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The WPIAL Girls Soccer Semifinals delivered everything high school postseason soccer is famous for: walk-off extra-time golden goals, penalty shootout nail-biters, heroic returns from injury, and fierce section rematches locked in for district gold.
As all eight finalists prepare to take the pitch at F.N.B. Stadium from Thursday through Saturday, here are the 10 biggest takeaways and lessons learned from two unforgettable nights of girls semifinal action across Western PA.
1. Miley Gratton and Mars Capitalize on One Blink in Extra Time (Class 3A)
In a grueling semifinal where regulation ended in a 0-0 stalemate, No. 4 Mars and top-seeded Penn-Trafford engaged in a high-intensity defensive battle. But in overtime, one momentary miscue changed everything.
Penn-Trafford turned the ball over on a goal kick 6:30 into extra time, and Mars sophomore forward Miley Gratton pounced on the opportunity, sending a left-footed strike past the keeper to secure a 1-0 golden-goal victory. The win marks Mars’ 13th shutout of the season and sends the Fightin’ Planets back to the WPIAL Final for the first time since 2022.
2. Shaler’s Historic Turnaround Reaches the WPIAL Final in PKs (Class 3A)
After ending a playoff drought that spanned four decades, No. 2 seed Shaler’s fairy-tale season under first-year head coach Carlo Prati reached a new high on Tuesday night. Trailing No. 6 Plum 1-0 just two minutes into the match, junior defender Lilly Trgovic provided the second-half equalizer.
After surviving a Plum penalty kick that hit the crossbar in overtime, Shaler outlasted the Mustangs 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout. Trgovic—taking her first penalty kick ever—converted in the opening slot, while keeper Liv Ryan made the crucial fourth-round stop to seal Shaler’s first WPIAL final appearance in modern program history.
3. Elena Jenkins Returns to Spark Freeport’s Offense (Class 2A)
Freeport junior forward Elena Jenkins missed the first 18 games of the season recovering from a preseason broken collarbone. Entering Monday’s semifinal against No. 3 Avonworth midway through the first half, Jenkins scored on her very first shot on goal to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead.
Her spark proved infectious: Freeport exploded for five second-half goals—including a brace from Maggie Conger and a three-assist night from CeCe Schlegel—to turn a tight 2-1 match into a 6-1 blowout, keeping their title defense alive.
4. Burrell Fends Off Undefeated South Park for 3rd Straight Final (Class 2A)
Top-seeded South Park came into Monday having conceded just three total goals across 20 undefeated games. But No. 4 Burrell brought championship veteran experience, striking twice off corner kicks in the first half via Eva Wilson and Parker Moore before adding two more in the second to earn a 4-2 victory.
Despite a valiant two-goal effort from South Park freshman Eden Very, Burrell punched their ticket to their third consecutive WPIAL final under head coach Frank Nesko.
5. Section 2 Rivals Prepare for Chapter Nine (Class 2A Final)
Freeport and Burrell meeting in the finals sets up an incredible local derby. This Thursday at 6:00 PM will mark the ninth meeting between the Section 2 foes over the past three seasons.
It is also a direct rematch of the 2025 WPIAL Class 2A Championship match at F.N.B. Stadium, which Freeport won 1-0 on a game-winning goal by none other than Elena Jenkins.
6. Kieran Shannon’s 2OT Golden Goal Sends NA back to 4A Final (Class 4A)
Defending Class 4A champion North Allegheny survived a grueling 108-minute war against No. 2 Peters Township on Monday night. Trailing early, NA equalized before sophomore Kieran Shannon volleyed home a cross from Addison Vrabel with less than three minutes left in the second overtime period to secure a 2-1 golden-goal victory.
North Allegheny now advances to face top-seeded Mt. Lebanon in Saturday’s 4A final.
7. Mt. Lebanon Denies Fox Chapel’s Multi-Class Double (Class 4A)
Top-seeded Mt. Lebanon halted Fox Chapel’s bid to win back-to-back WPIAL titles across different classifications with a 2-1 victory on Monday.
Savannah Peer opened the scoring for Lebo, and after Fox Chapel star Emily McKee tied it, Ava Silva headed home the game-winner off a 67th-minute corner kick to punch the Blue Devils’ ticket to F.N.B. Stadium.
8. Claire Karsman’s Hat Trick Gets Payback for Sewickley Academy (Class 1A)
In a rematch of the 2025 Class 1A final, top-seeded Sewickley Academy fell behind 1-0 early to defending champion Bentworth on a Brielle Dillon header.
However, Sewickley senior star Claire Karsman took complete control of the match, netting a hat trick (plus an assist) to propel the Panthers to a 4-1 victory. Sewickley exacted postseason revenge for last year’s title loss and returns to the WPIAL final for the second straight year.
9. Kimi Smuckler’s Brace Powers Winchester Thurston to 1A Final (Class 1A)
No. 2 seed Winchester Thurston rode the hot foot of sophomore Kimi Smuckler, who scored on both sides of halftime to lift the Bears to a 2-1 victory over a resilient Riverview team.
Smuckler’s second-half strike stood up against a furious late Riverview rally, setting up an all-Section 1A championship clash against Sewickley Academy on Friday night at 6:00 PM.
10. State Play-In & Consolation Matches Set for Wednesday & Thursday
While eight teams celebrate their championship berths, the postseason journey isn’t over for the semifinal runners-up. State tournament berths in the PIAA bracket are still up for grabs:
- Wednesday, Nov. 4:
- PIAA Class 4A Districts 6-8-10 Regional Semifinal: Altoona vs. Allderdice (5:00 PM @ Cupples Stadium)
- WPIAL Class 2A Third-Place Consolation: Avonworth at South Park (6:00 PM @ South Park HS)
- Thursday, Nov. 5:
- WPIAL Class 3A Third-Place Consolation: Penn-Trafford vs. Plum (Time/Site TBA)
- WPIAL Class 1A Third-Place Consolation: Bentworth vs. Riverview (Time/Site TBA)
🏆 Official WPIAL Girls Championship Slate (F.N.B. Stadium)
- 🏆 Class 2A: #4 Burrell vs. #2 Freeport — Thursday, Nov. 5 @ 6:00 PM
- 🏆 Class 1A: #1 Sewickley Academy vs. #2 Winchester Thurston — Friday, Nov. 6 @ 6:00 PM
- 🏆 Class 4A: #1 Mt. Lebanon vs. #3 North Allegheny — Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 1:15 PM
- 🏆 Class 3A: #4 Mars vs. #2 Shaler — Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 3:30 PM
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