Elizabeth Forward headed into the final week of the regular season mired in second place in Class 2A Section 1 and needed a minor miracle for it to win at least a share of its first title in more than two decades.
Then, Keystone Oaks pulled off an upset of South Park to give the Warriors an opportunity. Two days later, they came back from down an early goal to beat South Park themselves and brought home the program’s first outright section championship since 1997.
“We were looking for help, which we got, and so going into that game, we knew we were given a second life to win the section title and we took care of that opportunity that was presented to us,” Elizabeth Forward coach Doug Finke said. “The boys week refocused on Wednesday’s practice. They came into the game ready to go and, even getting down 1-0 early, we stayed true to who we were and we came out victorious.”
Getting down early has been something of a hallmark for Elizabeth Forward this season, but the team has consistently been able to overcome early deficits. Both games against Keystone Oaks the Warriors trailed early only to come back and win — the second a 2-1 decision Oct. 10 that set up the section title showdown with South Park — thanks to the leadership of two of its captains, midfielders Ethan Bowser and Andrew Smith.
“Last year we kind of folded in those kinds of situations and, having a very experienced roster, we learned from that and we were a very resilient bunch this year,” Finke said. “Those two players on the field can step up and make sure that we don’t get too down and we stay on an even keel and going the way we should be.”
So far that method has proven effective as Elizabeth Forward came into the week riding a seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1) and had allowed only six goals in that time. Much of that has to do with a counterattacking defense that can generate offense as well as shut down the opposition.
It also helps to have a solid goalkeeper on the backside to keep the team in it when it wants to run and gun, which the Warriors have in senior Austin Onofrey, who has notched six shutouts.
“He’s kept us in a lot of games and, honestly, he’s a calming influence back there,” Finke said. “He’s not a loud, vocal guy, but he’ll tell the guys where they need to be and come up with the saves and allows those guys to play knowing we have the confidence in him to make the save.”
Still, a section title brings with it certain expectations ... among them winning a game or two in the WPIAL tournament. Elizabeth Forward has been one-and-done in the playoffs the past three years and has not made it out of the first round since a 1-0 decision at Quaker Valley in 2010.
“We’re still trying to prove ourselves and the boys know that,” Finke said. “This year is about making that next step because, we’ve been happy to make it the last three years, but now we want to go beyond where we’ve gotten the last couple of years.”
Trinity
Trinity came into the season trying to replace five starters from last season and only had a couple of weeks to do it.
Because of that, the team opened 1-2-0 with 1-0 Class 3A Section 3 losses to Laurel Highlands and Belle Vernon.
“The acclimation period took a while and we’re playing the game more fluidly and more together now,” Trinity coach Ryan Julian sad. “We’re starting to jell and we’re at a place where we can start to experiment and start to develop a couple different things instead of basic systems and focus on those.”
Are they ever.
Since that wobbly start, the Hillers have been on a roll. Trinity shrugged off that opening and has ripped off nine consecutive victories to clinch a share of its first section title since the mid-1980s.
Part of the reason for that is the continued progression of senior midfielder Elijah Cincinnati, who scored four goals last week against Greensburg Salem to give him 90 in his career to set the all-time school record.
“He may have felt pressure early because COVID took some games away and any kid in his right mind would be thinking about the record,” Julian said. “When he was finally able to settle down, he turned into a monster that, with the help of his teammates, could make those opportunities count and find the back of the net.”
It also helps Cincinnati that he has a foil in senior Logan Errett, who is a complement to his style of play.
Just because Trinity won the section does not mean the team is ready to stake its claim as a WPIAL Class 3A finalist. There is a long way to go before that happens and the Hillers are well aware of the awaiting postseason perils.
“We’re pleased with the way things are going, but we expect this tournament to be extremely difficult,” Julian said. “I try to have the players respect every team that we play, but obviously, in this tournament, we have the utmost respect for anyone we were to draw.”
First Published: October 23, 2020, 12:00 p.m.