By TOM SIXEAS
Hanover Evening Sun Correspondent
Article Launched: 10/23/2007 09:41:44 AM EDT

Mechanicsburg’s Gye Panuccio scored the only goal of the game on a penalty kick with 29:01 left in the first half to lead the Wildcats to a 1-0 win over Gettysburg in a District 3 Class AAA boys soccer play-in game Monday night at

Gettysburg.

Panuccio was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty shot. He beat

Gettysburg keeper Ben Szoke with a shot to the right side of the goal. Szoke was unable to reach the shot despite a diving attempt. “Ben’s a good keeper,” said

Gettysburg head coach Chad Wright. “He made some great saves tonight that kept us in the game.”

Gettysburg (12-6-1) created multiple scoring opportunities in the first half. Michael Celius, shooting with 31:09 left, and Derik Yager, who had attempts with 29:40 and 13:02 left in the first half, all registered shots that were turned away by Mechanicsburg keeper Sam Burkholder. “We knew it would come down to one play tonight and it did,” said Wright. “We created opportunities in the first half, but we didn’t put any of them in the net.” Burkholder continued to come up big in the second half. He recorded a pair of diving stops to keep the Wildcats ahead. Evan Mudd ripped a shot that Burkholder dove to stop with 34:13 left in the game and Isaac Hancock cut loose a bullet that Burkholder turned aside with 18:01 left. “Sam is a great keeper,” said Mechanicsburg head coach Tony Lougee. “He’s done well in net all year for us.” This was the third meeting of the season between the two Mid-Penn Keystone rivals. The Wildcats won the first meeting 2-1 in 2OT at Mechanicsburg on Sept. 18 and the teams tied 1-1 at

Gettysburg on Oct. 11. “It’s always very close between us and

Gettysburg. It has been for the last six years,” said Lougee. “It’s tough to play a division opponent as your first game in districts because you know each other inside and out.” He added, “You want to root for the teams from your division to do well in districts, just not when you play them.” The loss was the last game for 10 seniors on the

Gettysburg squad, but the Warriors will return Szoke in net next season and will return leading scorer Bryce Shaffer and defender Colin Byrne. All are juniors this year. “I’m going to miss our seniors,. They were such a determined bunch,” said Wright. “They played hard all the time and we improved as a team throughout the year.”