Clarion-Limestone Wins Boys Soccer Showdown with Redbank Valley, 3-1

NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Getting a little revenge from an earlier season loss to Redbank Valley, the Clarion-Limestone boys soccer team defeated the Bulldogs, 3-1, on a chilly Monday evening at Redbank Valley High School in a pivotal matchup.

(Pictured above: Clarion-Limestone’s Bailee Verdill scored two goals in the win over Redbank Valley/submitted photo)

Bailee Verdill scored the only first half goal with 6:42 left in the half as the Lions led 1-0 at the break.

Thomas Uckert assisted on the goal.

Verdill had a goal wiped away on an offside call about seven minutes before this goal.

Redbank Valley had a penalty kick by Kieren Fricko that was stopped by keeper Tyler Bingham, who made several key saves throughout the match.

Despite being down 1-0 at halftime, the Bulldogs outshot C-L 6-3 in the first half.

“We had opportunities tonight, but we just didn’t finish,” said Redbank Valley head coach Ty Scott. “They finished on their opportunities and that was the difference. They have a really good team over there and hopefully we’ll meet them in the playoffs.”

Owen Clouse connected on a penalty kick less than a minute into the second half at 39:31 to tie the score 1-1.

The tie didn’t last long as Verdill scored off a corner kick from Wyatt Boyden at 38:10 to give C-L the lead.

Danny Schweitzer scored an unassisted goal with 10:17 to play giving the Lions the 3-1 lead.

Bingham made the lead

“Tyler made some huge saves for us,” said C-L head coach Don Montgomery. “They had a lot of scoring chances in the second half and he came up big. That’s a three-year starter and a senior who stepped up big when he needed to.”

Prior to this meeting, C-L (13-2 overall) had been playing four of their last five against potential playoff teams, so the Lions have been preparing for the playoffs already late in the season.

“This is how we expect to play,” said Montgomery. “There are a lot of good teams in single A of District 9 and we’ve seen a bunch of those teams this season. We talked about that we’re built for these close games. We wanted to come in here and prove that the game at our place was a fluke and we knew we could play better than we showed in that first game.”

C-L has one game left at home Wednesday vs Dubois Central Catholic which won’t count toward playoff seeding.

Redbank Valley plays against Brockway that same day.