Gateway notebook: Boys soccer edges Franklin Regional; Cisse takes 3rd at section meet

By: Michael Love
Sunday, October 8, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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The Gateway boys soccer team needed almost the full 80 minutes, but a late penalty-kick goal from junior midfielder James LoCoco was the difference as the Gators topped Section 4-3A power Franklin Regional on Oct. 3 at home.

The 3-2 victory avenged a 1-0 loss to the Panthers from Sept. 7 and improved Gateway’s record to 7-3-2 overall and 7-2-2 in section play.

It also snapped a 13-game losing streak to Franklin Regional, all in section play, dating back to the 2014 season.

Junior Owen Echegaray gave Gateway a 1-0 lead in the first half with a goal, assisted by senior Blake Marsh.

Noah Walker tied it for FR, and the teams were even at 1-1 heading to halftime.

Joey Bayne converted a penalty kick to put the Panthers ahead, 2-1.

But LoCoco responded and evened the score off an assist from brother Nick LoCoco, a junior.

The win helped the Gators keep pace with Latrobe in the section standings. The Wildcats fell to 8-2 in the section with a close 3-2 loss to Plum the same night the Gators topped the Panthers.

Plum improved to 11-0 and remained at the top of the section standings. Gateway was scheduled to get its second crack at the Mustangs at home last Thursday.

The Gators also were to visit Latrobe on Tuesday (Oct. 10) before Thursday’s section finale against Obama Academy. Gateway beat Latrobe, 3-2, when the teams met Sept. 14.

Gateway cross country runs at section championships

The Gators joined seven other teams Oct. 4 for the WPIAL Division I, Section 4 championships at Northmoreland Park.

Warm temperatures which reached the low 80s at the time of both varsity races greeted the runners for the trek across the 3.1-mile course.

Gateway runners returned to Northmoreland Park after also running there Sept. 15 for the Kiski Invitational.

Senior Kefimba Cisse again was in the lead group for the entire race as he battled with the likes of Fox Chapel’s Rowan Gwin, Franklin Regional’s Nathan Kociela, Kiski Area’s Sam Plazio and Plum’s Gabriel Powell.

Gwin won the title in a time of 16:34.1. Kociela and Cisse were close to each other in the final 100 yards, and Kociela edged Cisse with a time of 16:43.9.

Cisse sliced three seconds off his time from the Kiski Invitational and placed third overall (16:45.0).

Gateway had two others finish in the boys top 20 — junior Kairell McCoy in 17th (18:35.3) and fellow junior Nathan Eichenmiller in 20th (19:09.9).

The Gateway girls had five runners compete, the minimum number needed to reach a score for the team standings.

Freshman Kailee Allen led the way for the Gators as she finished 12th individually with a time of 22:49.6. Sophomore Gianna Laurenti, junior Madison Lu, freshman Maleah McKnight, and recent newcomer Kalee Kellman, also a freshman, rounded out the runners for the Gateway girls team.

The Penn Hills and Woodland Hills girls and the Armstrong and Woodland Hills boys didn’t have enough runners to score in the team standings so all of the scores against those four teams were 15-50.

The Gateway boys finished 3-4, while the Gators girls team went 2-5 on the afternoon.

Gateway JV hockey opens with two wins

The Gateway hockey team, again playing at the junior varsity level in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, kicked off its Division 3 schedule with a combined 15 goals in wins over Deer Lakes (8-2) and Montour (7-0).

Under the direction of first-year coach Justin Evans, the Gators, with five seniors, nine juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen, have made the most of their early-season opportunities.

Gateway spotted Deer Lakes an early goal before answering with four in a row to take control of their opener Sept. 25.

The Lancers pulled to within two in the second period, but the Gators answered with two more in the second and the final two in the third to set the final.

All eight Gateway goals were even strength.

Ten Gators skaters recorded at least one point with junior Thomas Tuskan tallying a hat trick. Junior CJ Evans added a goal and assisted on three others.

Senior Seth Hunkele made 23 saves on 25 Deer Lakes shots to earn the win.

Gateway came out quick against Montour on Oct. 2 and led 4-0 after one period.

The Gators tacked on three more for good measure over the final 13 minutes. The final score from Evans was Gateway’s first on the power play.

Tuskan added two more goals, and Evans finished with two goals and two assists.

Juniors Jakob Williams and Connor Olson each scored once and added an assist, and sophomore Reed Davis also lit the lamp in the win.

Junior Parker Willams and sophomore Gavin Grant each had assists.

Dakota Montedoro got the start in net and stopped all four shots he faced.

Gateway returns to action Monday (Oct. 16) against West Allegheny at the RMU Island Sports Center.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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