Second straight upset bid falls short for Riverview boys against Seton LaSalle

By: Doug Gulasy
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | 11:21 PM

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Riverview's chances came frequently in the first half, but none of them found the back of the net.

Neither did the shot that ultimately ended the Raiders' season, but it crossed the goal line — and that's all that mattered.

Darryl Daniels' goal early in the second half provided the only offense as No. 3 Seton LaSalle beat Riverview, 1-0, in a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Wednesday night at Seneca Valley's NexTier Stadium.

“We were one step behind today on those bounces,” Riverview coach Mickey Namey said. “I'm proud of the kids … but it's a tough pill to swallow when you think sometimes you have the better of the play in the first half and can't find that goal.”

Seton LaSalle (17-2-1), which will play No. 10 Springdale in the semifinals Saturday at a site and time to be determined, weathered an early Riverview storm to advance.

“I think (we were) a little panicky,” Seton LaSalle coach Ryan Kelly said. “The wet field didn't help us. I think they came out and set the tone a little bit. We kind of panicked and didn't really get any kind of composure. Once we got our composure, we did things we wanted to do. But when it wasn't there, it was a glaring miss and we did a lot of chasing.”

Riverview was coming off a 2-1 victory over defending WPIAL champion Sewickley Academy in the first round and looked to post another upset over a higher-seeded opponent.

The Raiders (12-6-1), who started eight seniors, had opportunities early.

Seton LaSalle goalkeeper Sam Reinhart stopped an Andrew Garda bicycle kick, and Riverview forward Adam Walker was yellow-carded when he collided with Reinhart going for a potential rebound.

Later in the half, Reinhart made another key save at the near post on Mike Komaniak's header.

“When you get into the quarterfinals, now you know you're dealing with teams with good defenses, so to get a goal takes a little pressure off you and lets you play a little more open in the field,” Namey said.

Reinhart finished with six saves.

“It easily could have been 2-0 or 3-0 them early in the game,” Kelly said. “Sam made some really good saves to keep us in the game, keep us with the lead late in the game as well. He's been really good for us.”

Daniels broke the scoreless tie just over three minutes into the second half. Mike Allen's corner kick turned into a loose ball inside the box, and Daniels' shot trickled over the goal line before Riverview's defenders could corral it.

“Part of the reason why we didn't play very well was because of how wet it was, and that's part of the reason why that went in the goal,” Kelly said. “It is what it is. We'll take it. I'm glad it wasn't on us and (was) for us.”

The goal allowed Seton LaSalle to lock down on defense, and although Riverview had some chances, the Rebels staved off the Raiders.

“We just couldn't break free,” Namey said.

Namey praised the work of his large senior class, which helped the Raiders return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Riverview lost one-goal decisions in the quarterfinals in 2014 (Winchester Thurston) and 2013 (Sewickley Academy).

“I'm proud of these seniors,” Namey said. “They started as freshmen beating Freedom in the playoffs, and I'm glad they got back into it and got another playoff win under their belts.”

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Doug at 412-388-5830, dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Riverview