‘Booch’ beats Cougars in final seconds

Ringgold’s Emily Bucchianeri scored the game-winning goal with 16 seconds left in a 4-3 win at Charleroi.

What more can you ask for in a rivalry game?

Gritty defensive plays, timely saves and a wild final 6:16 of regulation.

The Ringgold girls’ soccer team took a late two-goal lead and then Charleroi stormed back with two straight goals.

Most thought the game was headed to overtime, but the Rams’ Emily Bucchianeri had other plans as the junior midfielder tallied the game-winning goal with 16 seconds left in regulation to give Ringgold a dramatic 4-3 victory over rival Charleroi.

“It was a very crazy game and we did not want to go into overtime,” Bucchianeri said. “We had to keep going and we had to play as a team. It has been tough for us this season, but we never quit. To come back and win this game is huge for our confidence.”

With the win, the Rams (36-1, 2-5-1) ended a six-match winless streak and picked up its first victory since a 6-1 home win over Charleroi Aug. 28.

“People got their money’s worth tonight,” Ringgold coach Ed Rosensteel said. “What a crazy ending, but these girls stuck with it. They showed a lot of resiliency tonight. After we went up 3-1, one of our assistant coaches told the girls not to relax. You could see the Charleroi comeback coming. We got in our heads and they gave us a tough fight.”

Despite the late surge by the home team, Ringgold’s defense has been steady for most of the fall. Out of their 10 games, they have allowed three goals or less eight times.

The Cougars (0-9, 0-8) did not play like a winless team and at times carried the action in the attacking zone. Coming into the game, Charleroi had only scored five goals.

“My girls put everything into this game,” Charleroi coach Tom Cameron said. “They played with so much heart and soul tonight. They did not play like an 0-8 team. I am just so proud of them. I’m usually not at a loss for words, but I am speechless when it comes to their effort tonight. Ringgold is a good team and we went toe-to-toe with them.”

With Ringgold clinging to a 2-1 lead for the majority of the second half, the Rams added a huge insurance goal at the 6:16 mark when Bridget Callihan broke free from the defense and placed a high shot that ended up in the back of the net.

The Cougars made it 3-2 just 36 seconds later when Aryanna Chiplaskey launched a deep shot that was too high to stop.

Chiplaskey was at it again for at the 3:05 mark when she took a sharp shot through traffic in front of the net that trickled beyond the goal line to knot things up.

The Cougars had the momentum, but the Rams thwarted any hopes of a comeback for the home team when Callihan broke free on the near sidelines and made a cross to the middle of the field that Bucchianeri buried for the game-winning marker.

“On the goal, I just got up from getting hit in the head really hard,” Bucchianeri said. “I saw Bridget moving to the net and she gave me a beautiful pass. I knew it was a goal even before I touched it. I was screaming afterwards so loud. I can’t really put into words what that goal felt like for me.”

Charleroi had the early possession time in the first five minutes of the contest, as they registered the first two shots of the night.

Rhianna Grogan uncorked a hard shot from the right side of the keeper in the first minute that went wide, while a close-up shot by Lilly Withers was corralled by Ringgold’s keeper Alayna Macioce.

The Rams weathered the early surge by the home team, and then capitalized on their first scoring chance of the game when Rihanna Fordham got behind the defense and stuffed in the opening goal with an aggressive shot at 33:34. Bucchianer earned the assist on the opening tally for the visitors.

Eight minutes later, the Cougars had a response when Ava Petruska came down the near sidelines and let loose a shot that was deflected off Macioce’s hands that went directly to the foot of Grogan in the box for the 1-1 deadlock.

Chiplaskey added another quality, scoring chance with 11 minutes left before intermission when the sophomore defender blasted a free kick from 33-yards out that was saved by Macioce.

With 6:32 remaining in the opening half, the Rams went up 2-1 when Bucchianer garnered space in the attacking zone and grabbed the go-ahead tally off a long pass by Miranda Santina.

“Emily has been working hard and she has been looking for those goals,” Rosensteel said. “I call it ‘Bucch’ mode. She was flat out attacking tonight and she is just a smart player. I am glad a couple went in for her tonight. When she gets her shots, her confidence just grows.”

Despite being outshot 9-7 in the opening 40 minutes, Ringgold led Charleroi 2-1 at halftime.

After the home team was credited with the first shot of the second half, the visitors bounced back with the next two scoring attempts. The later was a 15-yard shot off the foot of Santina that was stymied by Charleroi’s goalie Breslin Trubiani in the 34th minute mark.

Even though they had a one-goal lead, the Rams were the aggressors from the onset of the second half and had the six of the next seven shots of the half with two goals waived off because of offside calls.

The squads continued to exchange chances for the remainder of the game before a wild final couple of minutes between the two Mon Valley rivals.

“The team grew up tonight,” Cameron said. “We did not play like an 0-8 team. It got a little chippy, but that is what a rivalry game is all about. Aryanna is a special talent and we moved her up. I think tonight proved to the girls that they can play the game of soccer and can play with anybody in our section.”

Macioce picked up the win in net for the Rams with eight saves, while Trubiani played a steady game in between the pipes for the Cougars with five stops.

Ringgold hosts Laurel Highlands Saturday. Charleroi is off until a home matchup with McGuffey Monday.

“The great thing about tonight’s win is our leadership showed up,” Rosensteel said. “Our leaders made the plays for us to win. The hope now is that a win like this will carry us the rest of section play.”