Sasko Classic returns at Belle Vernon to kick off soccer season

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, September 2, 2021 | 4:19 PM

You know the WPIAL soccer season is here again when the name Paul Sasko appears on schedules.

The Paul Sasko Kickoff Classic is back at Belle Vernon after it was canceled last season.

The pandemic tightened the early part of the WPIAL schedule and organizers could not find a place for the annual tournament.

The event will be Saturday and Sunday on the golden turf at James Weir Stadium.

The annual Labor Day weekend classic began in 2005 but was later named after Sasko, the longtime Belle Vernon girls soccer coach who died in 2017. Known as “Coach Paul,” Sasko was a staple in the Mon-Valley soccer community.

There will be 14 games over two days, junior varsity and varsity. Boys teams include Belle Vernon, Allderdice, Gateway and McKeesport, while girls participants are Belle Vernon, Hempfield, Kiski Area and Baldwin.

Sasko Soccer Tournament this weekend!!!! pic.twitter.com/bT10ysFohn

— BVASD Athletic Department (@BvasdAthletics) September 2, 2021

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon