Riverside scores five after halftime to oust Freeport
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Saturday, October 21, 2017 | 7:03 PM
With the score tied at halftime, Freeport was in position to score an elusive playoff victory, but for the second consecutive year, the final 40 minutes were unkind to the Yellowjackets.
Calvin Wetzel scored in the 43rd and 44th minute after a pair of turnovers in front of the Freeport goal, and No. 9 Riverside rolled from there on its way to a 6-1 victory over the No. 8 Yellowjackets in the first round of the WPIAL Class AA boys soccer playoffs Saturday at North Allegheny.
Riverside advanced to play top-seeded Quaker Valley on Wednesday in the quarterfinals with a site and time to be announced.
Last year, Freeport led Beaver 2-0 in the first round, but the Bobcats rallied with three second-half goals to win. This year, Riverside reeled off five consecutive goals to put the Yellowjackets away.
The first two came when Wetzel was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a pair of miscues. The mistakes were part of what Freeport coach Dave Teorsky called “uncharacteristic” moments for his team.
“We had a couple of things happen to us today that we haven't seen happen all year long,” Teorsky said. “It was really out of character for our team. We never have conceded this many goals. I'm so proud of the way our guys stayed in there and kept competing even when the score became lopsided. It just was not our day today.
“We have a great group of men, and I hope we represent our school well.”
Wetzel split a pair of defenders seven minutes later and completed a natural hat trick.
“Calvin is an opportunistic striker,” Riverside coach Ben Huth said. “He's so fast, and if a defender makes a mistake, he's going to be there to clean up the mess. Thankfully, he was there both times for us.”
Josiah Guy scored in the 65th minute for Riverside, and Graham Kralic scored in the 73rd minute to push the lead to 6-1.
“We were a little shy in the first half,” Huth said. “After our discussion in the locker room during halftime, I thought they were more comfortable. We played the way we can play. The second half was not a surprise to our coaches. That's the way we expect them to play.”
Riverside (11-5-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute when a corner by Garrett Safran bounced off goalie Giovanni Pugliese and a couple of Freeport defenders before crossing into the net. Freeport (12-6) responded when Bryce Hanby buried a penalty kick into the right corner of the net with nine minutes remaining until halftime.
Freeport's eight graduating seniors — Hanby, Pugliese, James Goldinger, Andrew Nigra, Logan Ziemkiewicz, Alec Parker, Adam Kvarta and Kendrick Trim leave as the winningest class in program history with 47 wins. They were also apart of Freeport's first section title in 17 years last season.
“That four year total of wins is something the seniors should surely hang their hat on,” Teorsky said. “It's something to be proud of. Maybe with a little luck, next year's group will try to outdo that mark.”
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.
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