WPIAL Boys Soccer Semifinal Previews: Class 3A & Class 1A Monday showdowns

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The road to F.N.B. Stadium heats up on Monday night (Nov. 2) as the WPIAL boys soccer semifinals kick off with a high-stakes double-header in Class 3A at Thomas Jefferson Stadium and a thrilling 1A twin-bill at Peters Township MS.

With PIAA state tournament qualification and WPIAL gold on the line, Pittsburgh Soccer Now connected with coaches from the two top seeds, Plum’s Raf Kolankowski and Bentworth’s Nick Malarbi, for their insights on their respective teams’ chances heading into Championship Week as we break down the matchups!

📌 Match Preview Capsules (Monday, Nov. 2)

Boys Class 3A Semifinals — At Thomas Jefferson Stadium

• #1 Plum vs. #4 Trinity — 6:00 PM

  • The Breakdown: Top-seeded Plum (18-0-1) completed a grueling three-game season sweep of section rival Hampton in the quarterfinals behind a brace from Hudson Strasser and a clean sheet from Chase Eber. Raf Kolankowski’s Mustangs have looked every bit the part of a championship favorite since dropping down from Class 4A, leaning heavily on a stingy, organized defensive framework. Standing in their way is a gritty Trinity squad that edged Chartiers Valley 1-0 in extra time behind an Evan Slagle goal and a shutout by Joel Young.

  • Coach’s Corner & Podcast Insights: Plum has been knocking on the WPIAL championship door for years, reaching the final four for only the second time in Raf Kolankowski’s nearly decade-long tenure (and seeking their first WPIAL title in over 20 years). Reflecting on the program’s journey, Kolankowski emphasized the deep community roots: “You know, we’ve had years… where kids want to come to games, and I think high school kids inspire the younger generation to get into soccer and continue playing. Plum Youth Soccer does a fantastic job… and it makes it easier for me and for the girls’ coaches. Every time you guys take a step further in these tournaments in the WPIAL and the PIAA, it means a lot for this community.”   (Click here, or on your favorite podcast platform, to listen to full podcast interview with Kolankowski) 

  • Tactical Outlook: When asked about his coaching philosophy, Kolankowski prefers a 1-0 clean sheet over a chaotic 5-4 shootout, noting: “If it’s a 5-4 shootout, that means our defense is having some joint issues, and we put a lot of effort into trying to be organized and be good defensively.” Expect Plum to lean on that discipline against a physical Trinity side under the lights at Thomas Jefferson. Trinity captured the Section 2 title with a 7–1–2 section record (23 points) and a 10–1–5 overall record, edging out section rivals like Thomas Jefferson and Ringgold.

• #2 Franklin Regional vs. #3 West Allegheny — 8:00 PM

  • The Breakdown: A heavyweight clash of titans. West Allegheny punched its ticket with a 2-0 clean sheet over Central Valley, powered by a two-goal performance from Jonah Luffe. Meanwhile, Franklin Regional handled business behind a stifling posture and timely scoring. Expect a tactical, fiercely contested battle in the midfield with a trip to F.N.B. Stadium on the line.

  • Here you have a team that has not lost against 3A competition this year against the defending champs in the classification, who came out of nowhere last year as a lower seed to win the District title.  Franklin Regional’s run of form is pretty impressive.  Only loss came to 4A top seed, Norwin, 1-0. That was at the start of the season. Since then they’re unbeaten.  West Allegheny’s run of form is very good too — with its last loss coming to section rival, Central Valley, back in early September. They avenged that loss in the quarterfinal round and are proving to be very tough to score against, surrending one goal in the last six matches.

Boys Class 1A Semifinals — At Peters Township MS

• #1 Bentworth vs. #5 Springdale — 6:00 PM

  • The Breakdown: Defending champion Bentworth (17-1) survived a quarterfinal scare, falling into a 2-0 hole before rallying to defeat No. 9 Freedom 3-2 in overtime behind Adam Moessner’s heroics. They now face a dangerous Springdale side (13-5-2) that edged Beaver County Christian 1-0 on an Alex Wylly strike.

