PIAA Boys Soccer 1A Championship: Lancaster Mennonite 1, Bentworth 0 (Final)

Photo courtesy Ed Thompson

PIAA Soccer Championships — Boys Class 1A Final

FINAL:  Lancaster Mennonite 1, Bentworth 0

Match Updates

FINAL SCORE — LANCASTER MENNONITE 1, BENTWORTH 0

Lancaster Mennonite defeats Bentworth 1-0 in overtime. Msafiri Amisi free kick from just above the 18-yard box in the 89th minute decides it. Blazers are PIAA Class 1A boys soccer champions.

This was the first-ever appearance for any Bentworth sports program in a PIAA Championship game.  The Bobcats battled hard for 89 minutes, but came up just short in a well-played match between two teams with different tactical approaches.

It was the first loss of the season for Bentworth, who finish an impressive campaign with a 22-1-0 record.

HEARTBREAK FOR BENTWORTH BOYS

Golden Goal early in Extra Time on free kick from Lancaster Mennonite’s Msafiri Amisi beats @BentworthSD, 1-0, in PIAA Class 1A Championship Game#WPIAL pic.twitter.com/kqY08BpULQ

— Pittsburgh Soccer Now (@pghsoccernow) November 15, 2024

 

END OF REGULATION — BENTWORTH 0, LANCASTER MENNONITE 0

This match has seemed destined for extra time for a while, and that’s how it will be decided.

Both squads will search for the golden goal in extra time, and if there’s none then it’ll be decided by penalty kicks.

HALFTIME — BENTWORTH 0, LANCASTER MENNONITE 0

Both sides generated chances in an extremely open first half, but neither managed to score. The best opportunity fell to LM’s Cooper Halvorsen, but his hard strike was saved by DJ Hays down to his left side.

36′ — More of the same.  Bentworth keep working the edges.  A couple more corners.  LM are trying to take advantage of Bentworth pushing numbers forward by countering with long direct balls into open spaces.

28′ — cuts and weaves through middle of field, then to edge of box — sends shot that forces first save for either side as DJ Hays is there for the stop.

25′ — By our count, Bentworth with six corners now as they continue to work the edges, but still nothing to show for the multitude of set pieces

18′ — Third and fourth corners of match earned by Bentworth.  It’s easily grabbed by LM keeper in center of goal box.  Second time Bentworth opts to play short, but couple touches too many results in turnover/clearance.

14′ — Msafiri Amisi tries to take on entire Bentworth back line — has some room to shoot but it’s blocked, followed by a hard collision at goal — as LM’s attacker runs into Bentworth keeper DJ Hays.

10′ — This is clearly turning into a match between more technically savvy Bentworth and a Lancaster Mennonite side that looks to strike quickly — looking to get ball into spaces for its leading scorer Msafiri Amisi.

 

Match Preview

Bentworth (22-0-0) vs Lancaster Mennonite (16-3-3)

Cumberland Valley School District, Bald Eagle Middle School, Mechanicsburg, PA

Kickoff — 4 p.m.

The Bentworth Bearcats boys soccer team has gone where no Bentworth sports program has ever gone before — making it to the PIAA Championship game.

Bentworth enters the PIAA final, to be played on Friday afternoon (4 p.m. kickoff), without giving up a goal in seven postseason matches as they’ve posted 11 straight clean sheets.

The road to Mechanicsburg hasn’t been without a few challenges along the way, including 1-0 victories in the State playoffs against Westmont Hilltop and Mercyhurst Prep — as they’ve follow a similar formula.

Get an early first half goal involving one of the Moessner brothers, then clamp down on their opponents the rest of the way.

On Tuesday, in the PIAA semifinal, the Bearcats earning a 2-0 win vs McConnellsburg, by doubling down on this formula. First, Billy Moyer scored a first half goal, assisted by Adam Moessner, then in the second half, Ryan Moessner converted a penalty kick to put the match out of reach.

In last Saturday’s win vs Mercyhurst Prep, Andrew Vipperman set up Ryan Moessner for the only goal of the match in the first half.

Last Tuesday, Aiden McMurray set up Adam Moessner for the only goal of the match in the first half.

The Bearcats were also pushed all the way to the limit for 110 minutes against WPIAL’s Our Lady of Sacred Heart, in the District Final played two weeks ago at Highmark Stadium.

Bentworth repeat as WPIAL Boys 1A Champions, beat OLSH on PKs, 5-4

Bearcats Head Coach Nick Malarbi may once again opt to use freshman Isaac Vipperman — who switched kits in the WPIAL final.

The midfielder put on goalkeeper’s neon shirt, converted the first kick, and then took his place between the pipes for Bentworth, replacing the team’s starting GK, DJ Hays, for the shootout.

That tactic proved to work in the WPIAL final, as Vipperman made a big save that clinched that victory.

The Bearcats will have to be resourceful if they’re going to capture a State title, as they’ll be facing a dangerous opponent.

Lancaster Mennonite squad features a 20-goal scorer in senior Msafiri Amisi, who scored the only goal of the match in the team’s 1-0 victory against Camp Hill in the semifinals. In addition to Amisi, LM senior forward David Lapp also has 10 goals this season.

What was also impressive about Lancaster Mennonite’s PIAA semifinal win, heading into that match, Camp Hill’s had not allowed a goal all postseason and recorded shutouts in each of its previous 12 games, which sounds very familiar, as that’s similar to Bentworth’s current streaks.

Amisi’s strike in the 63rd minute proved to be the difference.

Malarbi said that he was going to try to get some film on his opponents from the other side of the state, with the hopes of having a solid game plan in place.

If Bentworth were to win, in addition to the first State Championship in any sport for the Washington County school, they’d be the first boys Class 1A team from the WPIAL to take the state crown since 2021 (Winchester Thurston).

Look for updates to come from Mechanicsburg throughout Friday from this match and the other two matches featuring WPIAL teams (Moon in Boys Class 3A and Springdale in Girls Class 1A)