Role Reversal
JACKSON TWP — In a meeting with rival Seneca Valley Sept. 19, Butler's boys soccer team was on the wrong end of a late goal as the Raiders prevailed 2-1.
Josh Burlingham brought a reversal of fortune for the Golden Tornado Thursday night.
His goal in the 73rd minute lifted Butler to a 2-1 victory in the Section 1-4A finale for both teams.
Both teams had already clinched WPIAL playoff berths prior to the game.
“We were fighting tonight to get that third spot out of the section,” said Butler coach Troy Mohney. “This win ensures that and it should give us a better route in the playoffs.”
Burlingham's goal was the culmination of Butler's last offensive rush of the game. It followed the Tornado's second corner kick in less than a minute.
Emery Douthett booted the set piece from the right of SV's net. A Raiders' defender got a piece of the ball, but it bounced to the back side of Butler's formation, where Burlingham was waiting. His shot sailed past SV goalkeeper Adam Davies and into the net.
“We beat them tonight because we wanted it more,” said Burlingham, a senior midfielder. “This win means a lot. We will be entering the playoffs with a lot of confidence and we're playing as a team.”
SV had a chance to tie the game, but Ben Francis' shot sailed wide left in the final minute of play.
The Tornado (11-5, 9-5) received an early goal from Douthett in the sixth minute of play when he controlled a rebound, but the Raiders had a prompt response as Luke Rupert headed in a goal just over four minutes later after a fine entry pass from Chase Thomas.
However, scoring opportunities were hard to come by for the Raiders, who forced Butler goalkeeper Peyton Seibert to make just four saves in the game.
“Butler has a lot of good players and they came to play tonight,” said Williams. “We had trouble trying to get some things going last time and I was thinking it was going to be that kind of game tonight.”
Mohney saw flashes of the play he hopes his team can sustain in the playoffs.
“We kept them out of our end for a lot of the night. There were points tonight when we looked like we can compete with anybody,” he said. “Beating a team as good as Seneca, the defending WPIAL champion, our confidence level should be high.”
Davies made six saves for the Raiders (12-3-1, 11-2-1) will enter the postseason as section champions for the second straight year, but Williams is concerned about his team's recent play. SV is 1-2-1 over its last four games.
“We've definitely been on a downhill slide,” he said. “We've been declining and that's something we need to turn around if we expect to do well in the playoffs.”
Fox Chapel and North Allegheny are the other two teams from the section to qualify for the playoffs.
Butler will play at Knoch on Saturday while the Raiders close the regular season by hosting Bethel Park on Tuesday.
The WPIAL playoff pairings will be released Wednesday.
