Franklin Regional boys soccer beats Latrobe, stays perfect

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 11:07 PM

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Players worked together to put up a canopy on the Franklin Regional boys soccer sideline Thursday so the team could stay dry on a rainy night.

Then the Panthers wrung out Latrobe.

Showing similar teamwork on the pitch, the Panthers blanked the defending Section 3-3A champions 3-0 on Thursday night in Murrysville.

Franklin Regional (3-0, 2-0) remained undefeated and finally solved Latrobe, snapping a four-game losing streak against the Wildcats (0-2, 0-1), who had won 13 straight section games.

The shutout was nice for a team that had played back-to-back one-goal games against strong competition.

Franklin Regional held Latrobe to two shots on goal.

“After playing Norwin and Penn-Trafford, both emotional games, it’s hard not to think we’d come out flat,” Panthers coach Nick White said. “But they came to play. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little extra juice to this one.”

Franklin Regional has three starters and three key reserves out with injuries yet managed its third straight win with balance on both ends of the field.

“Every time we step on the field, we give it our all,” White said. “That’s all I can ask for from my group.”

Sophomore Aiden Alexander scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season, and senior Fabrizzio Costa and junior Thomas Bridges also scored in the victory, which saw 6-foot-6 senior goalkeeper Emerson Bush make a pair of saves and register an assist.

Latrobe, which lost its opener to Montour, 1-0 in overtime, hadn’t lost to the Panthers since 2022.

“They were just better than us at everything,” Latrobe coach Jake Rice said. “More talent and more flair. I thought we defended well in the first half until we let up a bad goal. We put our heads down in the second half.”

The teams felt each other out as they played through light and steady rain that picked up at halftime.

The fast-moving Alexander scored the first goal off a long free kick from Bush, who came 50 yards out of the net on the attempt. The ball landed near the 5-yard line, bounced and came to Alexander, who side-footed it past senior Mitch Horner in the 39th minute.

“Our younger guys come to play,” White said. “We started two sophomores and a freshman tonight.”

Freshman Luca Aguilera sent a wide attempt near post, but Horner dove and knocked it down. But when the ball popped out and squirted to the left, Costa was there to finish the rebound for a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute.

“It’s wet, so if you put something on net, the goalkeeper might slip it,” White said.

The third goal came with just more than eight minutes remaining, as the 6-foot-2 Bridges crashed the net and banged in a header for the defender’s second goal of the season. Costa assisted on Bridges’ goal.

Franklin Regional tilted the field and kept Latrobe’s scoring chances to a minimum.

“Latrobe is always a good side, and they have a really good back line,” White said. “We talked about what it would take to solve it. I have so much respect for Jake.”

Latrobe, which lost both of the standout Agostoni brothers, Roman to graduation and junior Warren to an MLS academy, also played without senior Cameron Mikulsky, who suffered a knee injury in lacrosse.

“We’re a different team,” Rice said. “In a way, I am OK with the outcome. We learned a lot about guys we feel we can put in games.”

White sang the praises of his midfielders, junior Daniel Todd and senior Cruise Lamanna.

“They worked so well together tonight in the middle,” the coach said. “They were unsung.”

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe