Charleroi rolls over Yough
By Jose Negron
jnegron@yourmvi.com
With the departures of Cullin Woytovich and Jace Kepich, the Charleroi boys soccer team entered the fall season having to replace a whopping 71 goals between the pair of program standouts.
Woytovich netted a WPIAL-best 48 goals a year ago, while Kepich added 23.
There is good news for the Cougars, though.
Eben McIntyre, a 38-goal scorer as a sophomore last season, is back and ready to lead the way for a young, but talented group.
McIntyre started his junior campaign strong Monday night by netting a hat trick and adding a pair of assists in Charleroi’s 10-0 season-opening Section 3-2A victory over Yough at Myron Pottios Stadium.
“He knows he is now in a leadership role and he said, ‘Boys, this is what we need to get done,’” Charleroi head coach Jon Ducoli said. “Once the ball started rolling, he made a definite impact. He was also able to dish it off to show the other powers we have and the other weapons we have in our arsenal.”
A year after missing all of his junior season with a knee injury, senior Sam Iacovangelo also made his presence felt in his return to the pitch, scoring a pair of goals.
He netted his first with 3:31 left in the first half as he blasted a shot from around the 20-yard line that bounced off the cross bar and across the goal line. His second goal came in the second half off an assist from freshman Arlo McIntyre, Eben’s younger brother.
“I think that was a big exclamation point on what Sam is here to do,” Ducoli said. “We missed out with him not being here last year and he’s definitely showing what he is able to do and what he is capable of.”
It took some time for Charleroi (1-0, 1-0) to get things going offensively.
But Ducoli’s bunch didn’t lack opportunities.
Eben McIntyre picked up his team’s first shot at the 26:15 mark in the first half and later had a shot go wide before another ricocheted off the cross bar.
“It was a little bit of a slow start, but you figure with as many young boys as we have, the nerves probably got to them a little bit,” Ducoli said. “Once they started playing our game, moving the ball around and taking the shots, they were falling right back in line with the seasons we’ve had in the past.”
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