Wyoming Valley West senior goalkeeper Grayson Ader (24) kicked the winning goal in a shootout against Wilkes-Barre Area after two overtime periods to capture the District 2 Class 4A championship.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Valley West goalkeeper Grayson Ader (24) ices the game in a shootout after the game was tied at 1-1 against Wilkes-Barre Area after two overtimes.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Wolfpack’s Walther Garcia, far left, celebrates with Wilkes-Barre Area fans and teammates after tying the game against Wyoming Valley West.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Valley West junior Noah Fetko (21) slides the ball past Wilkes-Barre Area keeper Dylan Parry to put the Spartans up 1-0 with 26:40 left in the second half.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Valley West defeated Wilkes-Barre Area after two overtime periods in a shootout 5-3 to win the District 2 Class 4A championship.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Walther Garcia (50) knotted the game 1-1 against Wyoming Valley West.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
KINGSTON — Wyoming Valley West keeper Grayson Ader spent 110 minutes Tuesday night trying to prevent goals, yet was given the opportunity to boot in the game-winner.
Ader converted the decisive penalty kick in a shootout as the Spartans edged rival Wilkes-Barre Area 2-1 in the District 2 Class 4A boys soccer championship game.
The Spartans (13-5) won the shootout 5-3 to earn their first district title at the Class 4A level. They won the D2-3A championship in 2015, the final year before the PIAA expanded to four classifications.
The score was tied 1-1 after 80 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute sudden-death overtimes. Valley West’s Noah Fetko made the first shot of the shootout, but WBA’s first shot hit the crossbar.
“You’ve just got to know where you’re going,” Fetko said. “Even before you kick it, you have to stay locked in, focus on the ball and be yourself.”
The teams exchanged shootout goals until Ader stepped up with Valley West leading 4-3. Like his four teammates, he sent a low shot inside the right post and sent off a huge celebration.
“In practice we’d always practice pens,” Ader said. “They thought I had a chance for it, so I said put me in and I scored the fifth goal.”
Ader might not have had the opportunity under normal circumstances. But with standout Chase Evanofski out with an injury and another potential shootout candidate ineligible because of a yellow card, he stripped off his keeper gloves and calmly scored.
“I did have a lineup and then one of my players got a yellow card with about a minute left,” Valley West coach Gerry Kashuda said. “So they weren’t allowed to go in the first five, so I had to switch it around.
“We practiced all week and the guys that were making them pretty much we put in. I ended up putting in my keeper Grayson, number five (shooter). He’s been phenomenal, an underlooked keeper the last couple years he’s played. I thought I’d put it on him. He’s a senior and win or lose we’re going to put it on him.”
Ader also had two saves on long shots, punching the ball out of play.
The victory puts Valley West into the PIAA Class 4A tournament. The Spartans will host the District 1 third seed on Tuesday.
Valley West struck first in regulation. Fetko followed up his shot from close range to score about 13 minutes into the second half. Brayden Clarke — aka Butch — set up the score.
“It was crossed in by my great man Butch, and the goalie came out,” Fetko said. “I tapped it, tapped it back in and scored.”
WBA tied the score about 12 minutes later. Mauricio Mejia sent a corner kick to the right part of the penalty area. Leandro Espinosa crossed it and Michael Schneikart flicked it with his heel a few feet to scorer Walther Garcia.
Neither team had a strong scoring chance the rest of regulation and overtime.
District 2 Class 4A Championship
Wyo. Valley West 2, Wilkes-Barre Area 1 OT
(Valley West wins shootout 5-3)
Wilkes-Barre Area`0`1`0`0`(3) — 1
Wyo. ValleyWest`0`1`0`0`(5) — 2
Second Half: 1. WVW, Noah Fetko (Brayden Clarke), 53:20; 2. WBA, Walther Garcia (Leandro Espinosa/Michael Schneikart), 65:14. Shootout: 1. WVW, Fetko scores; 2. WBA, miss; 3. WVW, Maks Iracki scores; 4. WBA, Johnny Mendola scores; 5. WVW, Andrew Stanitis scores; 6. WBA, Garcia scores; 7. WVW, Seth Kranson scores; 8. WBA. Josh Tapia scores; 9. WVW, Grayson Ader scores; 10. WBA, no attempt.
Shots: WBA 16, WVW 18. Saves: WBA 5 (Dylan Parry), WVW 10 (Ader). Corners: WBA 4, WVW 8.
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