Photo for the Mirror by Tim Weight The Tigers’ Braelyn Ross heads a ball as teammate Bryce Hollingshead looks on.

By Nate Ritchey

nritchey@altoonamirror.com

WINGATE — Sports can sometimes be unkind.

But they can also serve as a life lesson that no matter what you do right, things don’t always go the way you hoped they would or how it appears they should.

Unfortunately, for the second-seeded Hollidaysburg boys soccer team, that’s a feeling and lesson that was all too real following a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to top-seeded Bellefonte in the final 39 seconds of the District 6 Class 3A championship on Tuesday night at Bald Eagle Area High School’s Alumni Stadium.

“I couldn’t be prouder of them because we had to come back from a goal down — you sensed there was a goal coming,” Hollidaysburg coach Craig Shale said. “We did and we still had chances after that (tying the match). Then they (Bellefonte) get one from 40 yards out. That’s it — it’s a cruel game.”

After an even-played first half that saw the Red Raiders owning a 2-1 edge, the Golden Tigers completely dominated the second half.

The chances Hollidaysburg had could have been more than enough to easily walk away victorious on most nights, but Bellefonte goalkeeper Elijah Davis made every save possible.

While Hollidaysburg was cranking up the pressure on the attack, the Raiders were completely held in check by only getting off three shots and just one on goal for most of the second.

“The second half, it was a total team effort. They (Bellefonte) couldn’t even put three passes together,” Shale said. “We’re passing the ball, we’re working the ball down the field. Every chance to score came down to their goalkeeper — there was probably five point blank saves. Any other day, we’re getting three or four goals. We did everything but score.”

The Golden Tigers’ persistence finally paid off with just under six minutes left when Micah Blake’s corner kick made its way to the backside and was unable to be cleared away by Bellefonte.

Braelyn Ross eventually gained possession and passed it over to Owen Naugle, who rifled a shot by Davis for the 2-2 equalizer with 5:48 showing on the scoreboard.

“I told them (Bellefonte) at halftime that they are going to come out fired up and come at us,” Bellefonte coach Scott Martz said. “We got timid and we played scared that second half instead of just playing our game. They had so many opportunities that it was just a matter of time before one of them goes in. We lost a guy marked up in there.”

Just when it looked like extra time was looming, Bellefonte got the dagger it had been looking for the entire final 40 minutes.

Conelle Stabinger unleashed a shot from 40 yards out that got over the head of Hollidaysburg keeper Liam Jancula and into the net with only 39 ticks left in regulation to account for the game-winner.

“That guy (Stabinger) will never hit a ball like that again in his life,” Shale said. “Thirty-nine seconds left — it’s a cruel game.”

Stabinger was given a yellow card when he ripped his jersey off during the team celebration.

The shot, though unconventional, was exactly what Martz told his boys they would need to be looking for in the second half.

“I told them (Bellefonte) at halftime that we’ve got to hit shots outside the 20,” Martz said. “I said that we’re not dropping the ball — we’re not hitting shots. It took us until 39 seconds until we finally dropped it and he (Stabinger) hit that shot.”

The victory for Bellefonte broke a Hollidaysburg stranglehold on the district title and was the Red Raiders’ first since 2018.

Martz believed winning 4-1 in Hollidaysburg earlier this season was what his team needed.

“I think the thing that helped us this year is we beat them up at Hollidaysburg, and it gave our guys some confidence,” Martz said. “So, they had confidence coming into tonight that we can play with these guys, we can run with them.”

Hollidaysburg spent most of the first seven minutes after the half on the attack as it had three golden opportunities to knot the match.

The first two got turned away by Davis, and the last came off the third corner kick of the span when Alex Arbogast had his shot on the backside hit the outside of the net.

With 24 minutes left in the second half, Blake took a free kick from 29 yards out and found the head of Helsel who sent it over the top of the goal.

Four minutes later, Blake’s direct kick from 25 yards out hit the crossbar and was cleared away by the Bellefonte defense.

With 8:30 left to play, Ross delivered a pass from the right side to Naugle who tapped it over to Blake who one-timed the shot.

Davis, who moved to his left to cut off the angle from Naugle, had to quickly change direction. He did so in time to dive back to his right to secure the save on the Blake attempt before Hollidaysburg cashed in on its next prime chance.

Nearly six minutes into the match, Helsel and Bellefonte’s Andy Gerasenko battled for the ball inside the penalty box.

Gerasenko won out and was able to poke the ball free from Helsel where the Red Raider moved to his left to gain possession before taking two touches and firing a shot past a diving Jancula for a 1-0 Bellefonte lead.

Hollidaysburg got four corner kicks that it was unable to capitalize on and several point blank shots that Davis was able to pull in or deflect away.

The Golden Tigers finally broke through at 15:36. Naugle played a ball outside to Blake on the left. Blake used his speed to blow by his defender on his way towards the goal before attempting to cross to a wide open Isaac Jandora on the backside.

The ball never got to Jandora as it ricocheted off Davis’ hand and into the back of the net.

Gerasenko made the tie a short-lived 59 seconds as the senior carried his dribble from the left into the middle of the pitch unabated, where he was able to deliver a goal to the right of Jancula for a 2-1 Bellefonte lead.

The Tigers had 11 shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes, while the Red Raiders only needed four to convert their two goals.

“The first half was pretty even and their number 10 (Gerasenko) was the difference,” Shale said. “He didn’t do anything the second half, so we took care of him, we pushed numbers forward and they (Bellefonte) are on their back foot. Their goalkeeper was big time. I don’t know what else to do — it’s a tough game.”

On the night, Davis saved 17 of 19 shots that came at the goalmouth, while the Red Raiders cashed in on half of their six shots on goal.

“Eli played an awesome game back there,” Martz said. “They (Hollidaysburg) probably had four or five other goals (in the second half) that were there, and Eli saved everything there.”

SCORE BY HALVES

Hollidaysburg 1 1 — 2

Bellefonte 2 1 — 3

First half: B–Gerasenko (unassisted), 34:10; H–Own goal, 15:36; B–Gerasenko (unassisted), 14:35.

Second half: H–Naugle (Ross), 5:48; B–Stabinger (unassisted), 0:39.

Goalies: Hollidaysburg– Jancula: 3 saves, 6 shots on goal; Bellefonte– Davis: 17 saves, 19 shots on goal.

Shots: Hollidaysburg 27, Bellefonte 9.

Corner kicks: Hollidaysburg 8, Bellefonte 0.

Records: Hollidaysburg (15-4-1); Bellefonte (14-3-3).