How Carson Hankinson’s acrobatics led Seneca Valley boys soccer to win vs Butler: ‘Wow’
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Kuhar battles with Butler's Mason Anderson during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca valley's Carson Hankinson steals the ball from Butler's Grayden Brown during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Prex steals the ball from Butler during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Luke West drives the ball down the field during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Prex kicks the ball against Butler's Ryan Conaway during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Sami Malkamaki battles with Butler during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Luke West battles with Butler's Thomas Sheptak during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca valley's Tyler Kuhar runs the ball down the field during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca valley's Owen Eastgate steals the ball from Butler's Ryan Conaway during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Butler's Michael Roman steals the ball from Seneca Valley's Zachary Garma during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Owen Eastgate and Butler's Colten English battle for the ball during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Kuhar and Butler's Thomas Sheptak battle for the ball during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Mason Laughlin keeps the ball from going out of bounds during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Kuhar drives the ball down the field during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Jacob Prex celebrates the team's second goal of the night during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Carson Hankinson and Owen Eastgate hug after their first goal of the night during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Prex, left, and Owen Eastgate celebrate their second goal of the night during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Tyler Kuhar watches while Butler's Thomas Sheptak runs the ball down the field during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Butler's Thomas Sheptak watches as Seneca Valley kicks the ball down the field during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Mason Laughlin keeps the ball from going out of bounds during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Seneca Valley's Carson Hankinson, left and Tyler Prex celebrate their first goal of the night during a boys soccer game against Butler at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Butler's Mason McCall attempts to steal the ball from Seneca Valley during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
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Butler's Maddox McCall and Seneca Valley's Luke West battle for the ball during a boys soccer game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (9/5/2024)
BUTLER TWP — The bad news for Butler was it let up an acrobatic goal.
The good news for the Golden Tornado? Seneca Valley needed to make an acrobatic goal.
Limber Raiders senior Carson Hankinson made good use of Jacob Prex’s crosser in the 59th minute of Thursday night’s WPIAL Section 3-4A clash, then Tyler Prex added another goal in the 76th minute of Seneca Valley’s 2-0 boys soccer win.
For much of the match, however, the host Golden Tornado (2-2-1, 0-1-0) held their own on their half of the field against a talented Seneca Valley (5-1-0, 1-0-0) cast.
“We weren’t sure where we were at coming into this game,” Butler coach Troy Mohney said. “We’ve had some mixed results coming into this. ... I’m guessing Seneca Valley will be another WPIAL contender this year — maybe another state contender. Being able to compete against them should give these guys some confidence that we can go and play against some of these other teams.”
The Golden Tornado employed a defense-oriented formation, Mohney said, in an attempt to limit the visitors’ chances to score.
“It worked,” Mohney said. “It worked for a long period of time. We had a couple half-chances to go forward.”
“They kept a lot numbers in front,” Raiders coach George Williams said. “However, they were very effective because they had some good players breaking out from there and getting dangerous against us. ... If they were able to get a quick counter on us, they would’ve had their best chance at getting a goal on us.”
Thaddeus Mago, Butler’s sophomore goalkeeper, saved four shots prior to Hankinson’s marker. The goal came by way of him leaping with his back to the net and kicking his right leg backward, placing the ball in the upper left corner.
“Wow,” Williams said. “That first goal was amazing. ... It’s not a high percentage shot, but that one went in.”
“We were right on him,” Mohney said. “He just made a heck of a play.”
Tyler Prex’s insurance tally came via a free kick from just outside the top of the box. The Golden Tornado didn’t register a shot on goal during the contest.
“I’m not sure if we had any on-frame,” Mohney said. “We had a couple (where) we got to the end line and tried to put it across and it didn’t happen, kicked out of bounds.”
Butler is now 1-7-2 against Seneca Valley since 2020. The Golden Tornado’s last win against the Raiders was Sept. 24 of that same year.
“They’re very well-coached,” Mohney said of Williams’ program. “They play a very nice style of soccer. They put a bunch of passes together, and they have the kids who can do it.”
The two teams will meet again at the Raiders’ NexTier Stadium on Sept. 26. Butler visits North Hills on Tuesday. Seneca Valley hosts Fox Chapel the same day.
