By JOSE NEGRON
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With a spot in the PIAA playoffs on the line, second-seeded Bentworth saw its season come to an end with a 7-2 loss to top-seeded Freedom in the WPIAL Class A consolation game Wednesday at Peters Township.
Renae Mohrbacher, who scored a WPIAL-leading 55 goals during the regular season, netted four goals in the win, while Myah Hrinko, Karissa Mercier and Julia Mohrbacher each added one for Freedom (21-1).
“They’re a good team and they’re so athletic,” Bentworth head coach Tyler Hamstra said. “They’re the public school you want to emulate when it comes to Class A. They keep putting tough players out there and (head coach) Colin Williams does a great job.”
Mohrbacher served the opening blow less than 12 minutes into the game.
She dribbled past the Bentworth defense, got in close and drilled a shot past goalkeeper Jasmine Manning to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage.
Mohrbacher netted her second 13 minutes later, using fancy footwork to elude a pair of Bearcats defenders and finding the back of the net. Just over a minute later, Hrinko scored on a rebound following a shot off a corner kick to make it a 3-0 lead for freedom.
But the Bearcats (18-3) didn’t give up.
Paige Marshalek, who developed early chances on a pair of free kicks, was taken down by a Freedom defender and beat goalkeeper Morgan Swab on a penalty kick to cut the deficit to 3-1.
“That was just too much of a hole to dig ourselves out of, but score-wise we were able to keep it pretty close,” Hamstra said.
Bentworth developed a few more chances in the final minutes of the first half, including one on a shot by Lindsay Davis that sailed wide of the net.
While the Bearcats tried desperately to cut into the Bulldogs’ lead, it was Freedom that came away with a fortunate goal.
With just over a minute left in the half, Mercier blasted the ball from around 45 yards out. The ball reached the top of the net and snuck past Manning.
Freedom held a commanding 4-1 lead at halftime.
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