Peters Township pair named MVPs
When they played Peters Township this soccer season, opponents saw double. Really. Not only did teams have difficulty telling the Mastrangelo twins apart, they couldn’t stop Mario and Nicco from scoring goals and propelling Peters to the pinnacle. Only their feet gave them away.
Mario, the right-footed one, planted 25 shots into the nets. He garnered seven assists. A left-footed shooter, Nicco fired in 23 goals. He registered six assists. Combined, the Mastrangelo twins led the Indians to both a WPIAL title as well as a PIAA state championship, a feat last duplicated by a District 7 club in 2004 when Upper St. Clair completed the double-sweep.
While head coach Bob Dyer surely can tell the two apart, he cannot select one over the other when it comes to deciding who is better. “That would be like trying to pick between your kids,” Dyer said.
During the survey process for The Almanac’s annual Elite Eleven, neither could the area coaches. Some, like Rob Eldridge from South Fayette, cited Mario. He said, “Mario would be my MVP because he simply epitomizes winning. He rises on the big stage and possesses the ability to change a game at any given time.”
Others singled out Nicco based on the same principles. All, however, agreed with Dyer’s observation.
“In the last two years, they have been two of the best players in the league,” Dyer said. “They complement each other so well and they would be the first to tell you that they would not get their goals without the other or their teammates.”
Humbled by their selection as Almanac Most Valuable Players, the Mastrangelo twins concurred. “It is a great honor,” they said. “However, we have to give a shout-out to our teammates, coaches as well as trainers, who helped keep us healthy, and our parents and family.”
Rae Lynn and Kevin Mastrangelo introduced their sons to the game when they enrolled the twins in soccer camp at age 4. “We definitely wanted to go,” said the 17-year-old seniors. Quickly, they developed a passion for soccer. Mario said he likes the sport because of the unity it promotes. “It’s a team sport and we all have our own part to play,” he said. Nicco quickly added also that it’s “nice to score goals'”or “passing off” to help promote offensive production.
The twins go about scoring goals in a different manner. While Nicco heads the ball better than Mario and Mario has a better first touch than Nicco, they both agree ‘finding the net’ is their strength. In fact, they pointed out how each of them found the back of the net during Peters Township’s 2-1 win against Great Valley in the state finals. “We were really excited about that. Scoring in the championship game and winning the state title, definitely has been the highlight in our careers,” they said. “But, we would not have been able to do that without our teammates.
“We set our goal for section, WPIAL and states. We didn’t get section but we got the other two,” they continued. “We just had faith in our team.”
Mario and Nicco also believe in each other. The all-state performers said they know where each other is on the field at all times and that is extremely effective both physically and psychologically. “We don’t feel lost out there,” they said.
After their high school days have passed, the pair would feel lost if they went their different ways. While contemplating their college choices – Pitt, St. Francis and Slippery Rock have offered scholarships – the Mastrangelo twins confirmed their commitment to be roommates. “We’re a package deal,” they said. That’s just one perk the pair promise. “Depending upon where we go, we want to help our team win a championship within four years,” they said.
In the past two years, the Mastrangelos brought many a championship to Peters Township. As juniors, they helped the Indians win a section title and the WPIAL championship. This fall, they posted a 22-2 record, complete with two more trophies. Individually, the twins also garnered all-section and all-district recognition.
Their complementary personalities contributed to success. “We are individuals. We do things together but differently,” they stressed.
While Nicco possesses more out-going tendencies, Mario’s reservation tempers the two. A non-verbal leader, Mario said of Nicco, who was born 12 minutes later, “of course, he follows me.”
“He does get on my back if I don’t do things perfectly,” Nicco said.
Perfectionists, they both are. “We may joke around a lot but when the time comes we get serious, particularly when it comes to playing soccer,” they said. “We’re serious about soccer.”Mario and Nicco Mastrangelo