No. 4 Freeport boys soccer tops No. 2 Shady Side Academy in lightning-halted game

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | 11:42 PM

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With 16 minutes and 44 seconds left in the second half of Thursday's Section 2-2A boys soccer match between rivals Freeport and Shady Side Academy, a flash of lightning sent both teams seeking shelter.

The Yellowjackets had built a two-goal advantage with first-half scores from Bryce Hanby and Hunter Hardin.

Freeport had hoped to return to the field to finish off its victory, while the visiting Indians wanted a chance to make a comeback.

Athletic officials and the referees tried to restart the game after more than an hour wait, but heavy rain and more lightning prevented any further game action. It went into the books as a 2-0 Freeport triumph.

“The boys were champing at the bit to get back out there, and they ran out on the field when that last delay had ended,” Freeport coach Dave Teorsky said. “Unfortunately, Mother Nature intervened.”

Nearly the same scenario played out Wednesday night as the game between the Freeport and Burrell varsity girls teams was called after about an hour delay because of lightning. The Yellowjackets led 3-0 when the game was halted with 32:10 left in the second half.

Thursday's win ran the Freeport boys' unbeaten streak in section play to 14 dating back to late in the 2015 season.

Shady Side gave the Yellowjackets their only section blemish last year — a tie in the second game of the home-and-home series. Freeport captured the section crown by three points over the Indians.

Both teams entered the game in the top five in the Tribune-Review 2A rankings. Shady Side (1-1, 1-1) was third. Freeport (3-0, 2-0) was fourth.

“It is a good, clean rivalry,” Teorsky said. “Shady Side plays a really nice game of soccer. Our boys really match up well with them. Last year, we were able to get that section title, and it has to be a motivator for Shady Side this season. But we're also using that as a motivator as we want to win it again.”

Shady Side made an early push with a couple of scoring threats, but Freeport started to tip the offensive scale in their favor as the first half progressed.

Scoring chances by Alec Parker and Hanby 10 minutes into the contest were denied by the Indians defense and goalkeeper Chester Todd, but the Yellowjackets soon broke through.

Hanby gave Freeport a 1-0 lead with 22:25 left until halftime as he delivered a one-timed header past Todd off a corner kick from Adam Kvarta.

The advantage doubled 12 minutes later. Following a Shady Side foul, Kvarta boomed a kick from about 55 yards out into the box in front of the Shady Side net.

With both teams bunched in close, the ball found its way to the feet of Hardin, who turned and placed the ball on goal. Todd got a hand on the ball, but he wasn't able to fully secure it.

Hardin cleaned up the short rebound and pushed it past Todd for the score.

“Our team plays with confidence when we have the lead,” Teorsky said. “But we know that no matter who is on the other side of the field, we need to play a full 80 minutes of soccer. We learned a tough lesson last year in the playoffs. We just can't take our foot of the gas in any game.”

Freeport led Beaver, 2-0, at halftime of its first-round playoff contest last year before the Bobcats rallied for a 3-2 victory.

Shady Side coach Ed Ellsworth credited Freeport.

“Freeport earned the match, no doubt, with two really nice set pieces,” he said. “We all know what type of player Bryce is up top. He's a force. They got us twice, and we didn't take advantage of our set pieces. That really was the difference in the game.

“We're two of the top teams in the WPIAL (2A), and we wouldn't mind seeing each other at Highmark Stadium.”

Freeport played Thursday's game without junior starting midfielder Stevie Teorsky, who suffered a sprained ankle in Tuesday's section win at Burrell. Coach Teorsky said it is too early to determine an exact timetable for his son's return to the field.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.