This year marked a huge change for Beaver Area boys soccer as they moved up to the AAA division in the WPIAL. This move saw them face some massive schools like Montour, South Fayette, West Allegheny, Mars, Franklin Regional, and other powerhouses they otherwise would never encounter on the pitch.

“It’s going to be hard; the teams are much bigger and have a lot more talent than the ones in AA. Also their schools look like college campuses,” said senior Eli Obrist about the new division.

But standing up to larger foes came easy as the boys started their first AAA season by beating Hampton August 20 and South Fayette (2-1 and 3-2 respectively) which are two teams the Bobcats could see in the playoffs . . . (But the Bobcats just couldn’t reach the playoffs.)

The boys ended preseason and had their first non-section game against Mohawk September 1. The boys easily won 4-0, and the game also marked Beaver Area soccer’s 400th school win since the program’s first season in 1984.

But all the good feelings quickly came to an end as the Bobcats faced a rocky start to section play. A tight 5-4 loss at Ambridge September 4 and 5-0 demolition at home at the hands of West Allegheny September 6 saw the Bobcats fall to the bottom of their section.

The Bobcats tried to turn things around and earned a hard-fought 2-2 tie at South Park September 11 which went into double overtime in a non-section matchup. But September 13 Beaver Area suffered their third section loss in a row in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss at Moon 1-0.

Desperate for a win the Bobcats faced the Obama Academy Eagles at home September 15. After going down 1-0 early the boys pulled out their first section win 3-1.

September 18 the team traveled to Montour in hopes of starting a win streak. Both teams battled hard, but the game ended in a 1-1 tie after another double overtime.

The Bobcats suffered another tough section loss September 20 with a 1-0 loss to Blackhawk. However, the boys bounced back quickly September 22 with a 3-0 demolition of Ambridge—welcome revenge after the season’s earlier loss.

Traveling to West Allegheny, the Bobcats took yet another loss as they were beaten 4-0 September 25.

Two non section matches against Neshannock, September 27, and Central Valley, September 29, helped the boys get back to winning ways as they won 2-0 and 5-0 respectively.

But again little mistakes and rain delay led to yet another section loss at home 1-0 against Moon October 2.

In a must-win matchup with Obama Academy October 4 the Bobcats fell behind 3-0 in the first half. Just five minutes into the second half the game was called due to lightning. That meant the boys had to make another trip to Cupples stadium on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The second half was played October 8, but Beaver was only able to get back one goal for a final score of 3-1.

With playoff hopes completely out of the picture the Bobcats finished out the section with two more losses against Montour October 9 and Blackhawk October 11, 3-0 and 1-0 respectively.

The new triple-A classification proved to be too much for the Bobcats to endure, but the boys fought hard all season and never gave up.

“I’m sad the season is over, but I’m proud of how people played,” shared junior defender Beckett Connelly. “It stinks that we didn’t make the playoffs. We played a lot of bigger, better schools . . . If we were in a lower section we probably would have done better.”