Nov 2, 2024 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

PITTSBURGH — Peters Township girls soccer coach Pat Vereb doesn’t plan on moving Cailin Martin from her position at outside back, but if the sophomore keeps coming up with game-winning goals, the veteran coach may have to reconsider.

Martin scored the decisive goal in penalty kicks as the Indians won their third WPIAL championship in the Class 4A final Friday night against Seneca Valley at Highmark Stadium in Station Square.

The match was scoreless after regulation and two 15-minute overtime periods before Peters Township won on penalty kicks, 5-4.

The Indians shot last in penalties, and after the fourth attempt from the Raiders hit the crossbar, Martin’s low shot to the left beat Seneca Valley keeper Sydney Postler.

“I was so nervous on that PK,” Martin said. “I was so glad I made it. She is a great keeper, and I noticed she went right a lot. I usually go left, which really helped, but I just breathed, prayed and shot it. I always wanted to be a varsity starter, and I always wanted to play on this team, and I am so glad I am.”

Paige Malley, Marina Hajnosz, Camryn Klein and Fallan Malley scored for Peters Township in the shootout.

Cassidy Stopchick, Bella Gianfrancesco, Ashlee Libby and Karly Majeski found the back of the net for Seneca Valley.

The Indians (19-0-1) won WPIAL gold in 2010 and 2012, while the Raiders (14-3-2) won district titles in 2007, ’09, ’13, ’14 and ’18.

Vereb’s players weren’t on the team, but he remembers Seneca Valley’s last title, which was a 2-1 overtime victory over Peters Township.

“I think we’ve lost our last four shootouts, so it’s been a very nerve-wracking week preparing,” Vereb said. “We were 5-for-5, so we did well. We were awful Monday (in the WPIAL semifinals) and tonight we were pretty good, especially in the second half and overtime.”

By reaching the WPIAL final, both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs.

“We have to regroup and see what we can do in the state tournament,” Seneca Valley coach Mark Perry said. “We didn’t do anything different and they didn’t do anything different from when we played them on Aug. 28.

“It was a great game. We had chances and they had chances. We went to PKs, and it’s a flip of the coin when you get to that. I didn’t feel like we lost today. They just hit more penalty kicks than we did today.”

The Indians had three shots on target in the first half, including two from Julia Spergel. The Raiders had two shots on goal but Peters Township junior keeper and Cincinnati recruit Molly Kubistek was up to the task in stopping both chances.

Kubistek made a diving save on a header from Majeski with 32:10 left in the second half for the third of her four stops.

“It was one heck of a game, and definitely a team effort,” Kubistek said. “I am so glad these seniors can go out with a WPIAL championship. I think our defense and offense played great. My defense has been a huge help for me all year. It is definitely not all me. I really haven’t processed winning the WPIAL this year. I am almost speechless right now.”

The Indians had nine shots on goal, including six in the second half and overtime. Hajnosz and Spergel had three shots apiece that were on target. Peters Township had a 5-3 edge in corner kicks and maintained possession for 56 percent of the match.

“We were much better in the second half and overtime,” Vereb said. “I think we created five or six corner kicks.”

Postler made nine saves.