Jim Thorpe edges Pine Grove in boys soccer

Ethan Melber had a game to remember for Jim Thorpe in Tuesday’s 1-0 District 11 Class 2A quarterfinal round win over Pine Grove.

Not only did Melber score the game’s only goal, but he saved what would have been the tying goal.

With five minutes gone by in the second half, JT goalkeeper Kingsley Ehling came out of his goal crease to stop a point blank shot, but a pass to Pine Grove’s, Mitchell Lesh left him staring at a wide open empty net. Lesh kicked the ball toward the left corner and that’s when Melber came sliding in feet first to kick the ball to the side when it was just inches from crossing the goal line.

“I saw our goalie come out,” said Melber. “Then I saw the shot fired and I knew I had to try to stop it with my foot because if I touch the ball with my hand, I get a red card and they get a penalty kick.”

‘It was an incredible play by Ethan,” said Jim Thorpe coach Michael Dudak. “The ball came over the top and our goalie had committed himself to another Pine Grove player.”

Melber’s save preserved the shutout after the Cardinals had tilted the playing field to pressure the Thorpe defense for much of the second half.

The beginning of the game was marked by midfield play with no advantage to either side. At the 37 minute mark, JT’s Coyote Acevedo set up Preston Lawrence with the first shot on goal.

“They were kicking many air balls to our back line,” said Dudak, “and we were doing the same thing to them. Once we got our passes to the ground we were able to manage some offense.”

With 10:50 to go in the half, Olympian Wallace Ryder set up Melber in front of the net and he buried his shot into the right corner for the game’s only goal.

“We passed the ball six times from foot-to-foot to put us in great scoring position,” said Dudak, “and Ethan did the rest.”

Thorpe’s defense was virtually impenetrable in the first half, allowing only one easy shot on goal.

The Cardinals came out flying in the second half, but after Melber’s game saving save, they were only able to manage long shots that were gobbled up by Ehling.

With nine minutes to go, Thorpe’s Alex Putt drilled a long shot just over the top of the net and the outstretched arms of Pine Grove goal keeper Jason Soper.

Pine Grove then failed to convert a corner kick two minutes later.

“We definitely picked it up in the second half,” said Pine Grove coach, Mark Wyllie. “We played well off the line, but we just couldn’t finish. That’s been our story for a good part of our year.”

Jim Thorpe dominated ball possession in the final three minutes and Pine Grove was unable to generate another scoring opportunity.

For the game, both goal keepers were hardly tested. The Olympians’ Ehling stopped only two shots on net while Pine Grove’s Soper finished with three saves.

TRIPS OR FALLS? ... The physical play of the game resulted in a few injuries and multiple contact fouls that were disputed by both coaches.

LOOKING FORWARD ... Coach Dudak likes his chances against either Pen Argyl. “They play more of a ground game rather than kicking over the top and that suits our style much better,” he said.

COMEBACK KIDS ... What a turnaround for Jim Thorpe. They began the season with four straight losses and then won 10 games in a row. Currently, the Olympians, who lost in the Schuylkill League final, stand at 16-5 on the season.