  • Can the reigning champs defend their throne, or will the Dynamos pull off the monumental upset?  Head Coach Nick Malarbi provided Pittsburgh Soccer Now with some of this thoughts on escaping a tough challenge from Freedom and what lies ahead:”Freedom provided a great test for us and a way to make sure we are honest with ourselves,” Malarbi shared. “Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in all the success.  That was the first time we trailed since my first year as head coach for that long in a match.  It was a feeling we haven’t had in a while but a feeling nonetheless we needed.  We dropped one match to EF earlier in the year which gave us a gut check.  Springdale has a 50+ career goal scorer and physical athlete in (Alex) Wylly up top and will prove to be a test. Their number 10, does very well on the ball for them as well.  Springdale took down BCC (Beaver County Christian) which i know is well organized and coached and moves the ball well. These final four teams are competing for a chance for WPIAL title / trophies and PIAA playoff births.  Nothing will be taken lightly as we prepare for Monday.”

• • It’s clear that Bentworth has to be ready unlike previous years, they will continue to be challenged in each step before reaching the Final.   Springdale is well-coached and with a dangerous striker, they are more than capable of ending Bentworth’s bid to win its fourth straight WPIAL title.

• #2 Winchester Thurston vs. #3 OLSH — 8:00 PM

  • The Breakdown: This is a really good match-up! Before Bentworth came along, Winchester Thurston had a nice run of their own winning multiple WPIAL titles.  Last week, the Bears advanced past Eden Christian 1-0, while OLSH rolled past Riverview 5-2 behind two goals and an assist from Hunter Smith. This semifinal promises top-tier talent and serves as a true litmus test for two programs fully capable of capturing district gold..

🗓️ WPIAL PLAYOFF SCHEDULES & MATCHUPS

Monday, November 2

Boys Class 3A Semifinals (At Thomas Jefferson Stadium)

• #1 Plum vs. #4 Trinity — 6:00 PM
• #2 Franklin Regional vs. #3 West Allegheny — 8:00 PM

Boys Class 1A Semifinals (At Peters Township MS)

• #1 Bentworth vs. #5 Springdale — 6:00 PM

• #2 Winchester Thurston vs. #3 OLSH — 8:00 PM

Thursday – Saturday, November 5-7

Class 3A Final  (date/time TBA)

#1 Plum vs. #4 Trinity WINNER vs #2 Franklin Regional vs. #3 West Allegheny WINNER

Class 1A Final  (date/time TBA)

#1 Bentworth vs. #5 Springdale WINNER vs #2 Winchester Thurston vs. #3 OLSH WINNER

📊 Updated WPIAL Playoff Brackets

⚽ BOYS BRACKETS

• Class 4A Bracket Top-seeded Norwin advances to face North Allegheny, while #2 Seneca Valley meets #6 Fox Chapel in the lower bracket.

• Class 3A Bracket Semifinals feature #1 Plum vs. #4 Trinity (Monday, Nov. 2 at Thomas Jefferson Stadium, 8:00 PM) and #2 Franklin Regional vs. #3 West Allegheny (Monday, Nov. 2 at Thomas Jefferson Stadium, 6:00 PM).

• Class 2A Bracket: The ultimate Cinderella bracket! No. 13 Ambridge takes on No. 9 Quaker Valley, and No. 3 North Catholic battles No. 10 Belle Vernon.

• Class 1A Bracket: Defending champion Bentworth faces #5 Springdale, while #2 Winchester Thurston squares off against #3 OLSH on Monday, Nov. 2 (6:00 PM & 8:00 PM at Peters Township MS).

⚽ GIRLS BRACKETS

• Class 4A Girls Bracket: Mt. Lebanon vs. Fox Chapel and Peters Township vs. North Allegheny face off on Monday night at Chartiers Valley.

• Class 3A Girls Bracket: Penn-Trafford battles Mars, and Shaler takes on Plum on Tuesday night at Fox Chapel.

• Class 2A Girls Bracket: Unbeaten South Park meets Burrell, and Freeport locks horns with Avonworth on Monday night at Fox Chapel.

• Class 1A Girls Bracket: Sewickley Academy clashes with Bentworth, and Winchester Thurston meets Riverview on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now