HUGHESTOWN – Wyoming Area and Pittston Area raced up and down the field for 40 minutes, but were unable to break their 1-1 tie in the second half.
Once they got to overtime, however, the Warriors and Patriots needed less than five minutes Wednesday afternoon to settle their Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys soccer game.
Casey Orlando’s goal 4:51 into the first of two possible 10-minute, sudden-death overtime periods lifted Wyoming Area to a 2-1 victory and extended Pittston Area’s conference losing streak to 21 games since a 2015 win over Berwick.
The teams had each scored in the first half before the pace of play picked up significantly in the second half.
Each team took 11 second-half shots in pursuit of the lead, sent a shot off the crossbar, had quality chances turned away by strong goalkeeping efforts, sent prime opportunities just wide of the target and even had an apparent goal wiped out by game officials.
Luke Coolbaugh put a shot into the net almost six minutes into the second half, completing a give-and-go just as officials were blowing the play dead, calling him offsides.
Pittston Area’s Kyle Mlodzienski made eight saves in the second half while Wyoming Area’s Adam Wisniewski had five.
The Patriots had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks, including one with four minutes left that Shane Syms headed into the goal, starting a brief celebration. It quieted quickly when an official ruled Syms climbed a player’s back to get above the crowd for the header.
It was the final shot managed by Pittston Area, which was continually trapped offsides in the second half and overtime, including three more times before the game was decided.
Wyoming Area had the only two shots of the extra session.
Mlodzienski stopped Damien Bronsburg’s direct kick three minutes in, but had little chance on the winner.
The Pittston Area defense stopped a charge up the right side by Gavin Lehart.
After Lehart drew attention from the Patriots backfield, he and Justin Alder each managed another touch to assist the game-winner by dropping the ball back to a charging Orlando, who ripped the game-winner into the left side of the net.
“I saw the ball come in from Justin Alder and I knew Casey was behind me,” Lehart said. “I had full confidence, I had no doubt in my mind, that if I got the ball to him, he was going to bury it.”
Orlando did just that for the team’s first WVC victory under new coach Rick Branco.
“I knew I was open in the middle so I called for it,” said Orlando, who was involved in one of the best chances of the second half when his shot hit the crossbar and Mlodzienski made a tough save on Lehart’s rebound attempt. “ … I took a little touch, looked up and saw where the goalie was, took a hit and it went in.”
Lehart finished with two assists.
Wyoming Area opened the scoring when Stan Moderski sent a lead pass to Lehart, freeing him up the sideline. Lehart then sent a cross to Luke Coolbaugh, who was streaking toward the back post and was able to finish the play.
Pittston Area’s Ryan Lombardo won a race to a ball that popped free on the right side high in the penalty area and got off a shot just inside the far post.
