Gamble a sure thing in Butler's victory





HARRISON CITYButler is not a one-man soccer team, but you can understand why opposing coaches are thinking the opposite.
In Tuesday's first-round WPIAL Class AAA playoff game, Jake Gamble netted a pair of goals, including the game's first score with
22:27 remaining, to power the Golden Tornado to a 2-0 victory over Penn-Trafford at Warrior Stadium.
"One player beat us," said Penn-Trafford coach Derek Cuthbert. "I know it takes a whole team to win, but one player can make a difference."
Gamble, who netted all three of the Tornado's goals in a 3-0 victory over Kiski Area Oct. 13 to close out the regular season, has been
Butler's leading scorer.
"Jake is a very, very talented player," said
Butler coach Troy Mohney. "He brings a lot to the team offensively. ... He can break down defenses by himself."
Both teams had limited chances in the first half as both defenses shined. Warriors goalkeeper Kevin Marker made four saves, but the Tornado's best chance was when Gamble had an open shot with 26:35 left in the half, but his shot went wide.
Penn-Trafford (15-4) had two golden chances when Mike Wilkie's shot cleared the crossbar just
3:05 into the game, then Steve Ellis's header in front went wide.
Butler (9-6-4) finally broke through with Gamble's first goal of the night, slipping past a pair of defenders and scoring in the lower left side of the net for the 1-0 lead.
Despite seizing the lead, Mohney was aware the advantage was still precarious.
"I wasn't comfortable with the 1-0 lead," said Mohney. "I kind of spaced back to the Seneca Valley game (a 2-1 Raiders victory that determined the section champion). We were able to play solid defense.
"And (Butler goalie) Aaron Voelker came up big,"Mohney added.
Voelker made a pair of outstanding saves shortly after the Gamble goal. He made a save in front of the net on a hard roller by Marsial Ritchey, then when the ball was kicked out by the Warriors to the side, another rapid shot came in before Voelker cradled the ball to quell the rally.
The Tornado iced the game with 3:46 remaining when Gamble took a crossing pass toward the net from Sean Bernardi and rifled a shot past Marker for the 2-0 lead.