MORGANTOWN — Two first-half goals made the difference for the Morgantown Mohigans against the University High Hawks in the boys’ version of the MoHawk Derby on Thursday night at Mylan Pharmaceutical Stadium.
MHS (9-1-2) downed the Hawks (5-4-1), 2-1, with two goals coming from a pair of seniors, Fynn Rolston and Riley Brabson.
The win on Thursday is the first for MHS on Bakers Ridge in nearly a decade.
“(UHS) made the game uncomfortable for us sometimes,” MHS coach Sam Snyder said. “We came into the game with a few knocks, and as we rotated, they settled into the game well and took advantage. Beyond that, I’m happy to get the win. We haven’t been able to win here in a long time, and it’s a huge rivalry to play in and a game that our guys were excited for.”
The Hawks’ lone goal came from senior winger Wesley DeLeurere early in the second half and cut the MHS lead in half to give the hosts new life. Despite being unable to find an equalizer, UHS assistant coach Brian Shannon was proud of his team’s effort against a strong MHS club.
“I thought we settled into the game well, but giving up the early goal in the first four minutes hurt,” he said. “I think it was just a breakdown off the corner, and we were scrambling after not clearing the ball far enough. Credit to MHS — they’re well-coached and always a tough opponent.”
The play he mentioned came less than three minutes into the match. A corner kick found the feet of MHS senior Fynn Rolston, who one-timed the ball into the upper-left corner of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage at the 37:45 mark.
The Hawks settled well after conceding the early goal, and the pace of play picked up as both teams traded possession and looked to break through the defensive line.
UHS connected a spell of passes through the midfield with 10 minutes to play in the first half, producing a chance with a cross from the right wing into the box. Hawks’ midfielder Damien Huckabee jumped to meet the ball first but was just off target with the effort.
Less than five minutes later, the Mohigans struck again as Brabson took advantage of a mistake from the UHS defense that saw him through on goal with only the keeper, J.R. Abraham to beat. Brabson tucked the ball away calmly to double the lead for his team.
MHS took a 2-0 lead into the locker room but the Hawks knew they had plenty of time left to mount a comeback.
“We needed to come out and be aggressive and leave everything out of the field,” Shannon said of his message to the team at halftime. “We kept up the pressure, stayed in front of their attackers, and continued to play as a team.”
UHS was rewarded for its hard work early in the second half as DeLeurere found the ball on the left wing after the MHS keeper, Luke Plevich, was caught off his line. The UHS senior slotted the ball home to cut the lead in half and give the hosts fresh air.
After the UHS goal, both teams continued to push for another but without anything to show for their efforts.
The Mohigans melted the clock out after chances for both sides in the closing moments and took home the victory 2-1 over the Hawks.
“I’ve always felt this place (UHS) has been kind of cursed for us, so it’s nice to come and get a win here,” Snyder said. “Going forward, we need to be able to handle discomfort better and not get caught up in situations we don’t like and then make a mistake.”
The Hawks will return home to host Fairmont Senior on Saturday at 9 a.m. while the Mohigans will wait to see their seed in the OVAC semifinals next week.
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