CHAMPS OUSTED
MIDDLEBURG — It was easy to be skeptical of a state champion that lost eight kids — six of them being starters — to graduation and ask what they could possibly have in store.
Unfortunately for Millville, it stopped answering the questions after suffering a 2-1 loss to Moravian Academy in the PIAA Class A boys soccer tournament Tuesday evening at Midd-West.
The Quakers finish 18-4.
The Lions did a great job of keeping all the pressure on the Quakers’ defense by stretching the field. In turn, that created a large number of passing lanes as the Lions were often much quicker to the ball.
“Their flat-four extends the entire field which makes it very, very difficult to capitalize unless you get a positive first touch or exploit those particular gaps,” Millville coach Anthony Preston said. “Even if you do (Nikhil Mhatre) is very, very good in the air as well as reading angles. Essentially, some of the chances were there. We didn’t capitalize on the chances when we could have.”
Moravian was turned away on its first two penalty corners, but with nearly six minutes left in the first half, the Lions deflated the Quakers a bit, starting with their third and final corner of the half.
With the Quakers unable to get the ball back out and goalkeeper Landon Evans already making a save, but not reeling the ball in, Mazella Di Bosco kicked it in for the game’s first score.
All told, Evans had seven saves in the loss. He made three diving snags to keep the game within striking distance for the Quakers.
“Landon has been crucial to the success this team for the entire year,” Preston said. “Game in and game out, he gets better and better — his field vision, his distribution, as well as his ability in the net, is second-to-none. We look forward to having him as one of the staples towards building off of for next year.”
Entering Tuesday, the Quakers had posted 10 shutouts and allowed 17 goals.
On the opposite spectrum, Millville was unable to put any pressure on Lions’ goalkeeper Ethan Buck who recorded a save in each half. The Lions got the ball out quickly as the most success the Quakers had were a pair of cross passes that had no success to show for it.
Millville’s biggest break came with just over 15 minutes left in the contest when Eli Klinger took a hard foul — in a chippy game throughout — to reward the Quakers with a penalty kick.
Caleb Temple was given the task of executing such, kicking it to the right of goal as Buck dove left.
The score not only cut the lead in half but was the final score of the game.
Moravian scored the game-winner just three minutes earlier when from the right of goal, Mazella Di Bosco fed Dale Berkove a nice cross pass at left of the goal for great execution.
Despite seeing the playoff run come to an end in the opening round of the state tournament, Preston is taking a much similar approach to the one he took coming into this year after being crowned champions.
“I’m proud of this team. At the beginning of the year, we lost six starters including one that scored 115 goals in his career,” Preston said. “Needless to say, a lot of individuals stepped up at the start of the season and they turned some heads.
“So, essentially for them, the offseason starts now. Their focus for next season starts now as well. Essentially, our seniors (Anthony Failla and Temple) did a great job of setting up a legacy and helping to establish this program over the years. What the underclassmen do with that program and legacy is going to be on them. But we have confidence that next year we’ll come back more focused, much stronger, and hopefully make another run at things.”
Moravian 1 1 — 2
Millville 0 1 — 1
First half: 1. Moravian, Gennaro Mazzella Di Bosco, 5:36. Second half: 2. Moravian, Dale Berkove (Mazella Di Bosco), 18:27; 3. Millville, Caleb Temple (penalty kick), 15:08.
Shots: Moravian 9, Millville 3. Corner kicks: Moravian 8, Millville 1. Saves: Moravian 2 (Ethan Buck), Millville 7 (Landon Evans).
Link to story: https://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/daily/110619/page/13/story/champs-ousted
