Second-half surge keeps Peters Twp. undefeated
Jasper Wilson | Observer Reporter
The chance seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. An attacker pursuing a ball, the goalie comes out, goes to the ground and makes the save. A routine sequence – until the ball popped out.
The Peters Township High School boys soccer team took a 1-0 lead in its Section 2-AAAA match Thursday night at Canon-Millan on such a play. Logan Brinsky was rewarded in the 14th minute for pursuing the original goal-scoring opportunity, sliding the suddenly free ball into an open net.
Canon-McMillan would equalize in the 47th minute, but Peters Township would continue to make the most of its chances in the final third of the field for the rest of regulation, going on to win the rivalry contest, 4-1.
The victory keeps PT (4-0, 7-0-2) undefeated.
“Fifteen-, 16-, and 17-year-old kids, when you can figure them out to be consistent, you tell me,” Peters Township coach Bob Dyer said, “because that’s absolutely the key to success. We haven’t figured it out yet.”
The visitors appeared to double their lead in the 31st minute when a PT player beat a defender on the goal line and sent a ground cross to an open teammate who put the goal away.
But Canon-McMillan (3-2, 6-3) players went to the officials to argue. After a few minutes of discussion, the goal was negated. PT coach Bob Dyer said the reason he was given was his team had 12 players on the field.
Halftime came and the 1-0 score remained.
The Big Macs would break through when the Peters Township goalkeeper made a diving save to keep a shot out, but his deflection went right to Mackeyan Martin on the goal line who bodied the rebound for the score.
Brinsky would double his total and regain the advantage for his team in the 53rd minute when he again showed composure in the box, collecting a cross in the middle before turning on his outside shoulder and sending a shot into the right, bottom corner.
The game became more open in the second half with both teams driving and pressuring for stretches.
Peters Township’s Evan Carrington scored two goals in the final 7:30 to secure the victory for the Indians.
“It was an attack here, an attack here, an attack here,” Dyer said. “Not too much settling.”