Quaker Valley 5, Charleroi 0
WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer semifinal
By Jon Hanna, Pittsburgh Soccer Now contributor
Photo credit – Greg Macafee
Moon Township, Pa. – At Tiger Stadium on the campus of Moon Area High School, the Quaker Valley Quakers (17-3) played host to the Charleroi Cougars (18-0) in the 2A division of the WPIAL high-school soccer playoffs.
The win thrusts the Quakers back into the WPIAL Boys 2A final for the third consecutive season against Shady Side Academy. They’ll be looking to win its ninth WPIAL title and will try to get some redemption after Shady Side’s improbable 3-2 victory in 2 OT last season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Charleroi would get a good chance early in the first half, as Quaker goaltender Dom Lagnese was forced to make a save after Cullin Woytovich would cross one into the box for a teammate.
Throughout the first half, the Quakers played a very physical style of defense.
Quaker Valley would take a 1-0 lead as with 22:07 remaining in the half on a penalty kick. Franky Fernandez would put the penalty kick into the bottom corner of the net past the Cougars netminder Nick Goodwin. Charleroi would look to answer late in the second, as Cullin Woytovich would use his speed in an attempt to get past the Quaker defence, but he would be forcefully taken to the ground, but no call on the play. Quaker Valley added an insurance marker with 2:07 remaining in the first half as Thomas David fired a rocket past Nick Goodwin from just inside the 18-yard box to make it 2-0 Quakers.
At the end of the first half, it would be 2-0 Quaker Valley. The two Quaker goals were scored by Franky Fernandez on a penalty kick, and by Thomas David with just over two minutes left in the half. Dom Rider would get a chance six minutes into the second half for Quaker Valley, as a free kick found his boot, but it just went past the left post.
With just over 30 minutes left in the half, Ryan Withers of Charleroi would make a slide tackle, but would end up being awarded a yellow card. With 28:34 remaining in the game, Dom Rieder would be on a miniature breakaway for Quaker Valley, but Cougars netminder Nick Goodwin
would rush out to stop the chance.
Quaker Valley would again score after a turnover with less than 25 minutes remaining by Charleroi, would allow for Pierce Diggins, a senior defender, to easily slot one home to make it 3-0 Quakers. Throughout the second half, the defense of Charleroi was continuing to become more and more physical, and a free kick by Colm Lang for Quaker Valley would go just over the bar.
With 19:10 remaining in the game, Quaker Valley would again score, as Franky Fernandez would get his second of the game, curling a shot just inside the upper 90 of the goal to make it 4-0, and all but seal the game for Quaker Valley. Dom Rider would finally get a goal with 7:12 remaining in the game to make it 5-0 Quakers. Rider would just get a piece of a cross that somehow bounced into the net.
At the end of 80 minutes of play, it would be 5-0 Quaker Valley.
Quaker Valley goaltender Dom Lagnese would get the clean sheet on the match, while Thomas David, Pierce Diggins, Dom
Rider, and Franky Fernandez would get the goals for the Quakers.
Fernandez had two goals.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Quakers will now take on Shady Side Academy for the third straight season in the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer final at Highmark Stadium on Saturday. The match is scheduled to kickoff at 1:15 p.m.