PREP SOCCER Mooney ties for SVC crown with 3-0 win over Fitch

The Cardinals can win the championship outright at Boardman on Oct. 11.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- The memories hung with Mooney High for two decades.
The Cardinals had never beaten Austintown Fitch in soccer. They've never won a Steel Valley Conference championship. They lost to Fitch last year on a controversial call that led to the game-winning goal.
On Monday night, Mooney didn't want to just forget those bad memories -- they wanted to bury them.
Mission accomplished. The Cardinals beat the host Falcons 3-0 to clinch a tie for their first SVC championship, and can win it outright when they play at Boardman on Oct. 11.
"I get teased a lot for saying that this is the biggest win of the season and in school history, but it's true," said Mooney coach Len Krispinsky. "Fitch has always been a powerhouse and [Falcon coach] Rigo [Castillo] runs a class program. They're very, very tough."
Mooney moment: Sophomore Christo Frangopolous had two assists, including one that caromed off sophomore Jon Freany's face into the goal with 50 seconds remaining in the first half that gave Mooney a 2-0 lead.
"That goal hurt us," said Castillo.
Mark Seddon scored the game's first goal with 30:09 remaining in the first half on an assist from Frangopolous.
Freshman Kiki Willis made it 3-0 six minutes into the second half on a penalty kick. Fitch keeper Brett Gleydura dove to his left and got part of the ball, but the carom skidded past Gleydura into the right side of the net. Gleydura had three saves as Mooney out-shot Fitch 6-4.
"This is a huge accomplishment," said defender Stelio Frangopolous, the lone senior starter for Mooney. "I'm in total disbelief. It probably won't set in until tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy this for now."
Stelio Frangopolous, along with defenders Mike Hernan, Josh Werning and Ken Huber, were impenetrable, clearing several balls that made keeper Tim Reigrut's job much easier.
"I couldn't have done it without my front four," said Reigrut, who had four saves and eight stops. "No way do I get a shutout without my defense."
Mooney held a team meeting before the game.
"We defined our goals and what everyone needed to work on," said Krispinsky. "We made sure everyone understood their role and the team really did a tremendous job."
Kept in check: Mooney stopped Fitch midfielder Sam Camens, who has been one of the Falcons' top scorers.
"We shut him down," said Christo Frangopolous. "He's definitely their best player."
Fitch, which has won four of the last six SVC championships, can still tie for the league title if Boardman beats Mooney.
"It seemed like whenever we cleared the ball, it landed on their player, but whenever they cleared the ball, it landed on their feet," said Castillo. "We needed to play well and have a little luck, and we didn't get any luck."