Bentworth breezes past Brockway in PIAA first round
McMURRAY – If there was any momentum gained by Brockway by a goal in the 32nd minute that sliced an early deficit in half, Billy Moyer snuffed it out.
With an impressive individual run Moyer charged down the right side and ripped a shot into the back of the net with 47 seconds remaining in the first half to restore Bentworth’s two goal lead.
Adam Moessner added four goals for another strong night and the WPIAL champion Bearcats earned a 6-2 victory over District 9 champion Brockway in the first round of the PIAA Class A boys soccer playoffs at Peters Township Middle School.
Bentworth (20-1) advanced to play District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep in Saturday’s quarterfinals. It’s the fourth year in a row the two teams will meet in the state playoffs, with Bentworth winning the last three. Brockway finished 15-2-3 and was eliminated by a WPIAL opponent from the state playoffs for a fourth consecutive time dating back to 2021.
Moyer, who scored two goals, gave the Bearcats a boost heading into halftime.
“It came off a throw-in and I just went down the line and saw an opening between the two defenders, so I took it,” Moyer said. “I just went past a couple kids and ended up finishing in the bottom corner. It felt great, especially after they scored sort of a wonky goal.”
After sweating out three one-goal games in the WPIAL playoffs, including a 2-1 win in double-overtime Saturday against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for their fourth district title in a row, the first round of states was much more comfortable for the Bearcats.
“Tonight I think we had a little bit more confidence,” Bentworth coach Nick Malarbi said. “I feel like they think they are playing with house money a bit, because winning four WPIALs in a row hasn’t been done since the 80’s, so these guys are loving every second of it. I hope they stay confident, because tonight was good. We connected a lot of passes and had a lot of shots that led to a lot of balls flying in front of the face of the goal.”
Bentworth pressured Brockway for most of the first half and Moessner broke through in the 24th minute. Paxton Thomas served a long ball into the box that fell to the feet of Moessner, who smashed it into the net to make it 1-0.
Two minutes later, Moessner struck again.
This time off a blocked shot off the foot of Moyer came right to Moessner, who deposited the ball into the net.
“I got a few good bounces,” Moessner said. “Jude (Laskey) chested that first one down to me. I called for it and he told me he wouldn’t have passed to me if I didn’t call for it, because he didn’t know where I was.”
Brockway got one back with eight minutes remaining in the first half on their only shot on goal in the first 40 minutes.
The shot came off the foot of Luke Martino and gave Brockway a brief glimmer of hope of pulling back into the match before Moyer’s goal.
Moessner shut the door on any thoughts of a comeback with two goals in the first six minutes of the second half.
The first one came on a shot that deflected off a defender and into the net three minutes into the second half.
He scored his fourth three minutes later from an improbable angle.
That goal ran Moessner’s total for the season to 63. He broke his brother Ryan Moessner’s record for most goals in a single season for Bentworth with the golden goal in the WPIAL championship.
Martino scored his second in the 60th minute to get one back for Brockway.
Moyer netted his second goal with eight minutes remaining to close the scoring.