Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon to battle on the pitch
By virtue of their one-goal victories in the first round of the playoffs, Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon (12-4-2) will meet for the third time in girls’ soccer. Only this time the stakes are higher. When the teams battle at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Baldwin, a Final Four berth in the WPIAL Class AAA tournament will be on the line.
“Whether it is USC for the third time this year or it would have been a new opponent, we will approach this game the same way,” said Lebo head coach Cara Senger. “We are excited for the opportunity to play in the quarterfinals.”
USC, likewise, is thrilled but they know the task ahead is a challenge. In claiming the Section 5-AAA championship, the Lady Panthers posted a 10-0 record that included two shutout victories, 3-0 and 2-0, against the Lebo ladies.
“We know them well,” conceded USC skipper David Gray. “Both times we played them the games were very close. No matter who wins it will come down to who makes the least errors.
“While we take whoever we get, it is very, very difficult to play a team three times. Lebo is tough. They have very, very good players like Laura Pryor. We expect them to come ready to play.”
The Lebo ladies certainly were prepared to play North Allegheny. In the first round of the playoffs, the Blue Devils toppled the tournament’s No. 6 seed, 3-2. Sierra Christian scored a first-half goal while Pryor racked up two tallies in the second half. Emma Cusick collected two assists while Leah Graf dished up one.
“The coaching staff was very proud of the effort,” said Senger. “The girls have been looking to improve with each game they play and their ability to go out and win showed a lot of pride and passion.”
For the first five minutes of play, USC displayed similar pride and passion and they racked up all the goals they needed to beat the Cavaliers, 2-1. Melody Vissman and Emma Hasco accounted for the scores. Maddy Rocks assisted both tallies.
The Panthers have gutted out a successful season. They are 14-1-1 overall with their lone loss to Peters Township and the tie to Canon-McMillan, both of whom remain in the playoffs.
USC has succeeded with five freshmen in the line-up: Vissman and Landy Mertz up front, Mia Snyder and Reilly Ford on defense and Nikki Gibbons in the nets. Rocks and Hasco, both seniors, have provided a settling influence in the middle.
“The freshmen have not been phased. They are exciting to be around,” Gray said. “It’s a good mix. Great chemistry on this team,” he added. “The kids know their roles and they play within themselves.”
Despite breaking her left wrist two weeks ago and switching from a wide midfielder to a center-mid, Rocks has played within the parameters of the attack. “She has been unbelievable. Fantastic,” Gray added. “She’s done an exceptional job and accepted her role. She’s a handful for teams.”
Hasco, likewise, is a test for opponents. The senior is committed to Penn State. According to Gray, she is the best player, boy or girl, he has coached.
“Emma is the big dog in the middle of the field. Without a doubt, she is the most complete player in the WPIAL. She can attack. She can play defense. She is tactfully and technically strong. She’s a wonderful leader. And best of all she is a great person. She makes a big difference.”
Thomas leads C-M
Allie Thomas made all the difference for Canon-McMillan in its first-round playoff game. She rattled off four goals and dished up two assists as the Lady Macs dispatched Hempfield, 7-0.
Sabrina Bryan registered two tallies while Madison Whipple was credited with the other goal. Ashlyn Whiplle, Riley O’Korn and Addie Roman also collected assists in the win.
Megan Virgin earned the shutout in the nets against the Spartans, who finished 9-7-2 overall.
With the win, the Lady Macs improved to 17-0-1 overall and moved on to face Fox Chapel in the quarterfinals. That game is set for 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Chartiers Valley. The Foxes are a tall order for the Lady Macs. They are the Section 3 champions. In compiling a 17-2-0 record, they have outscored the opposition, 112-11. Fox Chapel edged Penn-Trafford, 2-1, in its playoff opener.
“We’re going to go hard against any team that stands in our way of winning that WPIAL championship,” proclaimed Thomas. “We feel like we have something to prove. We deserved it last year and we deserve it this year.”
PT blanks P-R
Finishing runner-up to Canon-McMillan in Section 4-AAA and posting a 14-4 record, Peters Township may have deserved a higher seed in the tournament but the Lady Indians made quick work of Pine-Richland, 2-0, in the playoffs.
While Riley McGlumphy stopped six shots, Maggie Simon and Mia Toscano recorded the goals. Madeline LaVigna registered an assist.
In the quarterfinals, Peters Township takes on Seneca Valley at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Canon-McMillan. The Raiders are the defending WPIAL champions. Ranked No. 4 in the tournament, they are 15-3-0 overall after edging Oakland Catholic, 1-0, in the first round of the playoffs.
SF wins, 5-0
Thanks to a 5-0 victory against Freeport (10-8-1), South Fayette advanced to a quarterfinal showdown against Mount Pleasant (14-2-2) set for 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at Canon-McMillan.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” said SF head coach Wayne Capra. “Freeport had a number of chances but we played lights out in the back.”
On defense, Kate Nelson, Sarah Rofosco and Carli Chiatto excelled. “Our defense is our strength,” Capra said. “I’m pleased with the way my girls played. Defenders never get the credit that forwards and mid(fielders) do.”
While Natalie Caraway recorded the shutout in the nets, Brenna McGuire (3), Rachel Weis (2) and Rachel Helbling accounted for the goals for the Lions, who improved to 13-4-2 overall.