The Kiski School outlast Seneca Valley, 3-2 in battle of PA boys high school soccer heavyweights

In a battle of two Pennsylvania high school boys soccer giants, the prep school, The Kiski School outlasted one of the WPIAL’s top Class 4A programs, Seneca Valley, 3-2, in a back-and-forth battle at the JRK Memorial Classic at Pine-Richland High School on Sunday afternoon.

In yet another match at the weekend Classic with high drama in the final minute of regulation, Kiski’s Seojoon Kim pounced on a rebound for the game winning goal.  Seneca Valley’s Tyler Prex scored both goals for the Raiders, while the Cougars got back into the match with two early second half goals from Filippo Gagliardi and Santiago Velancia.

“Kiski School, they have a lot of really good, talented players, and they put some good things together against us,” Seneca Valley’s Head Coach George Williams said.

“We got up on them early, and we were able to hang with them the rest of the game, but had a let down toward the end.”

For Kiski School, they wrapped up a weekend of action against a pair of WPIAL teams, only after five days of training together.

“We are so grateful for being invited to play at this event,” Jonty Loukes, Kiski School’s Head Coach, said.

“For us, with four returning starters, we’re still working out the chemistry.  Trying to figure out how each other plays. We love to challenge ourselves early in the year. But we are by far from our finished product.”

In a pretty evenly matched first half, Seneca Valley and The Kiski School had a bit of a feeling out process, as both sides tested each other in the first 25 minutes, but neither could pull through with any clear cut scoring chances.

Playing its straight ahead, direct style, Seneca Valley got the first break, when they put ball forward for senior, Prex, who was dragged down in the box, resulting in a penalty kick chance for the All-WPIAL selection a year ago and Riverhounds Development Academy standout, who had no problem converting to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

“They have some really talented players, so it’s good for us, because we different styles of play when we play (against WPIAL teams) here,” Loukes stated.

“They’ll be more direct, get the ball to their center midfielders. They’ve been very successful, and it’s good for us to play a

Once the second half began, the pace picked up considerably. as Kiski School started to connect passes more efficiently in the final third, and finding more space to operate.

In the 48th minute, Kiski School senior Santiago Valencia found an opening, driving a shot from 17 yards that blew past Seneca’s last defenders and goalkeeper Noah Eastgate to level the match.

The Cougars didn’t let their foot off the gas, bringing more pressure in the ensuing minutes, then capitalizing when an initial shot banged off the left post, then scooted past Eastgate’s outstretch arm, but landing back in the center of the goal box for Filippo Gagliardi was there to put it back in to give Seneca Valley a 2-1 lead.

Seneca Valley bounced back off the mat after earning a free kick from 45 yards away, Prex was there again with his goal-scoring instincts to make a well-timed run to the left side of the box then half volleying a blistering shot that evened the match yet again.

“That was pure, natural ability,” Williams boasted.

“He’s a talented player, but also a leader for us, on and off the field, with his experience and approach to the game, he works to bring the team up to him, so he’s done really well with that.”

As the waning seconds ticked off into the final minute of regulation, it was Gagliardi who ripped another dangerous shot, but this one banged off the post, but came back to Kim, who kept his composure to slot his clinical attempt into goal to give Kiski School a 3-2 lead with just 55 seconds remaining in the match.

Seneca Valley brought everyone up in the final seconds, including goalkeeper Noah Eastgate pushing for the equalizer in what was an entertaining fight to the finish, but the Raiders’ corner kick attempt connected with Eastgate, but he pushed his header chance over the bar.