Clarion-Limestone Lions Boys Soccer Defeats Forest Area To Move Record To 10-2; Uckert With Hat Trick
(Matt Lerch)
The Clarion-Limestone Boys Soccer team won the rubber match between the Lions and The Forest Fires by the score of 12-0, for their eighth shutout of the year. With the season winding down and only four regular games left, the Lions added their win against the Fires, following their second loss of the season against Karns City 3-0 on Friday, September 29th and their win on Saturday September 30th against Ridgway 1-0.
On a warm sunny fall day on Monday, October 2nd, the Lions hosted the Fires at Clarion Area’s Wiser Field, for the last time of the regular season. Co-Captain Thomas Uckert opened the scoring early in the first half kicking on the left side of the goal making the score 1-0. Forest goalkeeper Logan Bish made several more saves before Wyatt Boyden, who scored the lone goal of the 1-0 win over Ridgway Saturday, dinged a shot off the crossbar. Bish had several more close range shots that he had to stop against the Lions’ scorers. Uckert then found Dany Schweitzer who advanced the ball to Brenden Bettwy making the score 2-0. Bettwy found Uckert open in the middle of the field who shot a rainbow shot over the head of Bish, making the score 3-0 going into the half.
As Forest lost to Clarion Limestone 6-0 at the beginning of the season, Bish and his stellar defense anchored by Kaden Baumcratz was able to shutout the Lions 1-0 just over a week ago at East Forest. So the Fires certainly had moments of momentum shifts during this contest.
Lions goalie, Isaac Lerch, made his first save of the game early in the second half. Boyden on a counter offensive, kicked the ball over the midfield where only charging Uckert could reach the ball who marched in and kicked the ball right past Bish for Uckert’s hat trick goal.
Bish then came out of goal to change the Fires dynamic on offense.
But the Lions midfield kept the ball in the Fires end of the field. Marin Ormeno was gifted a pass by Quinn O’Neil, Ormeno shot off the left post, the ball found the foot of Layton Dunn who kicked the ball back to Ormeno who scored making it 5-0. Uckert shot another shot off the crossbar, bouncing back to Ormeno who shot for his second goal, 6-0.
Boyden then marched in solo to make the score 7-0.
Schweitzer sped down the right sidline finding Aiden Wilson unable to take the shot but bounced the ball off a Fires defender for a corner kick.
Boyden took an opportunity to use his blazing speed to take the ball solo down the field making the score 8-0. Boyden on the left flank of the Fires’ goal kicked a cross pass in the goal mouth to Dunn who shot and scored making it 9-0. Ormeno chalked up an assist to Bettwy who scored to make it 10-0.
The Fires had a few counter offensives, with Bish taking the ball down the sideline only to be stopped by the Lions’ defense consisting of Brady Pierce, Co-Captain Jason Megnin, Carter Brown and Jameson McIlwain.
McIlwain stopped advances down the right side several times, as the clock was winding down. Defender, now midfielder, Chris Kim charged up field with an opportunity for a shot, arriving at the ball simultaneously as the Fires’ goalie in a collision. As the goalie rushed to get back into goal Nathan Frederick took the ball to score making it 11-0.
(Good Job, Lions!!!! Thanks to Matt Lerch for his article and photos!!)