Possession game hurts KC
KARNS CITY — Karns City coach Justin Ryan knew what his boys soccer team was up against.
“We don’t see many teams who play like that,” Ryan admitted. “We knew this was going to be a tough one. That team has a lot of speed.
“Even their defenders on both flanks were ready to run up and get into the play. We’re just not used to seeing that.”
Charleroi used its team speed and deft passing to produce a 3-0 victory over the Gremlins in a first-round PIAA Class 1A tournament game Tuesday night at Diehl Stadium.
The WPIAL runner-up Cougars (18-3) had 12 shots on net, forcing Gremlin goalkeeper Lucas Yasika to make nine saves. Charleroi netminder Nate Mazon had to stop only one shot all night — an attempt from the right corner by Myles McCully with 11 minutes, 30 seconds left to play.
“All three of the goals they scored ... Lucas had no chance on any of them,” Ryan said. “He did a good job of keeping us in it.”
The lone goal of the first half was scored off a corner kick. Dylan Klinger sent the kick toward the near goalpost and Jake Chambers headed it just inside the post in the 17th minute for his eighth goal of the season.
“It was nice being able to score on a set play like that,” Charleroi coach Jonathon Ducoli said. “That was well-executed. He (Klinger) put the ball right where it needed to be.
“We like to play a possession game and create scoring opportunities for ourselves that way. It was an effective style tonight.”
Karns City (17-4) generally defends corner kicks well. The Cougars had eight corner kicks on the night while the Gremlins had zero.
“We didn’t get there fast enough to defend that play,” Ryan said of he goal. “They were quicker than us.”
Charleroi added to its lead in the 45th minute. Arlo McIntyre delivered a cross to Landon Barcus, whose sliding shot beat Yasika into the far corner of the net,. It was the 15th goal of the season for Barkus.
The scoring concluded in the 58th minute when an arching shot by Ty Patterson landed just under the crossbar and into the net. It was his eighth goal of the campaign.
“Those three guys who scorred are on our low end in goals scored,” Ducoli saiod. “But our scoring is pretty balanced. No one on the team cares who scores the goals as long as the ball crosses the line.”
“That third goal was probably the back-breaker,” Ryan said. “When you’re down two, you’re a goal away from getting right back into it. Once that third one went in, that was it.”
Karns City’s best chance to score occurred with 18 minutes left in the first half. Landon Price had a free kick from 14 yards out, but from a sharp angle to the far left of the net. The shot was deflected away from danger.
Colson Ritzert took a free kick from 22 yards out that sailed just to the right of the net in the 36th minute. Jacob Callihan rolled a shot wide left from 25 yards out in the 52nd minute.
“Our best chances to score were going to come in transition and they didn’t allow us many, ” Ryan said. “We were content to let their defense pass the ball around because we knew we couldn’t run with them.
“But their passes were crisp and deftly done. All of their players were skilled that way.”
Seth Bishop and Mallick Metcalfe are the only seniors on KC’s district championship team.
“We have a lot of juniors back next year. We definirely wanted to get back to the district title game and we did that,” Ryan said. “Now we have to build from there.”
