Belle Vernon looks to rebound after section streak ends
By:
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 | 6:23 PM
Belle Vernon is not that bad. It remains to be seen if Connellsville is that good.
It’s only one game, but the Section 2-3A girls soccer opener Tuesday produced somewhat of a surprising result.
Connellsville, which dropped down a classification this season in WPIAL realignment, scored a 5-0 victory over the visiting Leopards, a team that returns a host of offensive firepower but could not find the net in its first 80 minutes of the season.
Belle Vernon came in No. 3 in the Trib’s Class 3A rankings. It won the section title the last two years with 12-0 records and had stretched its section winning streak to 26.
Now, the Leopards will look to bounce back quickly with a home game Thursday against Albert Gallatin.
Belle Vernon coach Tracy Lovett said Connellsville is a solid opponent. But are the Falcons a sleeper team in the section and class?
“They are a very good team — fast, physical and they came out hard,” Lovett said. “We were taken off-guard, and we were outplayed. We will take that loss, and learn from it. We still have a long season ahead. We are putting it behind us and focusing on the games ahead.
“You learn when you lose.”
Connellsville was a third-place team last season in Section 3-4A behind perennial powers Norwin and Penn-Trafford. the Falcons lost to Butler in the first round of the playoffs, 6-0.
Navaeh Hamborsky had two goals Connellsville in the victory. The Falcons play Greensburg Salem Thursday.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Belle Vernon, Connellsville
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