Connect with us

Highmark Stadium

Previewing #WPIAL Girls Quarterfinals #PghSoccer #RoadToHighmark

highlands

Highlands and Freeport, two of the top four seeds in Class 2A, will begin their playoff schedules on Thurs, as both teams had 1st round byes.  (photo courtesy Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)


 
Here’s the full schedule of girls WPIAL quarterfinal games to be played Thursday, October 27, with some capsules on each game.
Locations and times are listed below.
 

4A

No 1 Norwin (17-0-1) vs Upper St. Clair (11-5)  8 p.m. at Elizabeth Forward
Last year, these two teams played a pair of memorable games with high stakes.  Norwin beat USC in the WPIAL Championship game, while the Panthers exacted some revenge in the State (PIAA) playoffs, by ending an undefeated season with a 2-0 win.   Something tells me that the talented Norwin girls, who remain unbeaten have been looking forward to this match.   Both teams cruised to first-round wins as Norwin beat Penn Hills 9-0 while USC routed Butler, 6-1.  
No 3 Fox Chapel (14-5) vs Pine Richland (13-4-2) 8 p.m. at Mars
Duquesne recruit Deanna DeBaldo scored twice and Dixon Veltri added a goal to lead No. 4 Fox Chapel to a first-round win over North Hills.  Pine Richland pulled out a tough 2-1 win over Kiski as Becca Libby and Caroline Swan got the tallies for the Rams.  
No 5 Penn Trafford (15-3-1) vs Mt. Lebanon (9-7-2) vs  6 p.m. at Elizabeth Forward
Mt. Lebanon pulled off an impressive 3-2 win at Plum on Monday, and will look to knock off another second place team from a strong section in Penn-Trafford.  The Warriors scored an easy 6-0 win over Allderdice in the first round.
No. 2 Canon-McMillan (16-0-1) vs Seneca Valley (13-5-1)  8 p.m. at Moon
Hofstra recruit Sabrina Bryan scored twice and had two assists to lead Canon-Mac past Hempfield in the first round.  Seneca Valley needed a goal from Lauren Breski with 9 minutes left to help the Raiders edge past Peters on Monday to advance to the quartefinals.  

3A

No. 1 Moon (18-1) vs Thomas Jefferson (14-5)  8 p.m. at Canon McMillan
Moon cruised to a 6-0 win in the first round past Gateway, while No. 9 Thomas Jefferson edged past Belle Vernon as Lia Manning scored the game’s lone goal, and Bailey Keck secured the shutout.
No. 6 Montour (14-2-3) vs South Fayette (10-7-2)  6 p.m. at Moon
South Fayette pulled off an impressive upset on Monday, beating Oakland Catholic,  as Lexi Keeling and Brenna McGuire scored second-half goals to break a scoreless tie at the half.  No. 6 Montour beat Chartiers Valley, 2-0, to advance to the quarters.  
Mars (12-2-2) vs Ambridge (11-5-2)   8 p.m. at Hampton
The defending WPIAL champs, were pushed to the limit in the first round, as Tori Kopchack scored with 19 minutes remaining to vault No. 4 Mars overcame Central Valley.  Ambridge, a 12-seed, upset Franklin Regional as Brandie Nauman and Gretchen Oslick‘s goals were the difference on Monday.
South Park (15-1-3) vs Hampton (10-8-1)  6 p.m. at Canon-McMillan
No. 2 Eagles rolled in their first playoff game, beating Greensburg Salem 7-0, as Kylie Tranter scored three times, and Carly Pcholinsky, Haleigh Finale and Jordyn Minda.  Erin Herock scored midway through the second half on a rebound off a shot by Courtney Coholich, to help Hampton advance past Mt. Pleasant on Monday.  

