FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — With 10 minutes remaining in Monday night’s Schuylkill League semifinal matchup between Minersville and Pine Grove, it looked as though the Battlin’ Miners were going to hold off a terrific comeback effort from the Cardinals.
Minersville found itself ahead 2-0 in Monday’s semifinal within the first 10 minutes after goals from Jordan Bowers and Chase Zimerofsky.
It was a disastrous start for Pine Grove, but there was no panic in the Cardinals. Instead, the Cardinals dug deep and quickly turned the tide.
After a flat first 10 minutes, Pine Grove began to become the aggressor in the match and throughout the rest of the first half controlled the pace of the game.
But despite an onslaught of Pine Grove shots and a dominant presence by Pine Grove in the Cardinals’ attacking end, Minersville goalkeeper Robert McGrath and the Battlin’ Miners survived the first half with a 2-0 advantage.
“We were really positive,” Pine Grove coach Marvin Weber said. “The mindset was simply that we were going to get one—it was going to happen.”
“They were naturally a little frustrated with how they started and being down 2-0, but for the most part, they knew the opportunities were there and they just had to cash in,” he continued. “They were creating plenty; they just needed to finish.”
That breakthrough came in the 14th minute of the second half as JJ Kramer was able to beat McGrath to the ball out in front of the net, allowing him to score on a clean chip shot to cut the deficit to 2-1.
With Minersville desperate for a goal in an attempt to stave off the Cardinals, it appeared the Battlin’ Miners scored their much-needed proverbial dagger. Jordan Bowers powered his way into the attacking end from midfield, holding off a draped Pine Grove defender before rocketing a low strike past Herber inside the far post to give the Battlin’ Miners a 3-1 advantage with under 17 minutes left in the match.
But then, a golden opportunity to regain momentum was presented to the Cardinals with under 10 minutes to go as they were awarded a penalty shot.
Ian Browne stepped up to the dot and delivered a strike, beating McGrath to the right and cutting the deficit to 3-2.
“Once we earned that penalty and converted it, the feeling on the bench and on the field was that we only needed one more and we were going to get it,” Weber said. “It was just a matter of time, so long as we kept our composure in the back and didn’t surrender another. Even with the early frustration, they stayed positive, kept the foot on the gas, and knew they would find the back of the net.”
Then with just over a minute to go, with full pressure on the Battlin’ Miners again, Browne once again beat McGrath, this time on a loose ball following a Pine Grove corner kick.
Suddenly, after trailing 2-0 in the first 10 minutes to one of the Schuylkill League’s elite and then trailing 3-1 with under 20 minutes to play, the Cardinals found themselves tied with the Miners.
In the final minute, neither side was able to get a true strong look at a game-winning shot, sending the game into penalty kicks.
After Pine Grove’s Jaxson Lengel gave the Cardinals a 3-2 advantage in the shootout, Drew Herber made a diving save on a low Cam Rogers shot to seal the victory.
“We practice two hours a day, so you just rely on that training,” Herber said when it came to his mindset heading into the penalty kicks. “There’s nothing more you can do in the moment to help yourself. You just trust the work and do your job.”
“My guys never stopped fighting,” he added about his team’s overall effort. “I needed them, and they pulled through for me. That win is on all of them, too, not just me. I love these guys.”
Blue Mountain 3, North Schuylkill 1
The Blue Mountain Eagles are returning to the Schuylkill League championship game after defeating North Schuylkill 3-1.
The Eagles received a pair of goals from Hayden Freed, including one in the first four minutes, while Aidan Varney also scored in the win for Blue Mountain.
“Getting an early goal helps everything settle down so we can relax, play our game, and move the ball,” Blue Mountain coach Chris Brauer said. “I thought we had control of the match, but North Schuylkill’s game plan was really well-crafted. Coach Todd did a great job with his group tonight and all season long, so we feel fortunate to move on.”
“It was definitely a strong start,” Freed said about the Eagles’ start to the game. “We always have to work our way into the game, but intensity is key. Coming out ready to play and being more hyped up than the other team always brings another level to our soccer and how we play as a unit.”
While Blue Mountain ultimately won the game, the story of the night was the performance of North Schuylkill goalkeeper Braiden Davis, who tallied 18 saves on the evening.
“He did a wonderful job keeping them in the game,” Brauer said. “We were just looking at the stat sheet, and we put up 22 shots, so we definitely want our conversion rate to be a little better. We had some really quality strikes that he made excellent saves on, so a lot of credit goes to him.”
“There were definitely a few shots and really good saves that were unexpected from my perspective,” Freed noted about Davis’s performance. “It’s a lot more rewarding being able to play against a keeper of that caliber who makes stops like that. It forces us to work harder as a team, which is exactly what we did tonight.”
Davis made numerous impressive diving saves on Blue Mountain shots, keeping the Spartans within punching distance of the Eagles. But offensively, North Schuylkill was unable to solve Blue Mountain’s defensive structure, generating only three shots on goal in the game.
The Spartans’ lone goal on the evening came on a Wesley Urban penalty kick with under 15 minutes remaining in the match.
Thursday’s championship game between Blue Mountain and Pine Grove will be played at 5:00 p.m. at Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium in Fountain Springs.