JT edges Blue Mountain in soccer to reach league playoffs

Jim Thorpe’s boys soccer team would have been looked upon as a team on the bubble at the onset of the season.

Unsure of what path it would take, the youthful Olympians were teetering on being good, but not quite there yet.

Coach Mike Dudak’s squad was a diamond in the rough — one he felt would only get better as the season motored onward.

Maturation can do a lot for a young squad.

The Olympians got better and they are now part of the Schuylkill League soccer championships after defeating perennial power Blue Mountain, 1-0, on Saturday at Lehighton High School in a playoff for the Division 1 wildcard berth in the league playoffs.

A late second half goal by senior Ian Montellus off a corner by Chris Williams was all the scoring the Olympians needed.

Jim Thorpe will now meet Division II champion Williams Valley on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Lehighton

“My boys knew coming into this game that Blue Mountain wasn’t going to take it easy on us,” said Dudak, who saw his team split a pair of regular season games with the Eagles.

Dudak kept prodding his team to score a goal as the game wore on through the second half. Then bingo. At the 66:07 mark, Montellus leaped into the air and knocked in the only score with his header.

“Chris Williams, our co-captain, played an incredible game,” said Montellus. “He sent it in and once I saw it in the air I knew I had it. I had a concussion last year, but I’m back on my game this year.”

Dudak said that set plays are something that the Olympians have been working on improving.

“Last year we had a lot of corner kick (goals),” he said. “This season we struggled. It is something we’ve worked on this season.”

Montellus said it was his first year in the playoffs and called it “exciting to be here.”

It also helps that Jim Thorpe is riding a nine-game winning streak and has won 12 of its last 13 after starting the season 0-4.

“I knew as the season went forward that this team was going to get better,” said Dudak. “Honestly, I think we’re the two best teams in the league. They’re hard to beat because we play similar soccer. When you get a team that play similarly to you, it’s tough to play around them.”

QUOTABLE … “All season I’ve been trying to score goals on headers, and I couldn’t get it done. That’s my first one and it’s the most important goal I scored in my life,” said an excited Montellus.

BY THE NUMBERS … Jim Thorpe had a 9-4 advantage in shots, but the Eagles had the edge in corner kicks, 5-4. Olympian keeper Kingsley Ehling recorded four saves. Blake Lipko recorded eight saves for Blue Mountain.

ON TAP … Tuesday’s second semifinal at Lehighton will have Division 1 champion Pottsville playing Nativity, the D-II wild card at 7 p.m. The finals are also set for Lehighton on Thursday 7 p.m.