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By Brad Rosemas
For the Mirror
JOHNSTOWN -- Bishop Carroll was again involved in a tight contest for the second straight game, truly experiencing a playoff atmosphere.
The No. 6 seed Huskies used a late tally to grab a one-goal win over Forest Hills during the District 6 Class A quarters on Tuesday. In Thursday's semifinals, Bishop Carroll saw a similar situation, but was unfortunately on the opposite end.
With 4:50 remaining in the game, United forward Dylan Dishong scored his second of two goals, breaking a three-all tie and giving the No. 2 seed Lions an eventual 4-3 victory over the Huskies at Richland High School.
"What can you say when it's a one-goal game that literally comes down to the last five, six minutes?" Bishop Carroll coach Chad Ryan said. "That's a good game. We had those opportunities, but you have to give credit to United with their defense. We watched them on film, and we knew how aggressive they were coming in."
Trailing 2-1 at the half, the Huskies stormed back after the intermission to remain in the game, as both teams scored two goals a piece in back-and-forth fashion in the second stanza.
Pablo Fernandez-Diaz scored on a penalty kick to tie the game at 2 with 20:33 remaining following a handball in the box. United answered at the 17:39 mark when Ty Gapshes put back a rebound from a free kick, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead.
Fernandez-Diaz recorded his second consecutive goal just 1 minute, 10 seconds later to knot the score once again, finding the top left corner of the net from over 20 yards away.
"At halftime, these guys found their heart," Ryan said. "They knew they could play better than they did in the first half. They just dug deep and played the way they knew how."
The Huskies utilized their aggressive play consistently in the second half, resulting in a 9-4 shot advantage over the Lions in the frame and 15-9 overall.
However, the United defense stepped up, stopping two breakaway opportunities where the Huskies could've tied the game. Evan McAnulty and Ian Friday both came from behind to swipe the ball away from Fernandez-Diaz, scratching out two prime scoring chances for Bishop Carroll.
Lions goaltender Andrew Payne also recorded 12 saves, seven in the second half, including two diving stops on Huskies forward Will Tremel to keep United in front.
"We knew they would bring it," United coach Chris Wirick said of Bishop Carroll. "They challenge every ball.
Wirick gave all the credit the the Lions' success this season to his players, as he has only been with the team for less than one-fourth of the year.
A former coach of United's girls team, Wirick took over the boys program mid-season after the Lions did not field a girls squad for 2022. This year's boys team is co-ed.
United (14-3-1) is now heading to its first-ever district title game, where the Lions will face No. 1 seed Richland on Wednesday at Central Cambria High School.
"Our team is always relentless," Wirick said. "This is huge for United. United is not normally known as a soccer school. This group of kids, there's eight seniors, and they've been playing together and working hard. I'm very proud."
Bishop Carroll closes its season at 8-10. Ryan said his team, led by eight seniors, played to a much higher standard than their record showed.
"I've seen that all year," Ryan said of the Huskies. "We showed we're better than the No. 6 seed. I feel like we had the talent to go a lot farther. They definitely peaked at the right time."
SCORE BY HALVES
Bishop Carroll………………………………………… 1 2 -- 3
United…………………………………………………….. 2 2 -- 4
First half: BC--Hudkins (Tremel), 27:48; U--Dishong (unassisted), 24:32; U--Connor Roanoke (unassisted), 21:16.
Second half: BC--Fernandez-Diaz (unassisted), 20:33; U--Gapshis (Dishong), 17:39; BC--Fernandez-Diaz (unassisted), 16:29; U--Dishong (Perrone), 4:50.
Records: Bishop Carroll (8-10), United (14-3-1).