The boys soccer team kept on fighting down the stretch of the regular season despite facing unprecedented challenges from a new PIAA rule.

Looking to bounce back from the loss against Quaker Valley the Bobcats traveled to Mohawk September 26. The Bobcats picked up the win easily with an 8-0 victory that had junior Seth Kullen score a hat trick.

Next up for the Bobcats was an important home game against Keystone Oaks September 28 that had major playoff implications.

In a back and forth game that saw Keystone Oaks jump out to an early 1-0 lead, freshman Ryan Perez drew a penalty kick with about 2 minutes remaining and drilled it to tie the game.

With just under 30 seconds left in the match the Bobcats were awarded a free kick and play was stopped to remove fans off the fence, and when play was resumed junior Brayden Cosky put away the game-winning goal after it was bouncing inside the box.

The Bobcats had what they thought would be a 2-1 win that would boost their playoff chances significantly, until they received a notice from the PIAA informing them that they would have to forfeit the match. But why?

In the second half of the match head coach Scott Hazuda received his second yellow card of the game which equals a red and had to leave the stadium. Coach Hazuda removed himself from the field and watched the reminder of the game from the flag poles outside the stadium.

However, due to a new PIAA rule, “Any Coach and/or adult Personnel removed, ejected or disqualified from a Contest who refuses to leave the competition area (out of sight and sound) as directed by the Contest Official will result in a forfeiture of the Contest.”

“It just really stinks how one rule change can screw over the rest of our season. It’s really frustrating,” said junior Brayden Cosky.

After being forced to forfeit the previous game the Bobcats were now in a must-win situation October 1 when they hosted Hopewell. The boys rose to the occasion blowing out Hopewell 4-0 giving the Bobcats a boost going into their next game against rivals Central Valley.

The Bobcats were in another must-win situation at home October 2 this time against Central Valley. The boys jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first half thanks to a goal from junior Seth Kullen and held onto that lead for the rest of the half.

Late in the second half CV tied the game 1-1 sending the game to overtime. From there Central Valley was able to find the back of the net early to complete the comeback and win 2-1, hurting the Bobcats’ chances at getting into the playoffs.

For the third day in a row the Bobcats had a section game to play October 3 when they traveled to Ellwood City. The Bobcats picked up an overwhelming 12-0 win while being led by sophomore Anthony Furda’s four goals.

After a week of rest the Bobcats were ready to host Avonworth October 10. The boys fell to the Antelopes 4-1 with the lone goal coming from Furda in the second half.

The Bobcats last home game came in a non-section match against Eden Christian October 12 where they closed out their home season with a 2-0 win with goals by sophomores Jake Peluso and Furda.

With playoff hopes still alive going into the final game of the regular season the Bobcats were at Riverside October 15. The boys did their part and won 4-0 with goals by freshman Perez, sophomores Furda and Shane Ebbitt, and junior Zach Orend.

Unfortunately, the Bobcats also needed Keystone Oaks to tie or beat Hopewell to get into the playoffs and that game ended with Hopewell winning 3-0, eliminating the Bobcats from playoff contention.

Assistant coach Grant Mundy said, “I thought the season definitely had its ups and downs, but it was a very good learning experience for a lot of our players and I believe that there is a lot to look forward to in the future.”

The Bobcats finished this year with a 10-7-1 record and look to bounce back next year.