HOLLIDAYSBURG — Steve Meehan has been trying all season to teach Mike Burnheimer to not try to do too much with the soccer ball.
It hasn’t sunk in yet.
Burnheimer weaved his way through three defenders to score the winning goal on Thursday night as Westmont Hilltop beat Lewistown 2-1 in the District 6 Class AA championship game.
“Coach really tells me a lot to not try and do that,” Burnheimer said of what led up to his left-footed game-winner, which came with 9:45 remaining in regulation. “I just got into a mode to carry the ball and got a strike, and it went in.”
Meehan, Westmont’s first-year coach, wasn't really in a position to complain after getting doused with water by his team.
“That's his gift and that’s also his nemesis – holding on to that ball,” the coach said. “But when he gets an opportunity, he can drill it.”
The Hilltoppers (20-1) needed some individual heroics after losing the 1-0 lead that they had held for 37 minutes. Lewistown’s Jorge Miller had a dazzling solo run of his own, dribbling through three Westmont defenders to send a cross to Christopher Wilson, who fired a shot that Hilltoppers keeper Aaron Stonecypher deflected.
The rebound came to Ian McGinnis, who buried it to tie the game with 15:01 remaining.
“We did get the equalizer, but we just couldn’t keep that ball out of the back of the net,” Lewistown coach Keith Yoder said. “(Burnheimer) did a nice job. He got through a couple of our defenders, and that’s to his credit.”
The Panthers (15-5) had another strong scoring opportunity five minutes after McGinnis’ goal, but Stonecypher came out to grab Alex Leight's cross attempt as two Lewistown players ended up in the Westmont net.
“You could see how the passion came out in the second half,” Meehan said. “I think (the Lewistown goal) woke up a few kids, and they knew they had to dig deep, and they did. We had some pretty outstanding performances by a couple of kids.
‘I’d like to mention Kyle Kunkle at center midfield, and a kid that I thought had an outstanding game was Penn Whitlow. He's a stopper for us, and I think he individually stopped three goals.”
Kunkle helped set up the first goal with his free kick in the 27th minute.
“A nice chip shot over the wall to Michael Burnheimer,” Kunkle said of the play.
“Michael Burnheimer nipped it, it hit off the post and Bryson Eplett was there to finish it off.”
Lewistown had one final chance to tie the game, as Andrew Baker drilled a shot from just outside the 18-yard box with 11 seconds remaining, but Stonecypher handled it easily to clinch the victory.
“These kids were determined to get where they were they are,” Meehan said. “We told them at the beginning of the year 'You have to sweat in the summer to play in the cold,' and I think they took that to heart.”
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