Moravian Academy boys win state title
Lions edge Winchester Thurston in double OT
MECHANICSBURG — Trey Sheeler was at a loss for words after Friday’s PIAA Class 1A boys soccer final.
Sheeler, Moravian Academy’s senior standout, made sure he did all of his talking (figuratively) on the field at Cumberland Valley High School.
The Lehigh University-bound Sheeler scored both Lions’ goals, including the “Golden Goal” in the opening 90 seconds of the second overtime, as District 11 champ Moravian Academy edged District 7 champ Winchester Thurston 2-1 for the program’s third state title in the past nine seasons.
“I’m speechless. There are no words to describe what we’re feeling,” said Sheeler, who took a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts. “I think I can speak for the whole team when I say this is absolutely amazing.”
Sheeler scored his first goal (his 25th of the season) in the first 10 minutes of the opening half and coach George Andriko’s Moravian Academy squad took the 1-0 lead to intermission.
Winchester Thurston, last year’s 1A state champs, tied the score at 1 on an Alex Hauskrecht goal with 32:41 left in regulation.
Neither team scored again until the second OT.
Just 84 seconds into the period, Sheeler accepted a perfectly played ball from senior forward Rafael Sanjaun and confidently redirected it into the net for the championship-clincher.
“I made a run from the top of the box to the backline and I was screaming to play the ball ahead,” said Sheeler, a team captain. “It was a beautiful ball. All I did was tap it in the goal. Rafi did the difficult part. It was his goal.”
A defensive anchor as a sophomore and junior and a starter in the midfield as a freshman on the 2019 PIAA championship team,
Sheeler was converted to a striker as a senior out of necessity. He concluded his year with 26 goals and 15 assists.
Andriko called Sheeler the best player in the Colonial League.
“He’s a phenomenal player and on the short list of the best players in program history,” said Andriko, a 2007 Moravian Academy graduate.
“He’s a monster at his size [6-foot-4] as a center back, which is where he’ll probably play at Lehigh. But we had to replace a lot of our offense this year and we needed him at striker. He scored and set up a lot of goals.”
The Lions’ two-OT win in the
state final came fewer than 40 hours after their 2-1 overtime win over Faith Christian-Sellersville in Wednesday’s state semifinals. Andriko said it was not the team’s best effort vs. Winchester Thurston but it was a winning one nonetheless.
“We didn’t play well overall,” the third-year coach said. “It wasn’t anywhere near one of our best games. But the true identity of a great team is to find ways to win when what you imagine taking place doesn’t play out.”
Besides Sheeler’s offensive fireworks, Andriko cited the overall efforts of senior goalkeeper Gabe Borsuk, freshman forward Salmen Eris, senior defender Ben Edleman and junior midfielder George Husack, who moved to the backline for stability.
Moravian Academy, which concludes its season with a 19-5 record and as a league semifinalist and district champion, won PIAA crowns in 2014 and 2019. (The Lions topped Winchester Thurston 4-1 in the 2019 final.)
Andriko called Friday a special day for the players, the coaches and the school community.
“We felt so much support. We’re thankful to the administration; we had two full buses leave school today at 10:15 a.m. and come out to support the team,” he said. “And the middle and lower schools, there were 20 to 30 streams at those levels in classrooms so the younger kids could watch us play. We received lots of calls and texts. Everyone rallied around this group and we’re heading home as state champions.”