WPIAL Girls Soccer Class 3A and 2A Semifinal Round Scoreboard (11/1/2022)

It’s down to the Final Four in the WPIAL Girls Soccer playoffs.

On Tuesday, both Class 3A and Class 2A will see who makes it to Highmark Stadium for the championship games.

Avonworth wins playoff game vs North Catholic by a score of 2-1. 🅰️⚽️

Back to Highmark!!!

Goals@FionaCMahan @c_sweeney28 @TribLiveHSSN @pghsoccernow @AvonworthA

— Avonworth Girls Soccer (@AGSLopes) November 2, 2022

@_MLTS_ advances to the WPIAL final over @plumladystangss 3-0.

— Kaitlyn Moe Rosensteel Scholarship Foundation (@MoeRosensteel) November 2, 2022

Riley Gesinski with the OT goal and the Lady Vikes are Highmark bound!

— Mount Pleasant Girls Soccer (@mpagirlssoccer) November 2, 2022

These girls have worked tirelessly all season. They put in the work and do whatever is asked of them and then some. Now we are getting to see that hard work pay off. With an overtime goal by Riley Gesinski off a Bugosh corner we are headed to the WPIAL finals for the first time pic.twitter.com/PRRdPBjmG9

— Mount Pleasant Girls Soccer (@mpagirlssoccer) November 2, 2022

Update from the soccer pitch 1-0 lead for @NCGSoccer goal by Simone Sharpless @NorthCatholicAD @pghsoccernow @TribLiveHSSN

— North Catholic High School (@NCForeverTrue) November 2, 2022

WPIAL 3A Girls semi-final result; Mars (1) over Latrobe (5), 4-2.

Second game starting soon: Moon (2) v Plum (3).@pghsoccernow @JohnKrysinsky pic.twitter.com/8JQthDsTef

— Soccer Rabbi in #Houndtahn (@soccer_rabbi) November 1, 2022

With tonight’s 4-1 win over Greater Latrobe, we’re headed to Highmark for the WPIAL FINALS!

Ainsley Ray 1G
Piper Coffield 1G
Lily Wolf 1G
Eden Gerlach 1G
Gwen Howell 1A
Rosie Pellegrino 1A
Maddie Wolf 1A
Reese Dunaway 1A pic.twitter.com/OxrnxHeL8G

— Mars Girls Soccer (@marsgirlssoccer) November 2, 2022

Final score from Gateway!

Mars » 4
Latrobe » 1

Mars returns to Highmark Stadium searching for their fourth straight WPIAL 3A crown! 🏆 #WPIALSoccer ⚽️ @pghsoccernow@TribLiveHSSN @PGSportsNow

— Coach Conner (@CoachCH14) November 1, 2022

 

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WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER: CLASS 3A & CLASS 2A PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Class 3A

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Semifinal Round

FINAL:  Mars 4, Latrobe 1 

FINAL:  Moon 3, Plum 0 

Saturday, November 5, 2022 — Championship Game at Highmark Stadium

1:15 p.m.   #1 Mars vs #2 Moon

 

Class 2A

FINAL:  Mt. Pleasant 1, South Park 0

FINAL:   Avonworth 2, North Catholic 1 

Saturday, November 5, 2022 — Championship Game at Highmark Stadium

11 a.m.    #2 Mt. Pleasant vs #5 Avonworth

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3A Preview/Game Notes

While almost everyone had penciled in Moon and Mars to meet in the Championship Game at Highmark Stadium, there are a few interesting things to note heading into the semifinal round. Both No. 1 Mars (who haven’t lost since 2019), and No. 2 Moon, who won Class 4A WPIAL/PIAA titles last year, had to deal with some tough quarterfinal matches on Saturday, but both pulled through, despite opponents doing everything to stymie their dangerous attackers.  Now, Mars will have the challenge of taking on a very talented Latrobe side that is making the most of its deepest run in WPIAL soccer history as they’ve also stepped down in Classification after the off season realignment.  The difference with Latrobe, might be they might have the attacking talent to match Mars, and this could be a fun and more open-ended match than we might expect.

For Mars, the Road to a Return to Highmark will have to go through Gateway High School, where they’ll have to play a Plum program that has lost to the Planets in three straight WPIAL finals.  Will this finally be the year for Plum to score the upset?  Why not?  After all, Plum does have Kaitlyn Killinger and a very strong defensive side.

2A Preview/Game Notes

Here we go again!  North Catholic and Avonworth played four times in 2021, they played three times in 2020, meeting in the WPIAL Finals both of those years and also met in the PIAA semifinal round last year.  Even though Avonworth has returned many players from last year’s championship squad, this season the Trojans have had the upper hand, winning both matches to take the section crown.  It was last year at Highmark Stadium when Avonworth finally broke through with a dramatic extra time game winner by Fiona Mahon that gave the ‘Lopes their first-ever district title in girls soccer.

South Park and Mt. Pleasant are two section winners who have already faced each other once this season, with Mt. Pleasant taking the win.  What a great season it’s been for Mt. Pleasant, who are led by Head Coach Rich Garland.  The Vikings last won a section title in 2016, but this year they dominated their section and have looked impressive in the playoffs, most recently beating Freeport, 4-0, thanks to goals Marissa Garn (2) and from sisters Morgan Gesinski and Riley Gesinski.  South Park took down section rival Shady Side Academy, in the rubber match between the two, with an impressive 5-0 win.  South Park girls program has an impressive legacy, winning five WPIAL girls soccer titles and section titles (or part of section title) in every one of the last 26 years. The Eagles scoring punch comes from seniors Amara Battista and Cassondra O’Connor, but they have a number of underclassman who have stepped up this season, including a trio of midfielders down the middle, with Emily Mehelcic and Tori Latona at center back and Brooke Paylo in the midfield.