Sciorilli’s goal sends Franklin Regional boys soccer into PIAA semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 10, 2018 | 8:36 PM

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SLIPPERY ROCK — One goal was going to be enough, given the way the Cathedral Prep and Franklin Regional boys soccer teams played defense Saturday. The teams stifled each other nearly from start to finish, until Jake Sciorilli found an opening.

The sophomore scored from 12 yards out with 9 minutes, 38 seconds left to lead the unbeaten Panthers to a 1-0 win in a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal at Slippery Rock High School’s Rocket Stadium and into Tuesday’s semifinals against a familiar foe. The Panthers (20-0-1) face WPIAL rival West Allegheny, a 3-1 winner against Hershey on Saturday, at a site and time to be determined.

“I was out there waiting for the cross to go in,” Sciorilli said. “I chested it off, left foot in. It’s how you get a goal.”

The Ramblers (19-2-0) and Panthers took a more conservative approach in a scoreless first half where scoring chances, quality or otherwise, were difficult to generate.

Neither team threatened in the offensive end, and Panthers goalkeeper Jeremy Lucas and Prep counterpart Ndgaiza Fidele and weren’t seriously challenged in the opening 40 minutes.

“We figured it would be a one-goal game. I even said this one might end being (decided in) a shootout,” Franklin Regional coach Rand Hudson said. “It was back and forth. It was well defended on both sides.”

Yet, the game opened up as the second half unfolded, with each team coming within inches of netting the go-ahead goal.

Prep senior Christian Kekula’s half-volley from close range bounced just past the right post with 28:30 left. Panthers senior Zack Snider nearly found the back of the net with a pair of well-struck headers four minutes later. A leaping Fidele deflected the first attempt off the crossbar, and then Snider sent the rebound just over the crossbar.

It seemed the evenly matched teams were destined for overtime, and possibly penalty kicks, until a cross off a free kick bounced off several players inside the 18-yard box before finding Sciorilli’s left foot. He fired a shot into the lower left corner of the net to break the scoreless draw, and set the stage for a frantic final minutes in the game.

“It was well defended on both sides, nice attacks but not a lot of opportunities,” Hudson said. “We got a scrappy one, and that’s fine.”

The Ramblers relentlessly pressured the Panthers’ packed-in defense for the final minutes. But the Panthers withstood Prep’s furious comeback attempt to seal the victory.

“It’s just pressure. You’ve got to keep it out of there,” Sciorilli said. “They had some dangerous attacks, but our defense can handle it and our midfield can too.”

Victor Fernandes is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional