Fox Chapel nets late goal, downs Butler
BUTLER TWP — Three numbers stood out Tuesday night as the Butler boys soccer team entertained Fox Chapel at the Butler Intermediate High School field.
In playing to a scoreless draw last month, the first two — 195 minutes, 13 seconds — was the amount of time the two crews had gone this season without a ball finding the back of the net.
The other was the one goal scored, which was notched just over halfway through the second overtime period and gave the visiting Foxes a 1-0 WPIAL Section 1-4A triumph.
The venue was arguably a big part of the reason it took so long, as dew blanketed its natural grass as night fell. Golden Tornado (10-4-2, 6-4-2) coach Troy Mohney had a feeling that the setting would play to his team’s strengths.
“We’ve gone back and forth with which surface we want to play on all season with some of this stuff,” Mohney said. “We’ve had to play some of the games here, but tonight the other stadium was open.
“Talking with the captains and with the assistant coaches and knowing the way that Fox Chapel plays, we thought maybe we’d want to play here.”
The Foxes (10-2-2, 9-2-2) were forced to change they way they go about things.
“Especially playing at night, the field is slick,” Fox Chapel coach Erik Ingtam said. “It’s like you’re on ice skates a little bit, so we play a lot more direct. When we’re on turf, we play possession and pick our spots.
“It was hard to do that today on this field because you can’t always get the right footing.”
Prior to the game-winner, Butler sophomore Thomas Sheptak’s corner kick almost gave the hosts a positive result.
Junior goalkeeper Owen Levy made a save initially, then a Golden Tornado player challenged him. Still, he ended up with the ball in his hands. Soon after, on the other side, senior forward John Brach deposited it in the bottom left corner of the net.
“Obviously, we’re all disappointed that we couldn’t pull out the victory — or even get the tie,” Mohney said. “That point could’ve helped us ... I thought we had some really good chances to score today, we just didn’t have that clinical finish to put it away.”
It was Butler’s first loss since a 1-0 setback at North Allegheny on Sept. 6.
“We have our system that we play and it’s been working for us,” Mohney said. “That’s our belief, that’s the kids’ belief that we can play with anybody. But, it’s easy to say it. You’ve got to get up and show up every time that you hit the field.”
The team controls its own playoff destiny. If North Allegheny loses to Seneca Valley when the two teams play Thursday, the Golden Tornado could get in with ties against their last two challengers — North Hills and Pine-Richland.
