Schultz’s late goal propels Quaker Valley past Shady Side Academy, 2-1

MCKEES ROCKS — Even though it was the PIAA quarterfinals, Quaker Valley and Shady Side Academy are no strangers to one another as both teams have had storied battles over the past several seasons.

Just over two weeks ago, Quaker Valley defeated Shady Side Academy to punch its ticket to the WPIAL Championship. Much of the same occurred Saturday afternoon as the Quakers closed the next chapter on the rivalry as they defeated the Bulldogs at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium, 2-1.

“Both teams just knew one another a little bit more,” Quaker Valley head coach J.J. Veshio said after the match. “Both sides had chances during the match and a couple of those chances that went in the last game did not go in this game and both goalkeepers came up with big saves.”

With just 12 minutes to play in full time and the match all tied at one goal apiece, Quaker Valley was set up with yet another golden opportunity to break the scoreless tie as Nick Allan lined up for a corner kick. After a missed header in the box, defender Tanner Schultz — who was playing up — found the ball and finished it putting it past Shady Side Academy goalkeeper Noah Levitt to score the game-winning goal of the match.

“I have been trying to get up on most corners,” the sophomore defender said after the match. “On that particular corner, I was so tired running up into the box so my legs were pretty gone. After the corner was struck I saw the ball flick off a head and Jack Karwoski settled the ball down and I hit it one time into the back of the net.”

The match was tight throughout the 80 minutes of action with Quaker Valley flexing its offensive prowess during the match as the Quakers were the aggressors during most stages.

Several chances were put on the net for Quaker Valley during the first half of play and a multitude of free kicks and corners provided ample opportunities to find the back of the net, but the Quakers could not convert.

With chances still flowing in the second half of play, a handball was called on the Bulldogs and was spotted in the box by the officials. After being held scoreless the whole match, Quaker Valley finally broke through as senior captain Nick Allan rifled a penalty kick past Levitt to break the scoreless draw.

“We had a gameplan for the first half of attack,” Veshio said following the game. “As the first half was coming to an end we began to switch a few things up and then we were able to begin to create some more chances.

"I think even when we look at being able to generate an opportunity off of a handball in the box, it goes from us trying to change the way that we play, and we were able to do that and generate some more shots and eventually were able to generate another goal.”

The match was physical with a plethora of fouls being handed out on both sides. But even with the physical play, Quaker Valley remained composed during the duration of the match and did not commit a foul that would tie up or lose them the match Saturday afternoon.

"It is a high-level playoff game and it is a game of soccer,” Veshio said after the match. “I know that we call things a little bit tighter in high school to protect the kids but it is a physical game and I think that we came into this one mentally and physically prepared, because it is easy to get rattled when you get knocked around a little.

"So I think that we did a great job preparing for that.”

Defensively the Quakers stood tall for just allowing one goal in the second half of play as Drew McKim launched a missile past Nathan Pribik.

The backline did wonders for Quaker Valley setting up the offense with chances that would later allow the team to push forward and break the draw of one goal apiece in the second half.

Pribik came up strong on multiple occasions during the match as he played a ball way out of the box and tried to clear it down the field into the Shady Side zone with the game still tied.

He later came up with the save of the match off a Bulldog corner kick as he leaped up and snared a Shady Side header that could have been destined for the back of the net to tie up the game.

“It is always scary because you want your goalkeeper to come up clean and there was a ton of traffic when he went up after the corner, but that is what a leader does and he is a leader on our team,” Veshio said. “He took control in that situation and did it to the best of his ability and he got the ball.”

With its win on Saturday, Quaker Valley will now face Central Columbia on Tuesday night with a berth in the PIAA Championships on the line. The first-touch time and location for the match have yet to be determined.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Schultz’s late goal propels Quaker Valley past Shady Side Academy, 2-1