Heading into their game at Northampton, Pleasant Valley head coach Issac Blagogee had a bad feeling.

The Bears were missing four players who were sidelined with injuries, and a few others who didn’t play due to an illness. Unfortunately, Blagogee and his Bears couldn’t overcome the hurdles, and they couldn’t find the rhythm.

Scoring twice in the opening half, fourth-seeded Northampton took control and went on to a 3-0 victory over fifth-seeded Pleasant Valley in a PIAA District 11 Class 4A opening-round quarterfinal game.

The defeat left the Bears with an overall 14-5-2 record, while Northampton improved to 16-4.

It was a tight game until Northampton struck with roughly 15 minutes left in the opening half when Sebastian Mello headed a shot into the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Five minutes later, the Konkrete Kids’ doubled their lead when Brody Eisenhart drilled a shot into the top end of the far post for a 2-0 lead at the half.

Northampton sealed the game when Eisenhart added his second goal four minutes into the second half.

Throughout the game, and because of the outlining factors, Blagogee saw his team not at their full throttle.

“I saw this coming because we had a lot of injuries, and I also had to keep some players home because of sickness,” said Blagogee. “But that’s not an excuse.

“We played all right, but we didn’t play our best game. There wasn’t any turning point. We lost because we didn’t increase our game. We had some scoring opportunities, but we just didn’t finish.”

Northampton head coach Chris Bastidas was quite familiar with his opponent from two prior meetings this season, and he knew it would be a tussle.

“They are a very good and well-coached team,” said Bastidas about Pleasant Valley. “We played well, and we were able to pressure them. We also played well in our back end, and they kept coming at us.

“Once we got up 2-0, they came at us hard and began to further pressure us. That allowed us to open up the game more. We were able to play better in the open field, and we got another goal.”

Center midfielder David Halla, one of three seniors on the roster, also believed his team couldn’t put together a complete game. Halla also was pleased with his efforts throughout the season.

“I think we played a good game, but we lost our heads at the end,” said Halla. “It was my senior year, and it was a great season. I felt like I played my best in every game, and contributed to the team in many ways.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates and my coaches.”

Fellow senior captain and midfielder Dominic Balzano was blunt about his team’s performance in the game and overall.

“I believe that we played very poorly, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it ... they were hungrier,” he stated. “We played in the same weather with the same amount of players and the same refs, so there’s absolutely no excuses other that they just wanted it more than we did.

“Although it is such a bittersweet feeling, I won’t let this last game reflect on the incredible season we had. Statistically, this was the best year we’ve had in my four years of playing, and since coach Issac has gotten here, we’ve only improved.”

Senior goaltender Zach Prator, who had 19 saves, echoed his teammate’s thoughts.

“Northampton wanted the game more than us,” noted Prator. “We did not bring forth our best effort and showed on the scoreboard. Overall, this season, I am proud of my teammates and the coaching staff for all the hard work they have put into making our team the best they possibly could.

“It stings to end our season on a 3-0 loss. Hopefully, the underclassmen and coaching staff can learn from our mistakes and regroup for another successful season next year.”

Despite the defeat, Blagogee has an optimistic outlook for the future with a returning core. Along with Halla, goalie Zach Prator and Dominic Balzano are the other two seniors.

“This was a great season,” beamed Blagogee. “The boys came together and worked as hard as they could. It was a long season and the boys got through it well.

“With having such a young team, we can only go up from here.”