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Class A Boys: Three 2nd-half goals lead Sewickley Academy to title
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sewickley Academy goalkeeper Taylor Takacs makes a save on a shot by Camp Hill's Robert Fitzsimmons as teammate Jeff Del Presto helps defend yesterday in Hershey, Pa. (11/17/07)

HERSHEY, Pa. -- It has been the story of the Sewickley Academy boys' soccer team all season long.

Somebody, at some point, is going to score.

Just don't try to guess who it might be.

"We're unmarkable, essentially," Panthers coach Uwe Stender said. "We haven't been shut out all year. Every game we've scored at least one goal, and different players score."

So it was once again in yesterday's PIAA Class A championship game at Hersheypark Stadium, when three players accounted for Sewickley goals in the second half of a 3-0 victory against Camp Hill.

The WPIAL champion Panthers (25-1-2) won their second PIAA title, their first since 1997.

"Most of the time everybody worries about Bobby [O'Donnell] and Mark Zindren up top," Sewickley senior Alex Kiefer said. "That's fine. If they want to double them then we have four other people that can step up."

After a scoreless first half, senior Matt Kaye struck first by quickly rebounding a shot that had caromed back to him off Camp Hill keeper L.K. Thompson in the 47th minute. Less than eight minutes later, Kiefer found the net from just outside the box along the right flank. O'Donnell, a junior, closed out the scoring from the left corner of the box with 5:21 remaining.

The District 3 champion Lions (21-6) pressed in the final 20 minutes. But Sewickley senior Taylor Takacs, whom Stender called "the best goalkeeper in the WPIAL," made several big saves. Takacs also got plenty of help from defenders Andy Sharek, Nick Napoleon and Jeff Del Presto to notch his 17th shutout of the season -- his sixth of the postseason.

"Our defense is great," Takacs said. "I couldn't have done it without them."

Stender coached the Panthers to their other title in 1997. A handful of former players from that team were on hand to witness the program's latest championship.

"Exactly 10 years ago we won it," Stender said. "So it was kind of a nice anniversary for me."

First published on November 18, 2007 at 12:00 am
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