Joey Petricoin battles disappointment as he tries to lift Mifflin back into title contention

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com Senior Correspondent

Joey Petricoin had trouble sleeping those first few weeks. All he could think about was the penalty kick. How he could have converted. How his team could have kept playing.

Gov. Mifflin’s hopes of winning the county soccer championship slipped away when Petricoin was stopped on his attempt.

“It definitely took a toll on me,” he said. “It’s all about looking past it. Looking to next season and wanting to push harder so you don’t make the same mistakes.”

Disappointment eventually turned into resolve. That’s how Petricoin looks at everything in life. He believes obstacles are overcome with sheer determination.

The senior drove to Mifflin’s stadium and practiced PKs. He dragged a field hockey cage inside the soccer net and tried to place the ball in the corners. If another playoff game ever reached that stage, he planned to be ready.

“I don’t think I ever felt so much pressure at one point on my shoulders,” Petricoin said. “Some people thrive on pressure. Some people don’t. Definitely in penalties I did not. That’s something I can always work on.”

Mifflin has emerged as a Berks contender on Petricoin’s watch. The Mustangs lost to Oley Valley in the final when he was a sophomore. They lost to Fleetwood in the semifinals, 5-4 in PKs, last season.

This fall was supposed to be Mifflin’s turn. It had a loaded lineup and the rest of Berks was largely in rebuilding mode. Petricoin felt like he was going to get another shot at gold.

Then it all changed. Player of the Year candidate Micah Nyce chose to skip his senior season to play for Pa. Classics. Midfielder Jacob Coman moved away. Mifflin suddenly looked less formidable.

Coach Jose Garcia, the architect of Mifflin’s rise from doormat to challenger, took Petricoin out to lunch over the summer to reassess the team’s outlook. The coach tried to comfort his captain.

“Look, I don’t know what your senior season is going to be like,” Garcia said. “What I know is you’ve put in a lot of work and it’s not fair what’s happening to you right now. That doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s just going to be twice as hard.”

Petricoin isn’t one to shrink from a challenge. He powered through the team’s first practice like it was the closing minutes of a crucial game. Every drill was tackled with intensity and every teammate was expected to approach things the same way.

If Petricoin was ever late to a voluntary workout, he asked what he missed and completed those tasks. If they ran three laps, he ran three laps. He refused to skip anything.

“Nobody gets the easy way out,” he said. “Everybody has to do the same work. No matter how good or bad you are. If you show up late you’ve got to be running in. There’s no walking. We all need to be responsible for our own actions.”

Petricoin was an all-division selection at holding-mid while scoring a goal with three assists. He transitioned the ball forward so Nyce could put home nine goals in 12 games.

Mifflin is going to have to find scorers to replace Nyce. Freddy Inderbitzen and Sean Armour are two of the leading candidates. Petricoin will provide leadership. That much is guaranteed.

“I like to call him my coach,” Garcia said. “Every year we have one. He was last year and he’ll be this year again. The stuff I don’t see he calls it out. I give him that green light. I don’t have to ask that kid for intensity.”

Berks I appears wide open. Exeter returns 12 seniors and hopes to return to glory. Perennial champ Wilson must replace its entire starting lineup. Reading High is back in the fall after opting out last year due to COVID-19. 

Mifflin believes it can remain in the hunt. This is Petricoin’s last chance to bring the trophy to Shillington.

“We just have to move forward and play with the kids we have,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll be right where we’re supposed to be: fighting for that championship spot.”