Golden Eagles fall short in District 6 championship

Tyrone+and+Hollidaysburg+meet+at+midfield+before+the+District+6+3A+championship+at+St.+Francis+University.

Courtesy photo

Tyrone and Hollidaysburg meet at midfield before the District 6 3A championship at St. Francis University.

Julian Bartlebaugh, Editor In Chief

Last night the Tyrone/Bellwood-Antis co-op boys soccer team fell to Hollidaysburg 3-2  in the District 6 3A championship at Saint Francis University.

Tyrone pulled ahead early with a goal from Tyrone’s Keegan Raabe, but five minutes later though Hollidaysburg brought a tying goal from Jordan Roberts. The teams went into the half tied 1-1.

At the sixty-second minute Ethan Pinter from the Golden Tigers hooked one into the net off a corner kick. Two minutes later the Golden Tigers pushed their lead going up 3-1 with a score from Braden Callahan. 

After Callahan scored the third goal on Tyrone, Holidaysburg drew a Penalty Kick inside the box on a controversial call.

Jacob Roach took the PK for Hollidaysburg and scored it making the score 4-1, but before they could celebrate the goal was overturned because a Hollidaysburg player crossed the penalty box too early which reversed the call to a no goal.

The Golden Eagles pushed for a comeback and got one last goal from Kelton Raabe in the 75th minute. The Golden Eagles would go to run out of time and fall in the finale.

“We played tough the entire game. To come out and score the first goal was exciting for the entire team because we knew Hollidaysburg wasn’t going to give us a second thought,” said senior forward Corey Johnston. “We possessed the ball very well as a team and played probably the best game of our season even though the result didn’t show. We knew who was good on Hollidaysburg going into the game and knew who we had to shut down in order to win.”

Head Coach Alex Bartlett was devastated from last nights lost. “Winning was the only suitable outcome and we lost so it was hard. My boys played their hearts out and I couldn’t have asked for any more,” he said.

For Bartlett’s first season as a head coach, the Bellwood-Antis grad did pretty well; however, after playing in the District final a season ago, Bartlett and the team fell short of their high hopes.

“First season down and I learned a lot,” he said. “There were plenty of learning curves along the way that’s going to make me a better coach. Next year I plan on making different changes with personnel as well as define clear and more realistic expectations for the team.”