Chartiers Valley soccer competitive once again
Sean Tinney (No. 10) from Chartiers Valley races to beat a PT defender to the ball during section action. Tinney scored the first goal in the contest but the Indians tied it on Brady Pike’s tally and forced overtime.
Brady Pike (No. 23) celebrates after scoring the equalizer in Peters Township’s soccer match against Chartiers Valley. The Indians beat the Colts, 2-1, in overtime.
In just his second season as head coach, Garrett MacKenzie is bringing back the glory days of Chartiers Valley soccer. When MacKenzie played for the Colts, they won a WPIAL title and also brought home a PIAA runner-up trophy.
With last week’s showing, split decisions against the current district and state powers, the Colts are again proving they can compete with the best. CV edged Upper St. Clair, 3-2. The Panthers, who were WPIAL runners-up last year, have won four PIAA titles since 2003.
In the win against the Panthers, Sean Tinney scored twice, including the game winner. Charlie Kovach scored the other goal, off a corner kick from Tinney. Baxter Eckenrode and Max Kehoe assisted Tinney’s tallies.
“The last win that I see for the Colts against USC was during the 2007-08 season. A few years after we were gone,” said MacKenzie about the early 2000s when he and his brother, Travis, dominated the pitch.
“Nonetheless, it was a very big win for our program as we are in the rebuilding stages.”
Though the Colts followed the USC victory with an overtime loss to Peters Township, 2-1, they nonetheless continued to make strides. Tinney scored the lone tally, giving the Colts a brief lead, 30 seconds before intermission. The Indians, however, came right back to tie the contest at the start of the second half and registered the game winner midway through the first 10-minute overtime phase.
“I thought we stood in there with them,” said MacKenzie of the Indians, who are the defending WPIAL and PIAA champions. A few bounces didn’t go our way, but it shows that we can compete with the elite teams in our section and the WPIAL.”
The Zajicek brothers proved they belonged in the league. Caleb is CV’s goalie and Noah is a senior captain. “I thought they were fantastic (against Peters),” said MacKenzie. “All the boys played like a team and were working together for the common goal.”
The common goal is to clinch a playoff spot, something the Colts have not done in recent years. The ability to play with and up to the competition did wonders for the Colts’ outlook for the remainder of Section 5-AAA play.
“These two games have helped us build confidence within the team for sure. We believe that we can win. The confidence is running throughout our team, and we now know that our guys can compete when we play OUR game,” MacKenzie emphasized.
“When we are working together and fighting as a team, we will be in games. Competing in our section helps to prepare us for challenges down the road. Playing in a tough section like ours ensures that you will be in a battle every single night, and you have to come to play or you will get beat.”