HERSHEY, Pa. — Zach Panza has come up with clutch goals all season long for Hampton.
None was bigger than the one he scored against Archbishop Wood.
Panza chipped a shot past Archbishop Wood goalkeeper Julian Naumenko with 22:40 remaining in regulation to give Hampton (23-1-0) a 1-0 victory over District 12 champion Archbishop Wood (14-3-1) in the PIAA Class 3A soccer final at Hersheypark Stadium.
“This was different,” Panza said. “We knew the goal was going to come eventually.”
Panza had been dealing with right ankle injury for most of the playoffs so, when he scored the goal, he took the pass on his left foot.
“Every time we do anything finishing related and anytime we do anything possession related, he’s just using his left foot,” McAwley said. “I was even more at ease when the ball came across and was on his left foot.”
Hampton and Archbishop Wood have a history. The Talbots won their first title in 2010 in Class 2A in a 1-0 victory over the Vikings when Jonathan Mercier scored the only goal of the match 2:44 into the second half.
Mercier and Hampton coach Matt McAwley were teammates in the 2008 season when McAwley was a senior.
Hampton had not been back to a final since 2010.
“Jonathan reached out to us this week and shared that there was a family atmosphere that got us to where we were back then and it’s evident that there is a family atmosphere now,” McAwley said. “It was just a very special message.”
In many ways, Hampton was lucky to even be here. The Talbots were on the brink of elimination in a semifinal shootout against West Allegheny before senior goalkeeper Thomas Bradfield made two unbelievable saves to salvage the season.
“It has been crazy,” McAwley said. “We had to turn around pretty quickly coming out of the emotional high of a penalty-shot win because you don’t want the season to be capped off there.”
Both teams had opportunities early, but it was a quick counterattack after Archbishop Wood cleared its defensive zone that led to the Hampton goal.
Hampton retreated to its half of the field and immediately attacked with two quick passes that put the ball on Luke Staggers foot just inside the box. Panza was barely onside to his left and took a quick chip for a 1-on-1 opportunity against Naumenko.
Panza, who called for the pass, made no mistake as he fired inside the right post to give the Talbots the only lead they would need.
“I told Luke, ‘I’m on your left.’ I called for it loud and clear,” Panza said. “I saw the bottom-right-side panel and that’s where I was going for.”
After he hit his target, all Hampton had to do was lock it down defensively in front of Bradfield to claim the title.
“It was hard to get touches inside the box,” Archbishop Wood senior Dom Pertruzelli said. “Their D was spectacular, but we fought to the end.”
First Published: November 21, 2021, 5:22 a.m.