Tribune Review
Sunday, December 9, 2007

Temperatures in the 20s did not stop more than 80 senior soccer players from competing in the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-Star games at Moon on Saturday.

Seniors named all-WPIAL by coaches were split into four teams that played two games. The first game consisted of Class A and AA players, and the second featured Class AA and AAA players, as well as players selected all-PIAA from all classifications.

"It's always difficult to have kids come and play together when they aren't used to each other," said Team Black coach Aaron Panczyk of Seton-La Salle. "But I think they adjusted well during the game."

The first game's teams were designated red and black, and Team Red won, 3-1. Team Red's Zak Campbell of Steel Valley opened the scoring with 33 minutes remaining in the first half. Team Red took a 1-0 lead to the half, but Black came back early in the second.

Team Black maintained ball control for the first 10 minutes of the half, and Burrell's Phil Spagnolo beat a Red defender with 35 minutes remaining to even the score at 1-1. The score remained tied for the next 20 minutes, before Team Red's Joe Kossler of Carlynton outran two Team Black defenders and got around Red's goalie to take the lead. Kossler was named Team Red's MVP after the game. Andrew Forbes of Center was named Team Black's MVP.

Avonworth' Rick Wattras headed the ball over the goalie and into the net with 6:38 remaining to put Team Red ahead, 3-1, where the score remained.

"They moved the ball a little better than we did, with more numbers," Panczyk said.

The second game was a more lopsided, with Team Blue beating Team Orange, 5-1.

"In a lot of all-star games, you have kids that want to showcase their individual skills, but these guys really bought into playing together as a team, " said Team Blue coach Bobby Dyer of Peters Township.

Team Blue's Carman Minella of Chartiers Valley scored just 41 seconds into the game, beating the WPSCA All-Star record by three seconds. Team Orange's Colin Deep of Bethel Park evened the score at one with a penalty kick with 37:40 remaining in the first half. Moon's Ryan Seuss scored on a free kick with 27:25 remaining to give Team Blue a 2-1 lead that it took to the half.

"The work rate was impressive. Most of these kids haven't played in a while, and it's freezing cold," said Team Orange coach Mike Galietta of Bethel Park.

Team Blue dominated the second half, keeping the ball out of its zone for the majority of the half. Peters Township's Shane Pruitt had a strong shot blocked by a reaching save by Orange goalie Sam Timm of Mt. Lebanon, and Joe Puleo of Chartiers Valley knocked in the rebound.

Penn-Trafford's David Floyd headed a ball into the net with 17:17 remaining, and Pruitt scored a goal with 15:42 left to put Team Blue up, 5-1.

"These kids are used to playing with each other, or against each other, from their different club teams," said Galietta. "And most of them will play together at the next level."