Wyoming Area goalie, sophomore Trevor Kruszka, gets consoled by Wyoming Area teammates, coach along with Wyoming Seminary players. Kruszka lost sight of the penalty shot in overtime against Wyoming Seminary as Sem took the District title 3-2 in overtime.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary goalie Marc Jackett (1) leaps high in the air to deflect the ball from a Wyoming Area corner shot in the second half.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Liam Burke (8) sends the ball to the net with a shot on goal that would send the Wyoming Area Warriors into the lead late in the second half against Wyoming Seminary.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Kendall Heck (20) gets congratulated after scoring the tying goal knotting the game at 2-2 to send the game into overtime against Wyoming Seminary.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary freshman Matthew Swartz (33) celebrates after scoring the first of his two goals for Wyoming Seminary in their overtime defeat of Wyoming Area to take the PIAA District II title.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
WYOMING – The method was different Friday afternoon; the result the same.
Once again, Wyoming Seminary defeated Wyoming Area for the District 2 Class 2A boys soccer championship.
Thomas Iskra bounced in a direct kick from about 35 yards out 2:55 into overtime as Wyoming Seminary edged Wyoming Area, 3-2, giving the Blue Knights their third consecutive one-goal victory over the Warriors in the district final.
Wyoming Seminary (12-4) handed Wyoming Area just its second loss in 21 games on the season. The Blue Knights will play in the PIAA state Class 2A playoffs Tuesday.
The Blue Knights built a 2-0 lead at halftime, squandered it when Wyoming Area scored goals three minutes apart in the second portion of the second half an then won it on Iskra’s goal.
“Wyoming Area’s a great team,” Wyoming Seminary coach Aaron Litzi said. “You have to give them all the credit in the world. They were the top team all year.
“They were able to come back on us and we’re just thankful we were able to win.”
On the winning score, Iskra hit a low liner that hit at about the 6-yard line and skipped just inside the right post.
“I had a free kick in the first half that I tried to put in the top corner and the keeper had plenty of time to react to it,” Iksra said. “So, this time, I decided to keep it low and see what happens.”
The goal gave Wyoming Seminary its fourth consecutive District 2 Class 2A title by one-goal margins that included 1-0 wins over Wyoming Seminary in 2019 and 2020.
Early on, it did not appear that Wyoming Seminary would need such dramatics. The Blue Knights scored 1:13 into the game as freshman Matt Swartz took a bouncing pass from Iskra in the penalty area and sent it inside the far post.
Swartz made it 2-0 with just under 14 minutes until halftime when he finished a pass from Marco Magnotta.
Wyoming Area had three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of the second half, but nothing became of them. The Warriors finally got on the board with 14:28 left in regulation.
Kendall Heck curved a direct kick from just outside the penalty area to the left part of the box where Braidon Kostik booted it in.
The Warriors then tied it less than three minutes later.
Liam Burke managed to navigate through a couple defenders and sent a pass to the right side to Heck.
Heck’s shot had just enough on it to hit off the hand of Wyoming Seminary keeper Marc Jackett, who made a diving save attempt to his right, and go in.
Despite having momentum, Wyoming Area couldn’t break the deadlock in regulation.
Wyoming Area finished with leads of 11-8 in shots and 7-2 in corner kicks.
Wyoming Area 3, Holy Redeemer 2
Wyoming Area also went into the semifinal Wednesday at home at 10th Street Field.
Louis Ciampi scored the game-winner.
Wyoming Area 5, Western Wayne 1
Kendall Heck had a hat trick as Wyoming Area, the top seed and Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 champion, opened the postseason with a quarterfinal victory at 10th Street Field.
