Penn-Trafford’s Alexis Brown has full-circle performance 1 year after injury in win over Latrobe

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | 10:51 PM

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Almost one year to the day — on the same field, against the same opponent — Alexis Brown had a full-circle experience.

It came with nerves and tension, as well as adrenaline and relief.

But it also came with a brace, much different than the one on her knee.

Brown, the senior midfielder from Penn-Trafford who is a year removed from a fractured right kneecap, pumped in two goals to lead the Lady Warriors to a 2-1 victory over visiting Latrobe on Wednesday night in a Section 1-4A girls soccer game at Warrior Stadium.

Last year against the Wildcats, she saw her junior season end when she turned and felt her knee give out.

The home rematch with Latrobe meant more to Brown, who also is a backup kicker for the football team.

“I had been thinking about this game for a while,” said Brown, a Cal (Pa.) commit who leads the team with 11 goals. “It’s been in the back of my mind.”

Her two shots in the second half found the back of the net, both on aggressive, alert attempts, as the Warriors (9-3, 6-0) earned the section sweep and won for the ninth time in 10 games. They also increased their lead in the section to two games over Latrobe (5-3-1, 4-2) and Norwin (6-5-1, 4-2).

Latrobe had won five straight.

“I’m so happy for (Brown),” Penn-Trafford coach Jimmy Mastroianni said. “She has really hit her stride and stepped up for us. She took on their center back.

“We’re really dinged up right now. This is a big win for us.”

Penn-Trafford recently learned two key players are out with injuries, including freshman Tori Yurt, who tore her ACL, MCL and meniscus. Sophomore Aishlinn Connelly also is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.

Penn-Trafford outshot Latrobe, 10-9, with Rease Solomon making seven saves.

“In the first half, I thought we controlled the run of the game,” Latrobe coach Jamie Morrison-Campbell said. “But for as many opportunities as we got, Solomon was making an excellent save or we were rushing. In the second half, we started to play into their hands.”

After neither team scored before the half, Brown opened the scoring exactly four minutes into the second half. She raced ahead of two defenders and sent a shot wide of Wildcats keeper Gianna Trunzo for a 1-0 lead, her right leg wrapped in a large, black knee brace.

“I feel like I am fully back,” Brown said. “(Physically) I am about 80-90% right now.”

As Penn-Trafford repelled Wildcats’ build-ups, with senior goalkeeper Solomon batting away shots, the offense waited patiently for another chance.

That chance finally came in the 71st minute when Brown sprinted directly at Trunzo, who was set to clear the ball after a touch from Penn-Trafford junior Morgan Spudy. But the ball slipped away from her, and Brown pounced to make it 2-0.

“As soon as I saw the ball go through her legs, I took it,” Brown said. “I just kept running.”

A 2-0 lead is never safe when this pair of Class 4A newcomers play one another, and Penn-Trafford had to hold on.

A handball in the box gave the Wildcats a penalty kick with 3 minutes, 4 seconds remaining. Senior Robin Reilly calmly rolled it low past Solomon to cut the lead to 2-1.

Latrobe had four shutouts during its five-game win streak and had outscored its opponents 43-1. Their last loss was a 3-2 setback against Penn-Trafford.

“We made some errors playing cautiously, and (Penn-Trafford) put it away with their midfield,” Morrison-Campbell said.

Trunzo, a first-year keeper, made five saves in the loss.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Latrobe, Penn-Trafford