CURTIS PARK – The Philipsburg-Osceola Mounties’ early season goal onslaught continued Wednesday afternoon with a 9-0 lambasting of the visiting Clearfield Bisons.
Senior midfielder Alex Boumerhi led the way scoring four goals and assisting on two others but it was his younger brother, Nick, a sophomore defenseman, who got things started on the day. “Lil’ Boomie” got possession of the ball in the 11th minute on the left side 25 yards out and drove a devastating in-swinger to the back post where senior striker Antonino Turrigiano nodded home the chalk-board goal, his 4th of the young season.
“About as pretty a goal as you could draw up,” said Mountie coach Tom Petro. “Just undeniable quality from both the service and the finish.”
The home side continued its patient approach, playing its customary composed defense and was establishing more possession high up the pitch when senior defenseman Dustin Fisch freed up “Big Boomie” with an incisive throw-in that the elder Boumerhi put away to run the score to 2-0 at the half.
After the break, the Mounties’ patience ended when, in an 8 minute span beginning in the 50th minute, three goals fell; a second by Turrigiano and two more from Alex Boumerhi. In the 60th minute, Nick Boumerhi was hacked down in the Clearfield penalty area and junior defenseman Taylor Golemboski opened his account on the season from the spot. Ninety seconds later, Big Boomy scored his fourth of the day and 9th of the season from a dandy crossing ball from senior striker Greg Kojadinovich, who had set up Boumerhi in a like fashion only three minutes prior.
Except for the game effort of Clearfield defender Carl Williams, Boumerhi would have scored a 5th as he cruised into the six yard box and hammered a ball goal-ward. Williams attempted a clear, but could only deflect the ball for the ignominious own goal.
The Mounties’ closed the scoring out on an impeccable free kick in the 72nd minute by Nick Boumerhi, who nearly beat Clearfield keeper Jonathan Bumbarger from 35 yards. Bumbarger managed to get a hand on the ball and deflected it off the crossbar when junior center back Alex Gray pounced, heading the falling ball home from the goal line just inches inside the upright.
“We were actually doing some experimenting in the second half,” said Petro, who noted the Mounties sometimes are without senior striker Kojadinovich. “We had to try out some different combinations to see if we could get some attack going without KoJo.”
Mission accomplished. P-O out-shot the Bisons 25-3 and keepers Jay Prentice and Mitch Winters combined on the clean sheet, their second in a row. The Mounties’ goals against average is at a microscopic half a goal per game.
P-O has run its record to 3-1 (2-0 Mountain League) with the victory and saw their trove of goals swell to 25 in all contests against only two conceded. The Bisons’ record has fallen to 0-4 (0-3 Mountain League) and they return to action Saturday as they host Brookville. The Mounties welcome Bellefonte to Curtis Park for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday.
