Raiders top Butler, win section
BUTLER TWP — As a defender, Drew Williams doesn't get many scoring chances, but he made good on his opportunity Thursday night.
A junior on the Seneca Valley boys soccer team, Williams let go a laser shot from 30 yards out in the second half of the Raiders' game at Butler.
The ball was perfectly placed, beating Aaron Voelker to the goalkeeper's right with 20:56 left in the game.
It was the final score in a 2-1 win for SV, giving the Raiders the Section 2-AAA title.
"I didn't score many goals this year, but this was a big one," said Drew Williams. "It's an honor to score the goal that wins the section title."
"He's had a couple of really good chances this year," said Raiders coach George Williams. "We've been waiting for one to go in and he couldn't have picked a better time for it."
After the goal, SV sacrificed in the offensive end to tighten up on defense.
"We pulled an extra guy back and reminded the other guys that they had to get back goal-side," said George Williams.
Butler's best chance to tie the game came with 7:25 remaining when defender Drew Donoghue got off a shot similar to Williams' earlier in the half.
SV goalkeeper Justin McAtee leaped and got just enough of the ball, which bounced off the crossbar and back onto the field of play before the Raiders successfully cleared it.
McAtee ended the night with six saves.
"It doesn't matter if we had enough scoring chances," said Golden Tornado coach Troy Mohney. "I do think that we had some opportunities that we didn't take advantage of."
The one chance that Butler did capitalize on came late in the first half. Donoghue lifted a shot from the right of SV's goal and Jake Gamble headed it past McAtee with 6:27 left before halftime.
But the Raiders (11-6, 8-2) came right back.
Drew Williams' free kick from midfield landed in front of Voelker, whose teammates were in the process of clearing the ball when SV's Conor Azevedo gained possession and scored with 4:46 left in the half.
"That was very big," said George Williams. "If we go into halftime down 1-0, Butler gets a chance to regroup."
When the teams met earlier this season, Butler scored first and it held up in a 1-0 win.
"I didn't know if one goal would be enough tonight," said Mohney. "You never know. Soccer's a funny game. But I did not feel comfortable with just a one-goal lead."
Voelker made 13 saves for Butler (6-2-2, 7-6-3), which will head to the WPIAL playoffs for the third time in as many seasons under Mohney.
"Obviously, the kids are sad now," Mohney said. "But we'll see if we can do any damage in the playoffs."
For the Raiders, who went 2-8 in section play last year, the section title is not being taken for granted.
"It means that much more knowing where we came from last year," said George Williams. "I knew we had some talent coming back, but wasn't sure how the kids would jell. But, boy, did they jell!"
