WPIAL soccer title eludes Canon-McMillan
Not again.
When Canon-McMillan High School’s girls soccer team finished second in the WPIAL two years ago following a 1-0 loss to Seneca Valley, the pain was sharp, the disappointment overwhelming and the desire to overcome it all consuming.
The opportunity for flushing that match from the emotions of the team’s collective memory presented itself on a cool Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
Because of Emily Harrington, a junior forward, the Big Macs had to relive the disappointment of two years ago. Harrington scored two goals and had an assist to propel the Norwin Knights to a 3-1 victory in the WPIAL Class 4-A championship match.
The win moved Norwin’s record to 20-0-1 and sent the Knights against the WPIAL’s third-place team, Fox Chapel, which defeated Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, in the consolation match Wednesday.
Canon-McMillan, which fell to 18-1-1, enters the PIAA playoffs Tuesday against District 10 champion Erie McDowell at a site and time to be determined.
“We worked all week on putting pressure on our defenders in practice because we knew Canon-McMillan had really strong forwards,” said Norwin head coach Lauren Karcher. “Our girls came out and had fire from the get-go. They showed they were ready to go.”
Harrington scored on a breakaway just 13 minutes into the match and beat C-M goalkeeper Megan Virgin. The 1-0 lead stood through halftime but 1:30 into the second half, Harrington struck again. She sent a low shot to the left side of the net to make it 2-0.
Just three minutes later, Harrington – on a rush from the right side – sent a cross that found a wide-open Lexi Kolano. The senior forward put a high shot past a diving Virgin into the middle of the net for an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
“(Harrington and Kolano) are extremely talented,” said C-M head coach Dave Derrico said. “They put us under a lot of pressure. They are very skilled and play well. But I didn’t think they were anything special. I don’t think they play as well together as it looks like they do. But they are very talented. Their foot skills are outstanding.”
Both teams were missing a key starter. Senior forward Sabrina Bryan, one of the top scorers on the team, suffered a bruised knee in the Big Macs’ 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Seneca Valley. Norwin was missing senior midfielder Megan Chervenick, who had a concussion.
“At first, we didn’t know the extent of Sabrina’s injury and it’s not a bad injury, but the doctor wouldn’t release her,” said Derrico. “She gets re-evaluated this week. We lost a really skilled, fast forward, who would have caused (Norwin) to pay more attention in the back. She would have given us more (attackers) to pressure their defense.”
Bryan’s loss was probably felt most on a penalty kick 16 minutes in the match. Aideen O’Donoghue filled in for Bryan, who would have normally taken the shot. O’Donoghue sent a low liner ticketed for the right corner but junior goalie Samantha Wexell made an outstanding diving stop to keep the match at 1-0.
“That save was huge,” Derrico said. “We needed to make that. Normally, Sabrina is our penalty-kick taker and we had to deputize someone else.”
O’Donoghue said she might have overthought the shot.
“I usually go right but then I was thinking of changing it and going left,” said O’Donoghue. “She made a phenomenal save.”
Four minutes later, sophomore forward Addie Roman sent a shot on goal from 10 yards and Wexell gave up the rebound while falling to the ground. O’Donoghue, trailing the play, gathered the ball and sent it wide left past an open net.
Roman put the Big Macs on the board with 3:57 to go on a nice shot to the left side of the next, catching Wexell flat-footed. It was the first goal allowed by Norwin in this postseason.