PIAA: PT beats Archbishop Wood, claims AAA title
Rod Frisco| Post Gazette
The frustration was building for the Peters Township girls’ soccer team Saturday in its PIAA Class AAA championship match against Archbishop Wood. Lots of opportunities. A few solid shots. And no goals.
“I was definitely getting frustrated,” Peters midfielder Danielle Hume said. “We had lots of chances and weren’t getting anything. There’s nothing worse than getting all the chances and the other team gets one and scores.”
But Archbishop Wood never did score. And Hume, given one final good chance, made it work: Her goal at 64:53 off a rebound was the lone goal in Peters’ 1-0 triumph against Wood, giving the Indians their first girls’ PIAA soccer title. Peters finished 23-2.
“We should have beaten them 6-0,” Peters star Shelli Spamer said. “But I’ll take a 1-0 win. It’s a great way to end our senior year.”
Peters did have some reason for concern despite its stronger first-half play.
Despite dominating the play, Peters nearly found itself down, 1-0, when Wood’s Monica Re picked up a loose ball and hit the right post at the 20-minute mark. That turned out to be the best scoring opportunity for Wood the entire game.
The Indians suffered the same result about seven minutes later. Spamer twice moved the ball forward with headers before letting loose from the left side; her shot also clanged off the post. Late in the first half, Hume barely missed on the Indians’ best scoring chance of the scoreless first half when a corner flew the pack in front of the net and Hume struck it with a solid header.
But the ball lifted a little and kissed off the crossbar and flopped over the net.
“I was so upset that I missed that shot,” Hume said. She wouldn’t miss her next opportunity. With Wood unable to move the ball consistently out of its end, Peters pressed and finally got Veronica Latsko free on Wood keeper Deanna Messner. Latsko ripped it low off Messner’s legs, and the ball bounced directly to a following Hume, who poked past a helpless Messner with just 15:17 to play.
Wood did get a few pushes and two shots on goal in the final 15 minutes, but nothing that Peters goalie Brittany Hoffman couldn’t handle. In the final minute, Peters never allowed Wood to get a foot on the ball, then rushed the field as the final seconds ticked off.
“This moment started seven, eight years ago when this group of seniors were about 10 and started playing together,” Peters coach Pat Vereb said. “This is a testament to the soccer we play in the community. We have a lot of talented players.” Hume is among those, but she is done playing soccer, partly due to a concussion she suffered early in the season that forced her out of three games.”We made sure her last game on a soccer field was a state championship,” Vereb said.
“It’s my last game ever,” Hume said. “”A perfect way to end it.”
