STRATTANVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The Redbank Valley boys soccer team gained a measure of revenge as the Bulldogs defeated Clarion-Limestone, 2-1, on Monday afternoon at the C-L Football Field.
(Pictured above, Lia Hageter scored three goals, including the winner in overtime, to send the Redbank Valley girls soccer team to a win and a playoff berth)
Earlier this season, the Lions defeated the Bulldogs, 3-2, at Redbank Valley.
“We knew this game was going to be physical and close,” said Redbank Valley head coach Ty Scott. “They have a great team, and Don (Montgomery) does a good job coaching them. (Thomas) Uckert is an amazing player.”
Owen Clouse scored the lone goal of the first half as both teams played tight defense and limited the other to few scoring chances, although both Jordan Smith of Redbank Valley and Isaac Lerch each were up to the task when called upon to make a save in the opening 40 minutes.
Lerch made a couple key saves to keep the score 1-0. One came at the 18:38 mark when a Redbank shot went off the post before Lerch made the save on a rebound attempt. Lerch also stopped a penalty kick shot with just 1:10 left in the half.
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Martin Ormeno scored just 45 seconds into the second half off a feed from Dany Schweitzer to tie the game.
“We had a big PK save from Isaac and then we got that early goal in the second half which I thought was going to carry us,” said C-L head coach Don Montgomery. “We played hard today. They got two and we got one. It wasn’t for lack of effort as our guys played hard all game, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Caleb Root broke the tie at the 16:45 mark giving Redbank that all important second goal for the 2-1 lead.
Redbank then limited the Lions’ chances with Jordan Smith making several key saves when called upon.
C-L kept pressing over the last two minutes of the contest and appeared to score the tying goal with just 1:04 remaining in the contest, but the goal was waved off for an offside call against the Lions.
“Jordan Smith is just a sophomore and he’s only getting better,” said Scott. “Last year he got the win up here after only finding out an hour before the game that he’d be in goal. This time he was excited and ready to go today.”
Smith made a key save on Thomas Uckert who got a rare breakaway at the 28-minute mark of the second half.
“We now know we can win close games against good teams,” said Scott. “Heading into the playoffs you certainly need to do that, and our goal is to compete and win some of those games.”
GIRLS
Lia Hageter scored her third goal of the game off an assist from Bella Orr in overtime to give Redbank Valley a dramatic 5-4 win over Clarion.
The victory clinches a playoff spot for the Bulldogs for the first time to two seasons.
“We had hit a bit of a losing skid lately and weren’t playing our best ball,” said Redbank Valley girls soccer coach Michael Dawson. “So being able to get back on the winning side of things with a gritty playoff-clinching win against a tough and well-coached team was what we needed.”
Alexandra Shoemaker also scored two goals for Redbank Valley.
The Bulldogs had lost three in a row and four of the last five before the win over Clarion to move to 8-8 on the season.
Seniors Shoemaker and Lilli Barnett where freshman the last time Redbank made the playoffs. That team made a run all the way to the District 9 title, beating Brockway on penalty kicks.
“This senior class were freshmen when we won the title, so getting them back to the playoffs after missing out the last two years was important to me,” Dawson said. “The whole team earned this postseason trip, but I’m happy we could get this senior duo some more games in a Redbank uniform.”
(Mike Kilroy contributed to this report)
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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