Latrobe boys soccer team notches 1st playoff win

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 6:51 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Latrobe will remember its first playoff win in boys soccer for a number of reasons.

• The Agostoni brothers each scored a goal.

• The defense posted a shutout on the Wildcats’ home turf.

• Traffic from a Donald Trump rally just up the road at the airport hindered late comers to the game.

• Defender Brady Kring’s shift at work wasn’t as taxing.

“I have to go to work now,” Kring said moments after the fourth-seeded Wildcats blanked No. 13 Ringgold, 2-0, on Saturday in a WPIAL Class 3A first-round game at Rossi Field. “I guess it won’t be so bad.”

No, that shift at Chick-fil-A couldn’t have been bad. Not after Latrobe (13-4-1) took care of business in the first round to claim its maiden postseason victory, a fine follow-up to its first section championship.

The Latrobe boys soccer program started in 1984.

Latrobe will host No. 5 Bethel Park (12-5) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Bethel Park edged No. 12 Montour, 3-2.

“It seems like we’re always doing something to be part of history,” Kring said. “We wanted it more on the defensive end today.”

Warren Agostoni finally loosened up the Wildcats after a tense opening 35 minutes, connecting on a header off a corner kick from Stone Brunton for the opening goal.

“It gave us a little confidence there,” Agostoni said. “They were dominating us, but we started to pick it up after the goal.”

The first goal gave Latrobe momentum going into the break.

“We needed something before halftime,” Latrobe coach Jake Rice said. “We didn’t want to give them life.”

Ringgold (10-8-1) felt like it was playing well enough defensively to find an equalizer in the second half, but it never materialized.

“I don’t think (Latrobe) is as good as any team we play in our section,” Ringgold coach Rob Fabean said. “But they did a good job keeping the ball in front of them all day. They have some dangerous players.”

Nate Alvarez nearly scored in the first half for the Rams as he dribbled over Reece DiCasolo, who was on his stomach, only to have the ball bounce off his shoulder away from the net.

The Wildcats added a second goal late in the second half to give them some space.

Roman Agostoni scored from the top right of the box after a back-tap from Warren Agostoni to make it 2-0 in the 75th minute.

“I wasn’t comfortable until Roman scored that second goal,” Rice said. “We didn’t care who we got (in the first round). I just knew it would be tough to play on a Saturday during the day. We’re notoriously horrible on Saturdays. We train at night. This was a big stage for our guys.”

Roman Agostoni has 32 goals on the season. Warren Agosotoni has 15, which means the brothers have 47 of the team’s 63 goals.

“It means a lot for me and Roman to both score in this game,” Warren Agostoni said. “We’ve always had good chemistry.”

Said Roman Agostoni: “We expected to win today, but they played us tough. It’s big for us that we won, but we have a bigger goal. We want to win them all.”

Latrobe limited Ringgold’s chances after halftime as it nursed a one-goal lead.

DiCasolo made four saves in the win.

“In the second half, we fell apart,” Fabean said. “We had to go to a 4-4 at the end, and that left a lot of empty space.

“All year, we have had spells, mental lapses. We’ve had 132 corner kicks this year and scored four goals off them.”

Donovan Fortuna made fives saves for the Rams.

Latrobe was shut out in the first round last year at South Fayette, on a Saturday afternoon.

“I played in two playoff games at Connellsville, and we had that game last year,” Rice said. “Every time I have lost to the (eventual) champion. Maybe it will be different this year.”

Rice said Brunton, Kring, DiCasolo and Jake Limani played key roles in the Wildcats’ sixth shutout.

“Limani showed up out of nowhere,” Rice said. “He only plays three months out of the year but helps us win.”

The 13 wins for the Wildcats are a team record for a season.

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

Tags: Latrobe, Ringgold