out like this, but the girls need to keep their heads up and be proud of what they accomplished this year.”