Clutch goal lifts Mt. Pleasant boys past McGuffey to run win streak to 6
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Thursday, October 5, 2023 | 10:40 PM
Mt. Pleasant’s Austin Ulery celebrates after scoring the winning goal late in the game against McGuffey on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant’s Luke Rivardo celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick against McGuffey on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant’s Luke Rivardo works against McGuffey’s Nathan Kler during their game Thursday. Rivardo scored in the 2-1 win.
Mt. Pleasant’s Damien Ohler heads the ball upfield past McGuffey’s Mason Piatt during their game Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant goalkeeper Jacob McGuinness stops a shot by McGuffey’s Larry Goodman during their game on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant.
Mt. Pleasant’s Eli Duvall heads the ball upfield against McGuffey on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant’s Luke Rivardo collides with McGuffey’s Nathan Kler during their game on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant.
Mt. Pleasant’s Damien Ohler works against McGuffey’s Larry Goodman during their game Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant’s Luke Rivardo works against McGuffey’s Logan Crowe during their game on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant.
McGuffey’s Logan Crowe scores against Mt. Pleasant on Thursday.
McGuffey’s Logan Crowe celebrates after scoring against Mt. Pleasant on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant’s Austin Ulery celebrates with Eli Duvall after scoring the game-winning goal late in their game against McGuffey on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant.
Mt. Pleasant’s Luke Rivardo works against McGuffey’s Logan Crowe during their game on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant.
Mt. Pleasant’s Austin Ulery (14) celebrates his winning goal with Grant Zahrobsky (16) and Aydan Gross during their game against McGuffey on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant ran its winning streak to six but not before a somewhat painstaking final push at McGuffey.
The Vikings pelted the visitors with 18 shots, challenging goalkeeper Sam Stout from a number of angles, before punching in a late goal to finally grant tense home fans some relief.
Senior Austin Ulery scored on a cross from junior Aiden Johnson with 2 minutes, 39 seconds remaining as the Vikings clipped the Highlanders, 2-1, in a Section 3-2A boys soccer game Thursday night at Viking Stadium.
“He crossed in the back into an open lane,” said Ulery, who has eight goals this season. “I felt confident I could finish. It was exciting to do that in a set-the-tone type of game.”
Ulery also scored in the previous game against the Highlanders, a 1-0 win for the Vikings.
Mt. Pleasant (11-2, 11-1), which had shut out its last three opponents, defended well enough to hold McGuffey (11-4, 9-3) to one shot on goal. But McGuffey did its part to limit the damage, shielding opportunities until the Vikings’ late advance.
The third-place Highlanders had won six in a row, including four straight shutouts. It was their third one-goal loss.
“They are the toughest matchup in the section for us based on the way they play,” McGuffey coach Brian Gillespie said of Mt. Pleasant. “We let one too many inside. They executed tonight. I am proud of our effort.”
Mt. Pleasant, which remained in the section title hunt, will look to take the momentum into Tuesday night’s home game against Belle Vernon (12-2, 11-1) in a battle for first place.
“Our kids work for each other and play for one another,” Vikings coach Floyd Snyder said. “Our back line played well. There is a lot of experience back there. Last time (against McGuffey), we tried a lot of things up the middle. Tonight, we tried some different things to find our strikers’ feet and work some combinations.”
Mt. Pleasant opened the scoring when senior Luke Rivardo ripped a penalty kick past Stout in the 16th minute.
Stout finished with 13 saves.
The Vikings tested Stout early with clean shots from Rivardo and Ulery, which was a prelude to a number of run-ups as the Vikings attacked from the outside in.
“McGuffey presses fast and hard, and they keep coming at you,” Snyder said. “You’re always happy with an early goal, but we had to keep going at them. Statistically, one has to go in eventually.”
Mt. Pleasant flooded Stout with shots but could not add to its early lead.
In fact, the Vikings had 15 shots to none for McGuffey until the Highlanders finally caught a break.
Junior Nate Kierr rocketed a 30-yard free kick, which hit the crossbar and bounced downward.
Junior Logan Crowe alertly sent in the rebound to make it 1-1 with 15:22 to play in the second half.
Kierr was impressive on several kicks, sending one nearly 50 yards downfield.
Senior Dylan Stewart, a 20-goal scorer for McGuffey, was not playing at 100% because of a football injury, Gillespie said.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: McGuffey, Mt. Pleasant
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