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Avonworth limits Belle Vernon’s top scorer, sprints into WPIAL semifinals

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | 10:27 PM

Avonworth didn’t man mark Belle Vernon’s Trevor Kovatch, the second-leading goal scorer in WPIAL boys soccer.

Instead, the Antelopes had five players shadow the junior forward. Yes, five.

“He’s a special player,” Avonworth coach Tom Angell said. “There are no secrets anymore when you get to the playoffs. We did a lot of scouting.

“We had five guys who were aware of him at all times.”

And Belle Vernon was aware of how good the host Antelopes were.

Fourth-seeded Avonworth kept Kovatch in check, and sophomore Nathan Kline and junior Abdul Basit each scored two goals as the Antelopes dispatched of the No. 5 Leopards, 4-1, in a WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal playoff game Thursday night at Lenzner Field.

It will be Avonworth (16-2-1) and No. 1 South Park (20-0) in Monday’s semifinals.

Kovatch had the lone goal for the Leopards (15-3), who had an eight-game winning streak stopped. He ended the Antelopes’ bid at a sixth straight shutout with his 49th goal of the season.

“We didn’t man mark him because we didn’t want to get out of our shape,” Angell said. “We had confidence in our midfield. This is the best group combination of midfield and offense I have had here.”

Asked if his team had seen a better midfield than Avonworth’s this year, Belle Vernon coach Al Yeschenko didn’t blink.

“No,” he said.

“Their experience showed on us. They are creatively good on the run. We haven’t seen team speed like that all year. I wouldn’t be surprised if (Avonworth) keeps winning.”

Basit finished with two goals and two assists, and Kline had two goals and one assist. Junior Rowan Carmichael had an assist in the win.

The first score came five minutes in. Kline’s bending shot found the net as Leopards junior keeper Bryce Burkhart came out to challenge.

Ten minutes later, Basit took a cross in front, spun and connected to make it 2-0, a score that held tight into halftime.

“When we had a 2-0 lead, that can be dangerous,” Angell said. “We have four or five chances at No. 3. We just wanted to get our third goal before they got one.”

And the Antelopes did.

Basit ripped a shot far post in the 60th minute for a 3-0 lead.

“They just have unlimited options,” Yeschenko said, “once they get the ball in the middle.”

Kline scored again just 25 seconds later for the fourth goal.

“With the way we possess the ball, most teams are not ready for our midfield,” Angell said.

Avonworth had 18 shots to Belle Vernon’s three.

Kovatch’s somewhat anticlimactic goal came in the 72nd minute, off a feed from Brandon Yeschenko — the Leopards’ go-to combination.

“Brandon to Trevor, it’s been that way all year,” Al Yeschenko said. “This is a very good game for us to go out on because it really tested us.”

The Leopards plan to make another run next fall. They will lose only three seniors.

Kovatch has 86 career goals.

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

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