Highlands boys soccer shows marked improvement, eyes postseason berth

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, September 18, 2017 | 10:51 PM

A 4-2 home nonsection win last Thursday was the fourth of the season for the Highlands boys soccer team.

The Golden Rams, 4-4, won just three matches last season and finished near the cellar in Section 1-3A.

The general player consensus is that experience — nine starters returned from last year — and the chemistry born from that has combined with grit and determination to give the early season a different feel from recent campaigns.

“One of our games last year against Gateway, we got smacked 4-0,” senior co-captain Cris White said. “This year, we took it to them. It showed that chemistry coming back from last year.”

Highlands' defeated the Gators, 2-1, in the season opener Sept. 2 at the Ambridge tournament as Gabe Norris and Kolbe Palermo netted goals.

“We saw early on that things could be different,” said White, one of two seniors along with fellow captain Andre Christopher. “We knew that in the preseason, but it was nice to see it on the field in a game. There's always something we can improve on, both individually and as a team. I think we can be even more physical.”

“The last couple of seasons, we were finding our feet,” Christopher said. “Now, we have the pieces to make it happen.”

Norris, one of a few freshmen who have meshed with older-but-familiar teammates, leads the team in scoring with four goals and five assists through eight matches. He had a hat trick against Southmoreland.

While White pointed to the Gateway game as an early benchmark, Norris said he believed the 3-0 lightning-shortened section win against Greensburg Salem on Sept. 7 provided a spark for the still-maturing squad.

The Golden Lions swept Highlands last year by scores of 7-1 and 5-1.

“(The early end to the game) was a little frustrating because we had the momentum, and we wanted to keep it going,” Norris said.

Coach Brad Walker likes what he has seen from his squad.

“We're small, especially in our center mids,” said Walker, who saw his team go winless in his first season two years ago and get outscored by 112 goals in 14 matches. “But they throw their bodies around, win 50/50 balls and draw a lot of fouls. Those are examples of how this team is not backing down from anyone this season.

“We are in every game now. We're competing, and it feels good.”

Walker said building out of the backfield is an area that needs improving.

“The defenders have been playing catch-up, but they've been improving. As they progress, we progress,” Walker said.

Highlands used a 2-1 win at Armstrong — the Golden Rams played 70 minutes shorthanded because of a red card — and the victory against Greensburg Salem to start section play 2-0.

The Golden Rams suffered a 2-1 loss at first-place Indiana on Sept. 12 and lost to Mars, 3-0, on Saturday to even their section mark at 2-2.

“We have a really tough section,” Walker said. “We had a hard-fought battle up at Indiana. We felt we dominated that game. That was a big need for us to add to our confidence.

“Mars is a more experienced team than us right now. We did have some nice chances where we just barely missed the net. We had scoring chances we never had against Mars before. Mars had good speed, but we started to counter their attack more and matched their physicality.”

Highlands is right in the mix for one of the four playoffs spots in the section. A three-game section week begins Tuesday at Hampton , which is tied for third place in the section at 2-1.

The Golden Rams host Knoch, tied for first with Indiana at 3-0, on Thursday and have a rematch with Armstrong at home Saturday.

“Knoch and Hampton are both really good teams. We're looking forward to seeing how we match up against them,” Walker said.

Walker said the team is healthy and at full strength after injuries to sophomore goalkeeper Gabe Anthony and junior center back Gerald Butler forced both to miss game action. The aftermath of the red card that took another player out of the lineup has been resolved as well.

Sophomore goalie Cooper Schoen helped the Rams to both section victories in Anthony's absence.

“The guys have an expectation that they aren't going to settle for anything less than a winning record,” Walker said. “If that translates into a playoff trip, that is great, too.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.