Connect with us

Uncategorized

PREVIEW: WPIAL 4A Finals Rematches Highlight Sat's #PIAA Q-Finals

sewickley-boys-ii

Sewickely Academy Boys will be traveling to Somerset to take on Windber (photo courtesy Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) 


 
The Road To Hershey continues for all of the remaining WPIAL boys and girls soccer teams on Saturday, as the line-up of games will include a few rematches from games already played in the district playoffs.
This includes both Boys (North Allegheny/Seneca Valley) and Girls (Norwin/Canon McMillan) 4A WPIAL Finals contestants meeting in a double-header at Mars.  Another rematch will include the Boys 1A showdown between Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (CWNC) and Seton-LaSalle at North Allegheny.
Here’s the full schedule of quarterfinal games.   I will be at North Allegheny, covering the Greensburg Central Catholic-Vincentian (Girls) and CWNC-Seton (Boys) matches.
 
CLICK HERE to access the PIAA Soccer Championships Brackets for all Boys and Girls Classifications or click the links below for each individual bracket .

BOYS QUARTERFINALS 

*indicates WPIAL Champion 

4A

*North Allegheny vs Seneca Valley – at Mars   3 p.m.
This will be the fourth meeting between these two section rivals this year.  North Allegheny has been on quite a run through the playoffs — winning its last three games on the foot of Sean Atwater‘s golden goal heroics.  That’s right — three straight games in OT — the Tigers’ junior midfielder has made game winning shots from distance, including beating Seneca in the WPIAL finals last Thursday.   Like last year, Seneca will have a chance for redemption, when they beat the WPIAL champs Canon-Mac in the PIAA quarterfinals to make a run to Hershey.  Both teams needed OT wins in the 1st round, as Seneca got a goal from its speedy forward Matt Happ with only 2 minutes remaining in the 2nd overtime to beat State College.  Of course, Atwater scored his GW for the third straight game in beating another section rival, Pine-Richland.

3A

*Chartiers Valley vs Erie Cathedral Prep – at Slippery Rock – 4 p.m.
WPIAL champs Char Valley had no problem with Somerset in the first round, with a 4-0 win thanks to Josh DiMatteo‘s two goals, for their 13th straight win.  They will take on what will a tough challenge from a Cathedral Prep team that blitzed Montour  for a 7-2 win.
Mars vs Lower Dauphin – at Holidaysburg – 4 p.m.
After a tough WPIAL finals loss to Chartiers Valley, Mars bounced back on Austin Rocke‘s goal with 5 minutes, 30 seconds remaining for a2-1 victory over Hollidaysburg in the first round Tuesday night at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona.

2A

Beaver vs Shady Side Academy – at Seneca Valley – 4 p.m.
This will be the first match between these two WPIAL teams this year. Shady Side bounced back from its finals loss to Quaker Valley by traveling to Erie for a 1-0 win over Mercyhurst Prep.  Beaver beat Everett 3-1, for its second straight win after losing in the WPIAL semifinals.
*Quaker Valley vs Karns City – at New Castle – 2 p.m.

 1A

Sewickley Academy vs Windber  – at Somerset – 4 p.m.
Seton-LaSalle vs Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic – at North Allegheny  4 p.m.
Freshman standout scored four goals to lead CWNC to a commanding 7-0 win over Iriquois in the first round, while Seton-LaSalle, will get a chance to avenge its WPIAL semifinal loss to CWNC, as they advanced on Tuesday with a Darryl Daniels‘ goal that was the difference in beating Port Allegheny 1-0.

GIRLS QUARTERFINALS 

4A

kolano

Norwin’s Lexi Kolano (courtesy Pgh Tribune-Review) 


Norwin vs Canon-McMillan – at Mars H.S.  1 p.m.
Last week, at Highmark Stadium, we thought this could be a match that would go down to the wire, with two of the top teams in the WPIAL.
After getting an early Emily Harrigan goal, and then a penalty kick save by Sam Wexell on newly announced Pitt commit Aideen O’Donoghue, the unbeaten Knights swiftly put the Big Macs away early in the 2nd half with two goals in a five minute span that were enough to give Norwin its second straight WPIAL title.
The Knights are eager to get an elusive PIAA crown, but a strong Canon-Mac squad will be eager to bounce back from its only loss of the season to the Knights.  This should be even better than the first time these two teams played.

3A

Montour vs Villa Maria  – at Slippery Rock  2 p.m.
Montour keeper Maura Hickey was outstanding again in the 1st round, picking up a shut-out win, as the Spartans bounced back from a close, 1-0 loss in the WPIAL Final to section rivals Moon, by beating Holidaysburg 3-0.
Moon vs Manheim Central – at Somerset  2 p.m.
Moon continues to roll — with a 5-0 win in the first round over DuBois.  Emily Orr, Delaney Snyder, McKenzie Sheldon, Abby McEnroe and Sarah Collins all scored in the romp.
2A 
Freeport vs Hickory – at New Castle  4 p.m.
While 2A WPIAL Champs Freedom were upset in the first round, Freeport advanced to remain the only WPIAL team in Girls 2A still in contention for PIAA title.   Sidney Shemanski‘s header off a Olivia Gaspersic‘s corner found the back of the net with 5:59 remaining, giving Freeport a 2-1 victory over Karns City on Tuesday.

1A

Greensburg Central Catholic vs Vincentian – at North Allegheny  2 p.m.
After getting shut-out in the WPIAL finals by Shady Side Academy, GCC rebounded in a big way in Tuesday’s first round, with a 7-0 win over Windber.  Notre Dame recruit Bailey Cartwright notched two goals to lead GCC and give the Notre Dame recruit 62 for the season and a WPIAL record 228 for her high school career.  The Royals secured a 4-0 win over Brockway in the first round as Lauren Donnelly scored a hat-trick to set up this all-WPIAL match-up that will be played at North Allegheny.
Shady Side Academy vs Wilmingtown – at Seneca Valley  2 p.m.

Sophia McMahon scored three goals and Alicia McMahon secured the shutout as WPIAL champion Shady Side Academy (17-3) won a PIAA Class A first-round game at Hampton over Dubios Central Catholic.

 

1ST RD SCOREBOARD

Boys

4A

  • North Allegheny 2   Pine-Richland 1
  • Seneca Valley  1  Holidaysburg 0  2OT

3A

  • Cathedral Prep 7  Montour 2
  • Chartiers Valley  4  Somerset 0
  • Mars 2  Holidaysburg 1

2A

  • Quaker Valley 7 vs Bald Eagle Area 0
  • Beaver 3 vs Everett
  • Shady Side Academy 1 vs Mercyhurst Prep 0

 1A

  • Seton-LaSalle 1  Port Allegheny 0
  • Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6 vs Iriquois 0
  • Sewickley Academy 3 vs Brockway 2

 
Girls

4A

  • Norwin 1  Fox Chapel 0 
  • Canon-McMillan 2 Erie McDowell 1

3A

  • Villa Maria  1   South Park 0
  • Montour 3  Holidaysburg
  • Moon 5  Dubois 0

2A 

  • Mercyhurst Prep 1   Freedom 0
  • Freeport 2  vs Karns City 1

1A

  • Greensburg Central Catholic 7   Windber  0
  • Vincentian 4   Brockway
  • Shady Side Academy 6   Dubois 0

 
 

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 Uncategorized