Beaver boys soccer must forfeit section win under new PIAA rule

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, October 3, 2024 | 8:40 PM

Purchase Photo Options

The Beaver boys soccer team must forfeit a section win because of a new rule that school administrators say should be reconsidered.

The Bobcats defeated Keystone Oaks, 2-1, on Saturday, but that win was later overturned by a PIAA regulation that punishes a team if an ejected coach does not promptly leave the area.

The new rule was approved in July.

“Our coach made a mistake, there are consequences for mistakes, and we accept those,” Beaver principal Sean Snowden said. “I’m just hopeful, after this school year, that the PIAA and the WPIAL will take a look at that consequence and realize we’re punishing students for adult actions, and maybe consider making a change.”

Snowden said discipline that impacts only the coach would seem more appropriate.

He and athletic director Kevin Krzeczowski said coach Scott Hazuda drew a yellow card late in the match. Because an assistant coach had earlier drawn a yellow as well, Hazuda’s card resulted in his ejection.

Krzeczowski said Hazuda left the stadium “with no objections and didn’t say anything while he was outside,” but stayed standing near the fence.

According to PIAA regulations: “Any Coach and/or adult Personnel removed, ejected or disqualified from a Contest who refuses to leave the competition area (out of sight and sound) as directed by the Contest Official will result in a forfeiture of the Contest.”

WPIAL administrator Vince Sortino said the determination of whether a team must forfeit is made by the game officials. PIAA associate executive director Patrick Gebhart said Beaver’s forfeit was the first statewide under the new rule.

Hazuda did not return a message seeking comment.

“In basketball, when a coach is ejected, the officials don’t restart the game until he’s actually in the locker room,” Krzeczowski said. “He went and stood over by the school, and the officials continued the game for another 10 minutes. At the 2-minute mark is when they addressed him being where he was and issued the extra penalty.”

The loss dropped the Bobcats to 6-6-1 in Section 2-2A and hurt their chances for qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs.

Snowden and Krzeczowski said this was the first time Hazuda was ejected in his 16 years as coach. He led the Bobcats to a WPIAL runner-up finish in 2022.

“By no means am I trying to defend our coach,” Snowden said. “I’m not disputing the referee’s decision, the WPIAL’s or the PIAA’s. But I think the consequence should be reviewed after the school year.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Beaver, Keystone Oaks