The quarterfinal round of the WPIAL boys soccer playoffs delivered maximum chaos, bracket-busting upsets, penalty-kick drama, and stellar extra-time thrillers.
Quarterfinal Scoreboards:
Wednesday Class 3A and Class 1A
Thursday Class 4A and Class 1A
With PIAA state tournament berths officially clinched in Class 2A and the final four set across the board, here are 10 Things We Learned from the boys quarterfinals!
1. Norwin Survives USC Scare via Penalty-Kick Redemption
Top-seeded Norwin (16-0-1) found itself locked in a gritty, slowed-down battle against a pesky Upper St. Clair squad that found ways to battle all year long in tight contests. After a 1-1 defensive stalemate through regulation and overtime—highlighted by Tyler Lebau and Reed Hoyle making six saves apiece—the Knights exorcised the demons of last year’s quarterfinal PK exit. Goalkeeper Reed Hoyle made two massive saves, and Logan Plichta drilled the game-sealing penalty as Norwin prevailed 2-1 (4-2 PKs).
PSN Take: Overall, it was a rough night for Class 4A Section 2 as the South Hills representatives—USC, along with higher seeds Mt. Lebanon (No. 4) and Peters Township (No. 3)—all bowed out.
2. The Class 2A Bracket is Officially Busted
Talk about absolute chaos in Class 2A! In a bracket that started with 20 teams — we’re certainly getting it.
No. 13 Ambridge (15-4-2) continued its miraculous postseason run with a 2-1 upset over No. 12 South Park behind goals from Aaron Scheib and Owen Hammond. Meanwhile, No. 9 Quaker Valley stunned top-seeded Avonworth 1-0 in double overtime on a sensational 19-yard free kick by Charlie Pyle.
That sets up an improbable 9 vs. 13 semifinal showdown ensuring a lower-seeded Cinderella will play for WPIAL gold.
3. Belle Vernon Stuns Defending Champion Deer Lakes in Extra Time
No. 10 Belle Vernon (16-1-2) proved they were vastly under-seeded after a phenomenal regular season. Charging right at defending champion Deer Lakes and never letting up, the Leopards pulled off a 2-1 overtime shocker. Chris Showman planted a high, brilliant free-kick past goalie Callen Sabow five minutes into extra time.
Coach’s Take: “Whenever the seedings came out, we were really disappointed, and we felt disrespected having one loss all season,” Belle Vernon coach Tyler Caterino told the Tribune-Review.
“Now we’re stepping up in a big way, proving we’re much better than that.” With the win, Belle Vernon secures an automatic PIAA state playoff berth and advances to face the highest remaining seed, No. 3 North Catholic.
4. Fox Chapel’s Championship Pedigree Shines Over Peters Township
Erik Ingram’s postseason-tested Fox Chapel squad (12-4) added another chapter to its storied resume, going on the road to knock off No. 3 Peters Township 2-1 in overtime. Paulie Fitzsimmons delivered the golden winner.
What’s Next: The Foxes now renew acquaintances with No. 2 Seneca Valley in the semifinals. This will be their fifth meeting in the last two seasons—and a rematch of last year’s thrilling WPIAL 4A Final that went down to PKs!
5. North Catholic Takes Advantage as 2A Heavyweights Fall
With Avonworth and Deer Lakes eliminated, the door is wide open in Class 2A. No. 3 North Catholic (17-1-2) made a definitive statement with a 3-0 clean sheet against No. 6 Shady Side Academy. Jake Olkowski netted a brace and Logan Mueser posted the shutout.
Coach’s Perspective: Shady Side Academy head coach Ed Ellsworth shared post-match: “North Catholic were the dominant side in the 1st half. We were all over them in the 2nd. We had to push in the last five and it got away from us.” It marked the first time all year SSA failed to score, leaving a very talented, veteran North Catholic core poised to seize the 2A crown.
6. Bentworth Boys Pushed to the Absolute Brink by Freedom
Defending 1A champion Bentworth (17-1) looked vulnerable early, falling into a hole against No. 9 Freedom.
But championship mettle prevailed in a thriller reminiscent of last year’s epic final. Adam Moessner rescued the Bearcats by tying the match with 11 minutes left in regulation before netting the dramatic overtime winner to survive 3-2 and advance to face Springdale.
7. Plum’s Kolankowski Brothers-in-Arms Complete the Season Sweep
It is notoriously difficult to beat a section rival three times in one season, but Raf Kolankowski’s top-seeded Plum (18-0-1) did just that in Class 3A.
Hudson Strasser scored both goals and Chase Eber recorded the shutout as the Mustangs blanked No. 9 Hampton 2-0, moving on to a semifinal matchup with Trinity.
8. Seneca Valley Fends Off Pine-Richland in Section 3 Battle
In a physical, high-stakes battle between Section 3 heavyweights, No. 2 Seneca Valley (15-1) relied on the brilliance of Zach White, who netted both goals to power the Raiders past a resilient Pine-Richland side (9-6-3) directed by Jordan Wiegand. Seneca Valley now marches on to face Fox Chapel.
9. North Allegheny’s Defense Cages Mt. Lebanon
No. 5 North Allegheny (11-3-3) put on a defensive masterclass in Class 4A, blanking No. 4 Mt. Lebanon 3-0 on the road. Goals from Josh Tufts, Vik Vaders, and Francis Randiga, combined with a clean sheet by Jaxon Cowger, vaulted the Tigers into a semifinal showdown with top-seeded Norwin.
10. City League Spotlight: Carrick & Obama Academy Make PIAA Waves
Stepping outside the traditional WPIAL brackets, City League representation is making massive noise!
Carrick captured a 1-0 PIAA District 5-8 Class 2A subregional win over Bedford behind an Ethan Emery game-winner and a shutout by Kaleb Morgan. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Obama Academy defeated Brashear 1-0 to advance to the 3A Subregional Final.
What’s Next:
Carrick moves on to the Subregional Finals where they will battle the District 9 champion. The District 9 Class 2A final features Brookville taking on Redbank Valley.
Obama Academy will advance to the Subregional Championship game to face the District 9 top seed, DuBois. DuBois earned their way into this slot by playing Clearfield for the D9 title.
WPIAL Boys Soccer Semifinal Round Schedule
Monday, November 2
BOYS 3A
Sites and Times TBA
- #4 Trinity vs #1 Plum
- #2 Franklin Regional vs #3 West Allegheny
BOYS 1A
Sites and Times TBA
- 5 Springdale vs #1 Bentworth
- #3 OLSH vs #2 Winchester Thurston
Tuesday, November 3
BOYS 4A
Sites and Times TBA
- #1 Norwin vs #5 North Allegheny
- #2 Seneca Valley vs #6 Fox Chapel
BOYS 1A
Sites and Times TBA
- #3 North Catholic vs #10 Belle Vernon
- #13 Ambridge vs #9 Quaker Valley
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