Sassak’s hat trick, 3 assists lead Leopards over Mustangs

By JONATHAN GUTH

MVI Sports

Belle Vernon Area jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first half and hung on for a 6-4 victory over Laurel Highlands Monday at the Mustang Corral.

The Leopards improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in Section 3-3A play, while LH dropped to 3-3 in section and overall play. Belle Vernon sits two games ahead in the section race.

“It is nice that we control our destiny in the second half, but we beat Trinity, Ringgold and TJ all by a goal,” Belle Vernon coach Rob Miele said. “I don’t expect the second half to be easy and our guys know that. We are just taking it game-by-game, and hopefully we can keep improving and peak at the right time.”

The Leps’ Daniel Sassak had a hat trick and three assists, and now has nine goals this season.

“He (Sassak) has done some really good things this year,” Miele said. “Maybe his goal production hasn’t been what he wants it to be, but he has done other things that maybe haven’t shown up on the stat sheet. He was involved in every goal tonight, and that is a big-time performance from him.”

BVA took a 1-0 lead at 27:56 of the first half when the Leopards forced the Mustangs into a turnover in their own zone and Tyler Kovatch buried a shot past LH keeper Thatcher Wilson. Sassak and Nick Nagy touched the ball before Kovatch’s tally.

Neither team found the back of the net for the next 23 minutes before Sassak set up Daniel Gordon with 4:22 left for a 2-0 advantage for the Leopards. Sassak scored with 2:24 remaining for a 3-0 lead.

Laurel Highlands cracked the scoreboard just before halftime, scoring on a set piece when Joey Lemansky bent  in a corner kick and Harry Radcliffe found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1 with 37 seconds remaining.

The Leopards got the goal back at 32:40 of the second half when Sassak once again set up Gordon for a 4-1 lead. The tally was set up off a corner kick. Belle Vernon had six corner-kick opportunities, while the Mustangs had three.

Belle Vernon thought it had a four-goal advantage when Nagy’s shot hit off the crossbar and Sassak buried the deflection, but the tally was waved off.

“They called offside on that play,” Miele said.

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