Bentworth drops Burrell in playoffs for 2nd time this season

By: Jerin Steele
Saturday, November 11, 2023 | 6:56 PM

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Burrell found itself in the same position Saturday as it was 12 days ago against Bentworth.

Searching for a tying goal.

This time, however, instead of getting that goal and sending the game to overtime, the Bearcats provided a dagger.

Ryan Scott scored in the 65th minute, and Bentworth won 3-1 in the PIAA Class A boys soccer quarterfinals at Plum. It beat Burrell in the postseason for the second time this season.

The Bearcats beat the Bucs, 2-1, in the WPIAL semifinals Oct. 30 and with Saturday’s win advanced to face Charleroi in the state semifinals Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.

It’ll be the fourth meeting between the two teams and a rematch of the WPIAL championship, which Bentworth won 3-2 in overtime.

It moved on after a tough fight with the Bucs.

“Burrell’s a great team,” Bentworth coach Nick Malarbi said. “Credit to them. Two tough games for us. Their midfielder Cam (Wagner) is a great player. We had to mark him all night. It was the same thing as the semifinal. We just had to stay tight to them, make them work and force them into mistakes.”

Scott’s goal came off a free kick from the middle of the field at 28 yards. Ryan Moessner took the free kick with Ryan Colbert making a run down the right side. Instead of kicking it toward Colbert, Moessner went against the grain to Scott, who took one touch, spun around and put a shot on goal that went past Bucs keeper Ryan Croushore.

“That’s something we worked on in practice,” Malarbi said. “We thought if we could drag them out in a goofy way we could fire it at one of our seniors’ feet and let him make a play. John’s always been able to make a play like that. He’s good at little flicks and bringing the ball down when it’s awkward. He brought it down and put it in the net, which was awesome.”

Colbert and Billy Moyer scored four minutes apart in the first half to give Bentworth a 2-0 cushion prior to 20 minutes played in the match.

Hadyn Herbulock responded with a goal for the Bucs on a high, floating shot that curled into the net in the 34th minute.

Burrell had a couple of opportunities to tie it prior to Scott’s insurance tally. The best came on a cross by Billy Kowalkowski that was headed on goal by Jayson Ireland, but Bentworth keeper DJ Hays kept it out.

“I thought our guys played great, but the early goals hurt us,” Burrell coach Andrew Kariotis said. “We put some on but didn’t get the finishing today. But Bentworth is good. They’re a tough team to play. We got behind the 8-ball early, but overall I thought we played pretty well.”

Bentworth lost both section meetings against Charleroi this year but won the WPIAL title game in comeback fashion. The Bearcats are looking forward to a fourth meeting with the Cougars.

“When they played and ultimately lost the section to them at our place they told us that we’d see each other at Highmark (Stadium) for the WPIAL championship,” Malarbi said. “After we won WPIALs I said I was sure we’d see them in states.”

Burrell graduates seven seniors. The Bucs made the WPIAL semifinals for the first time and won a state playoff match for the first time in program history.

“We’re happy with how far we came,” Kariotis said. “Obviously we would’ve liked to have gone farther, but I don’t think anyone expected this from us. They were good enough to win every game they played this year, and that’s really all you can ask.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Burrell