Deer Lakes boys embrace pressure, roll past Central Valley in WPIAL 1st round
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Monday, October 20, 2025 | 10:00 PM
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon celebrates his second goal against Central Valley during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Jacob Orseno collides with Peyton Kushon during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes goalkeeper Wesley Boyle makes a save between Peyton Kushon and Zane Spence during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon pressures Central Valley goalkeeper Luke Servch during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon works past Central Valley’s Blake Heater during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon celebrates his first goal against Central Valley with Collin Rodgers (left) and Keegan Landsberg during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers scores during the Lancers’ WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers celebrates with Cuyler Crim after scoring during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Artemey Parshyn shushes the crowd after scoring next to Peyton Kushon during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Artemey Parshyn moves the ball upfield against Central Valley during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Maddox Metzler heads the ball over Central Valley’s Hayden Lewis during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Zance Spence collides with Colton Bish on a header off a corner kick during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Colton Bish battles Central Valley’s for a header during the Lancers’ WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game against Central Valley on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon celebrates his first goal against Central Valley during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes’ Peyton Kushon celebrates with Maddox Metzler after scoring against Central Valley during their WPIAL Class 2A first round playoff game on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in West Deer.
Deer Lakes senior forward Peyton Kushon doesn’t shy away from the environment created by the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs.
The pressure in do-or-die moments doesn’t feel suffocating. For Kushon, it’s more comforting. Sixth-seeded Deer Lakes, behind two goals from Kushon, marched on with a 5-1 win over No. 11 Central Valley on Tuesday night at home.
“I live in the nerves,” Kushon said. “That’s what I like. I like feeling the pressure. Definitely from my freshman year, I feel like this is more of my field now. I own this place. I don’t think the nerves should ever go away because it shows how much I care.”
The Lancers, who reached the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA first round last year, will take on third-seeded section rival North Catholic at a site and time to be determined Thursday.
Deer Lakes (15-3-1) knocked the Trojans out of the WPIAL quarterfinals last season.
This season, North Catholic and Deer Lakes split their section matches. The Lancers won 3-0 on the road, and North Catholic won 2-0 at Deer Lakes.
“We have a target on our back during playoffs and section games. Everyone wants to beat us,” Lancers coach Aaron Smith said. “To be honest with you, we live in that environment. We like that pressure and want to work off each other.”
Kushon took the lid of the match by scoring eight minutes in off an assist from Keegan Landsberg. Once Kushon got the ball in the box, he was able to get his toe on the ball and saw a knuckler bounce in.
“I squeezed between the two center backs,” Kushon said. “All I did was get a toe over it. Toe balls are the best thing you can do if you get in the box. Anything can happen, keep almost making the save, it was a weird bounce.”
Central Valley (12-6) stuck to the plan in the first half by keeping five on the back line. The Warriors were able to prevent another goal from going in thanks to a tremendous effort by their defense.
Central Valley cleared three shots off the line to try and keep Deer Lakes from running away with the game.
“They fought to the final whistle making big plays,” Shearer said. “There were a lot of times where we were down three or four goals where we had a lot of guys in the box and guys had to sprint 50 or 60 yards to clear our lines.”
Collin Rodgers doubled the lead for Deer Lakes in the 58th minute when he rocketed a shot from about 10 yards to the right side of the net.
The Lancers only gained steam from there. Artemis Parshyn added another two minutes later, and Kushon scored his second and Jacob Orseno scored on a penalty kick.
The Warriors scored their lone goal in the final five minutes when Colby Pyrdek was able to direct one in.
“Once we are starting to find each other and start rolling, it starts to get fun and we start to get dangerous,” Smith said. “It comes down to numbers with us. You are looking at some of the top players I have, seniors at the top, who have been working together for four years.”
Tags: Central Valley, Deer Lakes
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