The championship game of O-40, Series A (2nd division) was played between Indiana and Harmarville at the Consol Energy Soccer Complex in North Huntington, PA. Indiana was confident after beating the regular-season champs in the round-robin playoff, but was going into the game without their regular goalkeeper. This cost them early on, when a ball lobbed toward the goal was misplayed, and ended up in the back of the net to give Harmarville the lead. Coming off the field at the 20-minute break, Indiana’s Chad Hojnoski remarked that “We’ve got at least three goals in us today” – he didn’t know how quickly he would be proved right. Soon after the break, a scramble in front of the Harmarville goal resulted in Bryan Wilkins turning on a ball near the top of the penalty box. He left-footed it into the top-left corner, and the game was tied. Just a few minutes later, Hojnoski dispossessed a Harmarville defender, and broke in on goal alone. The keeper came out, but Hojnoski pushed the ball past him, and then cut it in to give Indiana the lead. Finally, just before half, Matt McKelvy broke free down the right side of the field. He hit a hard crossing pass, which found Wilkins on a far-post run, and Indiana took a 3-1 lead into the intermission. By this time, the pattern of the game was clear – the midfield was fairly even, and both teams could possess in the attacking end, but Indiana’s backs were able to control the Harmarville attackers, and limit their scoring opportunities. On the other end of the field, Indiana’s attackers were simply too much for the Harmarville backs, and they were peppering the keeper with shots.

Harmarville opened the second half throwing everything into the attack, and they were able to keep the ball in their attacking end for most of the next 15 minutes, but still Indiana keeper Ray Mullen was rarely tested. One long shot brought the score to 3-2, but Harmarville began to tire and could not maintain their momentum. In the final 20 minutes, both McKelvy and Scott Heasley scored to seal the victory of Indiana, 5-2. After losing championship games for the past two years, claiming the trophy in 2013 was a sweet result for Indiana’s O-40 squad, and there will be great enthusiasm over the winter for the 2014 season.