2A

(note — top four seeds in 2A had first-round byes) 
Freedom (17-0) vs Avonworth (12-6-1)  6 p.m. at Mars
While undefeated Freedom earned the top seed, and a first-round bye, Avonworth went the distance on Monday and won in a penalty kick shootout against Derry.  The section rivals played twice in the regular season as Freedom won by scores of 5-1 and 2-0.
Freeport (13-3-1) vs Yough (11-6)  6 p.m. at Fox Chapel
From Tribune-Review:  With the highest seed in school history, Freeport looks to reverse its recent playoff fortunes. The Yellowjackets lost their postseason opener in each of the past three seasons. … Freeport’s last playoff victory came in 2008, a 15-0 preliminary-round victory over St. Joseph. … The Yellowjackets won their first section title since 2006, going 11-0-1 in Section 2-AA. They outscored their opponents 53-11 with 10 shutouts — including their past four games entering the playoffs. … Freeport uses a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen. Freshman Sidney Shemanski led the Yellowjackets in scoring. … Yough beat Quaker Valley, 2-0, in the first round. Sara Krofcheck and Justine Appolonia scored the goals. … The Cougars advanced to the WPIAL semifinals in 2014, eventually finishing fourth. … Appolonia, the freshman twin daughter of coach Dann Appolonia, is Yough’s leading scorer. The Cougars use a heavy amount of freshmen.
Highlands vs Valley   8 p.m. at Deer Lakes
From Tribune-Review…  This is the third meeting of the season between the Section 2-AA rivals. Highlands won the first match-up 4-2 before a 1-1 draw in the second contest. … In the playoffs for the first time in program history, Valley beat No. 5 Beaver, 3-1, in the first round. Heaven Butler, Alexa Sorch and Samantha Chambers scored for the Vikings. … The Vikings, 5-1-2 in their past eight games, can extend their historic season further with a win over Highlands. … Among the program records Valley set this season, the Vikings established a new mark for single-season victories. The previous high was five in 2013. … Highlands can make history of its own with a win, as the Golden Rams can advance to the semifinals for the first time in their history. … Highlands recorded its first playoff victory last season by knocking off Montour in the first round before falling 2-1 to South Park in the semifinals. … The Golden Rams finished behind No. 2 Freeport in Section 2-AA with a 9-1-2 record. They are 7-0-3 in their past 10 games, with the last loss coming to Freeport on Sept. 15. … A trio of college-committed seniors lead Highlands: forward Taylor Gunn (Slippery Rock) and midfielders Alexis Bengel (Pitt) and Jocelyn Gillette (Westminster).
Waynesburg vs Charleroi 8 p.m. at Peters Twp
Charleroi junior Kaitlyn Riley‘s tough-angle goal with 1 minute, 44 seconds remaining — less than two minutes after lifted the No. 11 Cougars to a 3-2 victory over Burrell on Monday, while Waynesburg won its first-ever WPIAL playoff game.   They will face a Waynesburg team that rolled through the regular season in winning Section 3 with an 11-1 conference record.  

1A

No. 1 Greensburg Central Catholic (17-1) vs Riverside  (9-4-2)   6 p.m. at Hampton
After dominating the competition in the regular season, GCC cruised to a 5-0 win over Sewickley Academy on Monday.  Notre Dame-bound WPIAL all-time leading scorer Bailey Cartwright added three goals and had two assists.  Riverside won its first-ever playoff game on Monday, beating Seton-LaSalle 2-0, with goals from Kelli Gaus and Abbi Fec 
No. 2 Bentworth (16-1) vs South Side Beaver  (11-7-1)  6 p.m. at Peters Twp
South Side Beaver were another team that notched its first-ever playoff win in the WPIAL playoffs, as Hanna Knox scored twice, and Sydney Statler added a goal to beat Mohawk 3-2.   Bentworth’s Rori Schrieber scored in the first minute for the only goal of the game in beating Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in the first-round.  
No. 4 Vincentian (13-2-2) vs OLSH (12-3)   6 p.m. at Deer Lakes
Liz Gorman scored twice and Rachel Phillips, Sam Potter and Lauren Donnelly added goals, as Vincentian had an easy 5-0 win over Riverview.   OLSH won it’s first playoff game in five seasons, beating Chartiers-Houston 2-0, as Francesca Taylor and Caroline Jones each scored.  
 
No 3 Shady Side Academy (13-3) vs Carlynton (12-4-2) 8 p.m. at Fox Chapel
SSA won’t have far to go, playing at Fox Chapel for the second straight round. The Indians rolled to an 8-0 win over Bishop Canevin in the first round.   Krystyna Rytel scored four goals.  Carlynton had to go to a penalty kick shootout on Monday to beat Serra Catholic.   

SEMIFINALS – Saturday, Oct. 29

3RD PLACE Games – Wednesday, Nov. 2

FINALS – Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-5 – Highmark Stadium

 
1st round (Round of 16) coverage in each classification including scores along with recaps/interviews from Yough-Quaker Valley and Mt. Lebanon/Plum, CLICK HERE.

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

Subscribe to PGH Soccer Now

Enter your email address to subscribe to PGH Soccer Now and receive notifications of new posts by email.

More in Highmark Stadium