Mustangs blank Leopards, 3-0, clinch playoff spot
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Belle Vernon’s Maverick Selvoski (26) and Markello Apodiakos watch as Laurel Highlands’ Dylan Seaman makes a move during Monday’s Section 3-AAA match at Mustang Field.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Belle Vernon defender Hunter Martin plays the ball up to his midfielders during Monday’s Section 3-AAA match against Laurel Highlands at Mustang Field.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Dylan Seaman plays the ball upfield during Monday’s Section 3-AAA match against Belle Vernon at Mustang Field. Seaman had one goal in the Mustangs’ 3-0 victory over the Leopards.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Kolby Livingston (7) and Eli Mitchell celebrate Livingston’s goal that gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead over Belle Vernon on Monday in Section 3-AAA action at Mustang Field. Mitchell had the assist on Livingston’s tally.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Colby Davis passes the ball while being defended by Belle Vernon’s Dawson Quinto during Monday’s Section 3-AAA match at Mustang Field.
Laurel Highlands’ Matt Phillips moves the ball upfield against the defense of Belle Vernon’s Aaron Brown as the Mustangs' Colby Davis moves in during their Section 3-AAA match at Mustang Field on Oct. 8. All three players have been selected to the Herald-Standard All-Area Boys Soccer Team.
Laurel Highlands jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first half and never looked back in a 3-0 victory over Belle Vernon on Monday in Section 3-AAA boys’ soccer action at Mustang Field.
The Mustangs (7-1-1, 9-3-1) sit alone in first place in the section with conference matches remaining against Albert Gallatin (1-9, 4-10), at Ringgold (8-2, 9-6) and at Greensburg Salem (6-4, 7-6). Laurel Highlands clinched its third straight playoff berth in its victory over the Leopards.
LH came into Monday’s action on a two-match losing streak. Jerry Rogers’ team had suffered its first section setback on Sept. 24 in a 4-1 loss at Trinity (5-4, 8-5) and had another 4-1 defeat at the hands of Peters Township (5-4, 8-5) on Sept. 27 in non-section play.
The Mustangs and Belle Vernon were scheduled to play last Tuesday, but the match was postponed due to inclement weather.
“I think they just wanted to play a game,” Rogers said. “They didn’t want that Belle Vernon game to be cancelled the last time. They wanted to play.”
The Leopards (5-3-1, 8-5-1) host the Golden Lions on Tuesday in Section 3-AAA play. They also play the Colonials and the Hillers.
“We still have a lot of soccer to play,” Belle Vernon coach Rob Miele said. “It is frustrating we are kind of on this little streak. It’s not real positive, but we’ve got to regroup and try and get back on track so we can feel good about ourselves.”
Belle Vernon held a 3-0 lead over Laurel Highlands during the section rivals’ first meeting this season before the Mustangs rallied to tie the match at 3-3 and the contest ended in a draw, but LH didn’t allow history to repeat itself in playing shut-down defense in the second half to preserve the shutout.
“They had a 3-0 lead the first time we played this year, so we weren’t celebrating at halftime,” Rogers said.
“I thought they did a good job of defending, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I don’t think we helped ourselves, especially in the first half,” Miele said. “We had too many turnovers, especially in the midfield. We weren’t supporting our forward when that person had the ball.”
Laurel Highlands keeper Jacob Campbell stopped seven shots (two in first half, five in second) to earn the clean sheet. Campbell has five shutouts this season.
“We talked about not giving up the lead at halftime,” Rogers said. “In the second half, they started out a little strong against us, but we weathered the storm and kept the shutout intact. That’s what counts.”
The Mustangs got on the scoreboard when Colby Davis finished off a cross by Eli Mitchell for his 20th goal of the season at 26:24 of the first half. Davis leads Laurel Highlands in goals.
The Mustangs struck less than three minutes later when Mitchell set up Kolby Livingston at 23:26 of the first half for a 2-0 lead. Livingston has seven tallies this season. Mitchell has a team-high 12 assists.
“He (Mitchell) had two beautiful crosses,” Rogers said.
Mitchell didn’t officially get the assist, but he drew a yellow card that gave Dylan Seamen a free kick from 24 yards out at 14:38 of the first half. Seaman buried the chance for his second goal of the season.
“Dylan was scoring a lot more last year than this year, but then again, I don’t care who scores,” Rogers said. “As long as we put it in I don’t care if it’s Colby Davis, Kolby Livingston, Eli (Mitchell), Dylan (Seaman), I don’t care.”
“It was a heck of a shot,” Miele said. “We had a mistake before the play happened, and our guy that fouled probably shouldn’t have been in that position to have to foul.”
Miele made a change at keeper in the second half, as he brought in Tyler Mocello in relief of TJ Watson, who allowed three goals on six shots. Mocello made five saves.
“It was the change we needed,” Miele said. “TJ has been our guy the whole year, and I don’t know what that looks like moving forward, but we made a change at halftime. I thought Tyler made a couple of saves.”
Laurel Highlands held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Mustangs held down Leopards star striker Markello Apodiakos for most of the match, but the senior was able to get a free kick from 28 yards out at 21:32 of the second half, but Campbell made the save.
“He (Apodiakos) has been playing a little bit of midfield for us, which is a little different than what he has done in the past, but it didn’t seem like they man-marked him or anything,” Miele said. “He has done a lot for us, but we have to attack as a group, and I don’t think we ever really got into a rhythm as an offensive group.
“They always made sure they knew where he was, but from at least what I saw, they didn’t try and take him out of the game. They just slowed us down defending as a group. It is tough for one guy to go against three or four defenders.”
The Fillies (7-3, 8-5) also clinched a playoff spot, their third straight, in a 2-1 victory over Ringgold (4-6-1, 4-9-1) on Monday.