ABINGTON HEIGHTS BOYS SOCCER: Comets rule state soccer

MANCHESTER — The Abington Heights boys soccer state championship had deep roots.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A title that was secured Nov. 15 at Northeastern York High School grew out of the team’s reaction to its two most recent losses.

The heartbreak of missing out on playing in the 2024 PIAA tournament because of a penalty kick shootout loss to Dallas in the District 2 final was remembered as the Comets discussed the first state soccer title ever by a Lackawanna County school with their 2-0 win over Conrad Weiser.

“What made me a believer was our player exit interviews last season,” Comets coach Frank Dyska said, recalling a conversation with Nico Bustos. “We had had that tough loss and in Nico’s interview he opened with, ‘I don’t care, we’re winning the state championship next year.’

“I think at the time it sounds like an outlandish claim, but you could just see that belief of ‘hey, we can do this,’ kept building momentum slowly but surely. Guys started to believe it was possible. It started with him in that exit interview.”

The Comets slipped just once in 25 games, falling 2-1 at Lewisburg Sept. 20 in the 10th game of the season.

The reaction was similar.

This time it was center back James Mitchell who spoke up in the post-game huddle.

“Congratulations boys, you just lost your last game of the season,” Mitchell told his teammates.

Mitchell, the rest of the defense and goalie Billy Johnson made that happen, shutting out all seven postseason opponents, clearing the way for the high-scoring combo of Nico Bustos and Joey Pivirotto to produce the winning goals.

Bustos scored in all seven postseason games. Pivirotto scored in six of them, including the game-winning in the state final.

Abington Heights went 562minutes 35 seconds of the playoffs and the last 597 minutes 54 seconds of the season without allowing a goal.

Enzo Capozzi and Aiden Gardner joined Mitchell on the all-senior starting defense. Defensive midfielder Connor McDonald did the work in front of them and Tanner Shane, another midfielder, played some big minutes on defense when needed.

Bustos moved from midfield to center back for the final 32 minutes of the season to help protect a second-half lead in the 2-0 victory over Conrad Weiser.

“We just play so well from all the years we’ve played together,” Johnson said. “I’ve known Nico forever and the D-Line plays so well together. They know when to rotate. Anything we do wrong, we fix immediately.

“We play so well as one unit and we have such good chemistry.”

The Comets held strong against a previously unbeaten opponent in the state final.

“When it came to playoff time, those guys just really buckled down,” Dyska said. “Obviously, we had some big performances from Billy, but also honestly all the players on the defensive side of the ball – the strikers, the wings even – we really kind of embraced the defensive intensity and identity.”

Abington Heights 2, Conrad Weiser 0

Abington Heights went into halftime of the championship game holding off increasing pressure from Conrad Weiser.

Pivirotto made sure the Comets came flying out of the break with the turnaround they needed to produce the state title.

Pivirotto scored the game-winner and Bustos played a major role in locking up the win with both an increased defensive emphasis and an insurance goal as the Comets topped the Scouts.

Abington Heights managed just one first-half shot, but scored on its first two second-half shots.

“We were just trying to weather the storm and get to the half and regroup and get everyone situated and squared away,” Dyska said.

Pivirotto changed that with three actions, all in a matter of seconds, to break the tie 2:49 into the second half.

First, Pivirotto pounced on a weak, errant pass in the middle of the field nearly 50 yards from the goal.

Then, he added the footwork to get away from three Scouts, two of whom were just steps away when Pivirotto gained control.

As Pivirotto dribbled into space on his left, he did not waste time. As he moved toward the goal, he ripped a vicious, left-footed shot that rendered Conrad Weiser goalie Dan Heil helpless.

“Getting past those two defenders was the most important,” Pivirotto said. “Getting to the ball was really not that difficult. I knew I had to get to that ball.

“One touch to me, two defenders, then kind of an explosive step to get around them. To me, it seemed like somebody might have tripped and fallen and ended up on the ground. I said to myself, ‘this is my chance, I just have to put it on target’.”

Pivirotto, who Dyska said has been playing through a hip flexor injury, did that and with authority.

There were still some anxious moments as the teams worked up and down the field, creating promising runs even when they did not result in shots.

Mitchell went to the sideline with a yellow card with 32:36 left and Dyska made an adjustment.

With the state title on the line, Dyska provided a sneak preview of Bustos’ future, moving him to the position he has played in travel ball and has been recruited to play on the NCAA Division I level at Lehigh University.

Bustos went to center back for the rest of the game, helping the Comets turn away many threats and counter the slick ballhandling skills of Abu Barrie.

“My whole club career since about 2021, I’ve been a center back,” said Bustos, a midfielder for the Comets who was making just his second appearance of the high school season there. “Center back is my natural position. I was comfortable with it and I knew as soon as I went back and we got the other goal, we would win.”

Bustos provided that other goal with one of his brief remaining forays into the offensive half of the field.

Shane took the ball toward the right corner with just under 18 minutes left and drew a hard foul by Conrad Weiser.

As Mitchell set up for a direct kick from the right side, Bustos came charging up field, getting into position to one time a header into the goal with 17:18 left.

“I know how James hits the ball,” Bustos said. “I knew he was going to float it in a little bit. That’s one of my favorite goals to score. I’ve done it countless times off a little floater.”

Conrad Weiser (24-1-1) finished with a 12-7 lead in shots and a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Johnson made seven saves.

Conrad Weiser finished 24-1-1.

Abington Heights 2, Harriton 0

Johnson made 10 saves in goal Nov. 11 to lead Abington Heights to the semifinal win at Hamburg.

Bustos scored in the first half and Pivirotto added a late insurance goal.

Harriton, the District 1 champion, finished 21-2-1.

Abington Heights 1, Blue Mountain 0

Bustos scored in the third minute of overtime Nov. 8 to lift Abington Heights to the victory over District 11 champion Blue Mountain in the quarterfinals.

Abington Heights produced consistent pressure throughout, but could not break through with a goal in regulation.

Johnson made three saves for the shutout.

Blue Mountain finished 20-4.

Abington Heights boys 5, Selinsgrove 0

Jack Leuthe, who also had two assists, and Pivorotto each scored twice to lead the Comets to the home-field victory in the state opener Nov. 4.

Leuthe opened the scoring on a rebound of a Pivorotto shot, then angled a pass to get Pivorotto behind the defense at close range for the second goal.

Bustos also scored and Pivorotto added his second goal for a 4-0 lead at halftime.