Pezzeca’s goal stands up as Strath Haven scrambles past Haverford

HAVERFORD — The plan from Strath Haven Tuesday night was, by high school soccer standards, fairly sophisticated.

Knowing that Haverford held the edge in midfield playmaking, particularly on home turf, the Panthers went to A.G. Cornog Field to play a high press. The high offside line carried risks, requiring consistent pressure to players in possession trying to pick out passes, and a steep price to pay if they got it wrong.

There was nothing high-minded, however, about how the Panthers sealed the win.

George Pezzeca’s penalty kick in the 68th minute stood up as the winner, but only after the Panthers sacrificed their bodies in a pair of goal-mouth scrambles in the final minute, one off an indirect free kick inside the six-yard box, to preserve a 2-1 Central League victory.

The final minute ran the previous 79 minutes’ tactics through the paper shredder. Goalie Will Hall was whistled for intentionally dropping a ball he’d caught inside the six. The Panthers stacked six bodies on the goal line as first Haverford center back Riley Carr (off Haven’s Connall Strachan), then Owen Mulhern (for Hall’s third save of the night) tried to cannon-blast through the wall.

“Just run at the ball,” Pezzeca said of the complex strategy. “As soon as they touch it, don’t think, just run at the ball. Tuck your hands in, don’t turn, just take it to the face if you have to, do whatever you need to do. It’s really scrappy, and at the end, there’s nothing else you can do besides run and hope.”

Haverford earned a corner, trying to replicate its having scored in the final minute of the first half. But this time, Sean Boyle’s header was toed away on the line by an overhead kick from Nico Taylor.

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Strath Haven’s George Pezzeca celebrates after converting a second-half penalty kick. His goal gave the Panthers a 2-1 win over Haverford Tuesday night. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)