Agostoni gets hat trick, Latrobe keeps rolling vs. Belle Vernon

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, September 5, 2024 | 11:12 PM

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On a night when shots were plentiful and goals piled up, Latrobe was more impressed by its defensive play and limiting Belle Vernon’s potent offense in its latest soccer victory.

“The defense created the chances,” said senior forward Roman Agostoni, who had a hat trick in the Wildcats’ 5-0 win in Section 3-3A on Thursday night at James Weir Stadium in Rostraver.

“We had a game plan, and we executed it perfectly,” Latrobe coach Jake Rice said. “I thought we were in the forefront from the start of the game. The first half was boys vs. men.”

Latrobe (3-1, 3-0) has scored 20 goals in four games.

The loss was the first of the season for Belle Vernon (3-1, 1-1), which scored nine goals and only allowed one coming in.

The Leopards moved up from Class 2A for the new two-year enrollment cycle. They had not been shut out at home since the first round of the WPIAL playoffs in 2022.

“(Latrobe) outplayed us, but I thought all five goals were preventable,” Belle Vernon coach Al Yeschenko said. “That’s a good team we played. They were in the right spots to finish, and they finished. If we learn from it, it’s a good loss.”

Yeschenko never had lost by five goals as the Leopards coach. Belle Vernon had won eight straight at the Beach.

The game plan Rice referred to involved moving junior Cam Mikulsky to the back line, where he played in front of Leopards’ standout senior forward Trevor Kovatch, with senior Brady King playing behind him.

The result was very few opportunities for Kovatch, who often creates scoring chances with his speed.

“This was one of Brady’s best games,” Rice said.

Said Yeschenko: “We haven’t see a center back like that (this season).”

Latrobe outshot the Leopards, 13-4.

Freshman goalkeeper Morgan Bunch made eight saves.

A slip-up by Belle Vernon gave the Wildcats an early edge. A sliding attempt to deflect a cross by junior Logan Metzger rolled into the cage for an own goal in the 15th minute.

Agostoni was credited with the score before he added another goal about three minutes later. After Belle Vernon missed a chance to clear the ball, he came set from about 18 yards and sent a shot screaming past Bunch for a 2-0 lead.

The Leopards band played at halftime, a rare occurrence for soccer, but Latrobe continued to bang the drum.

Just four minutes into the second half, Agostoni completed the hat trick with a penalty kick to make it 3-0.

“I go into every game with the mindset I’m going to have a good game,” Agostoni said. “If I didn’t, I shouldn’t be playing.”

Rice called the third goal the most important of the night.

It was Agostoni’s second hat trick of the season. He added an assist.

In the 54th minute, sophomore Nolan Dempsey scored the fourth goal on a laser shot from 20 yards after Belle Vernon crossed into a trouble area.

“We crossed it across the 18,” Yeschenko said. “We hadn’t been challenged this way. Maybe it’s good it happened early in the season.”

Sophomore Warren Agostoni got into the action with the fifth goal, which came with 3:28 to play. He also had two assists.

Rice hopes the win gives his team momentum with two section games next week against Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Latrobe