For 2nd straight year, Burrell shocks Mt. Pleasant in girls soccer playoffs

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 4:56 PM

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It happened again. And this playoff bracket-buster was even more impressive than the first one.

Determined, fearless and firm in its game plan, Burrell knocked the No. 1 out of Mt. Pleasant, upsetting the top-seeded Lady Vikings on their home turf for the second straight season in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals, this time with a 4-0 shutout on Saturday at Viking Stadium.

The ninth-seeded Lady Buccaneers (13-5-1) advance to play No. 4 South Park (14-4) in the semifinals Tuesday at a neutral site.

“We knew we had to minimize their front three and win the middle,” Burrell coach Frank Nesko said. “We had to connect on the chances we got.”

Mt. Pleasant (15-2) had outscored its opponents 100-6 coming into the matchup and had not been shut out in 32 straight games.

The offensive firepower that got the Lady Vikings this far was off duty as Burrell took away long passes and shut off breakaways.

Suddenly, a promising season with legitimate championship hopes is over.

“We’re a bit shocked. … We came out timid,” Mt. Pleasant coach Rich Garland said. “We survived their initial onslaught in the first half with the wind. When our first four decent chances didn’t go, we were crestfallen.”

Sophomore Makiah Buchak, who scored the golden goal last year when the No. 6 Lady Bucs clipped No. 3 Mt. Pleasant, 2-1, in overtime, tallied two goals this time.

Burrell scored three times in the second half as it continued to chase its goal of reaching the final for the first time.

“We came out really fast, and that helped us,” Buchak said. “I think when we got that third goal, we could lay back a little bit. We have been waiting for this moment to play them again. We came out and played hard, and we were prepared.”

Mt. Pleasant had not allowed a goal since Sept. 21 when sophomore Parker Moore brushed in a header off a corner kick in the sixth minute for the opening score.

Just eight minutes into the second half, it was 2-0 as Buchak ran wide, took on several defenders and connected opposite side.

“They came out firing,” Garland said. “They played better than us. They were ready to go.”

Junior Morgan Gesinski had a few choice scoring chances for the Lady Vikings, with one rip hitting the crossbar and another the near post.

But Burrell dodged Mt. Pleasant’s uptempo rush.

Keeping the All-WPIAL trio of senior Rylin Bugosh, Gesinski and senior Maddie Barrick out of the goal is no small task.

“It takes some luck, too,” Nesko said. “We wanted to be organized and stay organized. We had great leadership today, even with six sophomores out there, they are experienced.”

Buchak made it 3-0 in the 57th minute as she collected a brace with another wide run-up and firmly placed shot.

“She’s a gamer,” Nesko said. “She’s a big-game player. Makiah can be the best when we need her to be at her best. She has that ‘thing’ about her that you can’t coach.”

On the third goal, Mt. Pleasant goalkeeper Laurel Rummel was kicked in the leg and left the game briefly. Barrick stepped into her spot.

Seconds after the switch in goal, the Lady Bucs struck one last time. Senior Maggie Nesko launched a 50-yard free kick over Barrick to make it 4-0 just 48 seconds after the third score.

Burrell had 10 shots to Mt. Pleasant’s six, none on goal in the second half. Lady Bucs junior keeper Dana Barczykowski had five saves.

“Our section really prepared us and made us battle-tested,” Frank Nesko said. “Rich has a great squad. If you’re going to beat them, you pretty much have to play a perfect game.

“The WPIAL did us a favor. Look at our section: You have Freeport, North Catholic, Shady Side Academy, all great teams. Knoch was another deserving playoff team.”

Mt. Pleasant was hoping for a second final appearance in three years, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“You can’t deny their work ethic,” Garland said of his team. “It was a hard-fought game. Burrell was strong through the midfield. They’re a physical team.

“It’s tough. We’ll win a championship one of these days.”

Bugosh finished her prep career with 92 goals.

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

Tags: Burrell, Mt. Pleasant