Both Rockets squads bow out after losses
EDINBORO — A little skill and a little luck can go a long way. Just ask the North East boys soccer team.
Josh Kitchen's running header off a free kick from Jake Haeseler with 6:56 left in the first half was all the Grapepickers needed in a 1-0 District 10 Class AA playoff semifinal victory over Slippery Rock High at General McLane's Linden Field Wednesday.
Haeseler's kick came from 47 yards out, clearing a group of players and heading right to a wide-open Kitchen, who was about 15 yards in front of the net. His header got past Rockets goalie Tyler Little for the score.
"Whenever you pull your defense in and give room to the keeper, that's the way to beat someone if you can exploit that area," said North East coach Sam Coffman.
"It's a timing thing. That's one we had tried all night. We could try that 10 more times and not get it in," he added.
"A little error in the first half," said Slippery Rock coach Jordan Wiegand. "They had someone wide open and we paid for it. There was a miscommunication.
"We pretty much dominated in the second half. We just couldn't get the ball in the net," he added.
In the second half, the Rockets (13-6) had several chances to score the equalizer.
Braden Sloan had a point-blank shot on North East goalie Josh Eby, but Eby made a big stop.
A few minutes later, the ball bounced around in front of the net, but no Rocket could get a clear shot at the goal.
The Grapepickers (15-4-1), however, didn't go into a defensive mode just yet.
"I told our kids at the half not to go in a shell in playing defense," said Coffman. "We've got to pick it up and get another goal. It gave us confidence.
"Now when they sent everyone out at the end, you have no choice but to just play defense," he added.
Little had a strong game for the Rockets, making eight saves, including five in the second half.
"He's been amazing all season," said Wiegand.
In the girls Class AA semifinals, Kaitlyn Kissell scored two first-half goals for the Victors."We played the offside trap and they scored two goals on it," said Rockets coach Les Smith. "We stopped the offside trap in the second half and they didn't score.""We knew the type of offense they play and how they trap," said Victors coach Walt Federowicz. "The goal was to take them out of the trap. Once we did that, they had to defend the long balls."Kissell emerged from a group of Villa Maria players from 40 yards out and broke toward the net. Rockets goalie Jordan Marks made a diving attempt, but the ball found the back of the net.The Rockets (17-2-2) answered shortly thereafter when Danielle Wissinger took a direct kick from Casey Dudek and rifled it into the net, deflecting off the hands of Victors goalie Nicole Shellenbarger with 15:54 left before the break.Kissell struck again 1:40 later, when she took a crossing pass and scored to give the Victors (16-4) a lead they wouldn't relinquish."The girls did an excellent job of switching," said Federowicz. "There was always a blue jersey on a white jersey."The Rockets did have chances in the second half, but Shellenbarger, who finished with 10 saves to Marks' eight, came up big."I always say in practice that if you get one breakaway, one opportunity, you've got to make it count," said Smith.
