2021 WPIAL girls soccer preview: Rankings, contenders, players to watch
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Sunday, August 29, 2021 | 9:01 PM
WPIAL girls soccer preview
Class 4A
Defending champion: With Sarah Schupansky and others gone, two-time defending champ North Allegheny will be a different team. But the Tigers only lost six players to graduation. Lucia Wells and Anna Bundy will keep the Tigers in the mix.
Contenders: Peters Township looks to have the most talented lineup in the classification with three All-WPIAL players in Jill Marvin, Brooke Opferman and CeCe Scott. … Butler was the WPIAL runner-up and took North Allegheny to two overtimes in the final. Chloe Weiland returns for the Golden Tornado. … Moon had a very young lineup that took it to the semifinals. … Seneca Valley did not have a senior on its roster last season. Coach Mark Perry could have a contender.
Don’t sleep on: Led by new coach Diane Metzger, perennial contender Norwin brings back Paloma Swankler and Emma Rigone.
Class 3A
Defending champion: Mars ripped through another WPIAL season, running its unbeaten streak to 41 games. The two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champions’ streak dates to 2018. Replacing standout Ellie Coffield will be a challenge, but the Fightin Planets still have skilled players, including junior midfielder Leana Cuzzocrea.
Contenders: Runner-up Plum, the Section 3 champion, has some talent to replace, but brings back junior Kaitlyin Killinger. Last year’s roster was inundated with underclass girls. … West Allegheny was another semifinalist that has hopes of again contending. … Montour, another semifinal team as a No. 13 seed, only lost four seniors. … Sydney Lindeman and Sydney Kranick return to lead Franklin Regional, which returns nine starters. … Connellsville didn’t lose until the playoffs.
Don’t sleep on: Hampton. The Talbots won Section 1 and have senior Ava France and sophomore Madison Hurst to throw at opponents.
Class 2A
Defending champion: Another team looking for a three-peat is North Catholic, which held off Avonworth in a 1-0 nail-biter to repeat. The Trojanettes should continue to fill the net with senior Jayden Sharpless back. Senior defender Lindsay Pawlawski is another key returnee.
Contenders: Junior Ava Wirt powers Avonworth, which has to replace only four seniors it lost to graduation. … Juniors Olivia Cernuto and Kendall Fabery should have Southmoreland in the postseason conversation. The upstart Scotties made the quarterfinals last year. … South Park was the No. 1 seed but was upset by Yough. The Eagles posted 12 shutouts in 14 games. They bring back key seniors Ali Miklos and Maya Wertelet. … Junior Gabby Hill-Junke will look to ignite the offense for Shady Side Academy, which didn’t lose until the semifinals after moving up from Class A. … Brownsville standout Tessa Dellarose, a senior who had 33 goals last season, decided not to play for the high school team this season.
Don’t sleep on: Yough overachieved as a No. 9 seed, reaching the semifinals again. Junior McKenzie Pritts is a scoring threat from anywhere on the pitch.
Class A
Defending champion: Greensburg Central Catholic will continue to pack offensive punch with three top goal scorers back in seniors Tatum Gretz and Bethany Winnor, and junior Sara Felder. The Centurions, who scored in waves last season, also were the state runners-up.
Contenders: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart reached the WPIAL final as a No. 6 seed and can lean on experienced players in senior Kennedy Walsh and sophomore Alexa Taylor. … The team to beat could be Steel Valley, a section champion whose lone loss last season came against OLSH in the semifinals. Back for the Ironmen are key senior midfielders Soraya Gibbs and Kelsey Salopek. … Freedom features sisters Renae and Julia Mohrbacher, a senior and junior. … South Side made the semifinals as a No. 12 seed and was touched lightly by graduation.
Don’t sleep on: Bentworth has three All-WPIAL players returning — seniors Jasmine Manning and Maleena Rokicki and junior Reagan Schreiber.
Rankings
Class 4A
1. Peters Township (11-2-1)
2. North Allegheny (13-3)
3. Seneca Valley (8-4)
4. Moon (9-4-2)
5. Butler (11-2)
Class 3A
1. Mars (19-0)
2. Plum (16-1)
3. West Allegheny (11-4)
4. Franklin Regional (11-2-1)
5. Montour (10-7)
Class 2A
1. North Catholic (15-3-1)
2. Avonworth (14-2-1)
3. Southmoreland (13-2)
4. South Park (12-1-1)
5. Shady Side Academy (12-1)
Class A
1. Greensburg Central Catholic (18-1)
2. OLSH (12-3)
3. Steel Valley (14-1-1)
4. Freedom (12-3)
5. South Side (12-4)
Players to watch
Emily Bailey, Sr., South Side
Ashlyn Basinger, Jr., Waynesburg
Madeline Boulos, Sr., Deer Lakes
Ava Boyd, Jr., Pine-Richland
Olivia Cernuto, Jr., Southmoreland
Emma Check, Sr., Freeport
Alyssa Clutter, Sr., Trinity
Leana Cuzzocrea, Sr., Mars
Kendall Fabery, Jr., Southmoreland
Sara Felder, Jr., Greensburg Central Catholic
Ava France, Sr., Hampton
Soraya Gibbs, Sr., Steel Valley
Natalie Gilbert, Sr., Upper St. Clair
Elisa Gordon, Sr., Sewickley Academy
Tatum Gretz, Sr., Greensburg Central Catholic
Madison Hurst, So., Hampton
Gabby Hill-Junke, Sr., Shady Side Academy
Lilly Iadicicco, Sr., Springdale
Olivia Kamarec, Sr., Seneca Valley
Malia Kearns, Sr., Penn-Trafford
Kaitlyn Killinger, Jr., Plum
Sydney Kranick, Sr., Franklin Regional
Paige Kuisis, Jr., Seton LaSalle
Mary Lape, Sr., Connellsville
Jessica Molitoris, Sr., Montour
Sydney Lindeman, Sr., Franklin Regional
Jill Marvin, Sr., Peters Township
Ali Miklos, Sr., South Park
Julia Mohrbacher, Jr., Freedom
Renae Mohrbacher, Sr., Freedom
Brooke Opferman, Jr., Peters Township
Lindsay Pawlawski, Jr., North Catholic
McKenzie Pritts, Jr., Yough
Maleena Rokicki, Sr., Bentworth
Kelsey Salopek, Sr., Steel Valley
Reagan Schreiber, Jr., Bentworth
CeCe Scott, Sr., Peters Township
Jayden Sharpless, Sr., North Catholic
Ainsley Smith, Sr., Bishop Canevin
Paloma Swankler, Sr., Norwin
Alexa Taylor, So., OLSH
Kennedy Walsh, Sr., OLSH
Chloe Weiland, Sr., Butler
Lucia Wells, Jr., North Allegheny
Ava Wert, Sr., Avonworth
Maya Wertelet, Sr., South Park
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Avonworth, Bentworth, Brownsville, Butler, Connellsville, Franklin Regional, Freedom, Greensburg C.C., Hampton, Mars, Montour, Moon, North Allegheny, North Catholic, Norwin, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Peters Township, Plum, Seneca Valley, Shady Side Academy, South Park, South Side, Southmoreland, Steel Valley, West Allegheny, Yough
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