Westmoreland WPIAL soccer playoff capsules for Monday, Oct. 23, 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 4:53 PM

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Boys

Class 2A

First round

9-Mt. Pleasant (12-4) at 8-Keystone Oaks (11-5)

7 p.m. Monday, Dormont Stadium

Winner plays: Winner of 16-Yough (10-7-1)/1-South Park (18-0) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Luke Rivardo, Mt. Pleasant; Ayden Worstell, Keystone Oaks

Throw-ins: Mt. Pleasant has produced nine shutouts and allowed a Section 3-low five goals, 10 for the season. Rivardo is one of the top goal scorers in the classification. Aiden Johnson is another scoring threat for the Vikings. … Keystone Oaks, the runner-up to top-seeded South Park in Section 1, takes a six-game winning streak into the postseason.

16-Yough (10-7-1) at 1-South Park (18-0)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 9-Mt. Pleasant (12-4) at 8-Keystone Oaks (11-5) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Isaac Pacacha, Yough; Kaidan Fischer, South Park

Throw-ins: Yough enters the tournament with momentum. The Cougars closed the regular season with a quality 1-0 win over Serra Catholic, their third straight victory. Collin Barner has scored five times in the last three games. … A semifinalist last year, South Park is looking to break through and win its first WPIAL title since 2014 and fourth overall. Fischer and Jack Ozimek are the top scorers for the Eagles.

12-East Allegheny (11-4-1) at 5-Belle Vernon (14-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 13-McGuffey (12-6)/4-Avonworth (14-2-1) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Joe Connors, East Allegheny; Trevor Kovatch, Belle Vernon

Throw-ins: East Allegheny took third in Section 1 behind top-seeded South Park and Keystone Oaks. The Wildcats were the No. 7 seed last year and lost in the first round to Avonworth. … Belle Vernon won back-to-back sections. It was upset 1-0 in the first round last year by West Mifflin. Kovatch has a school-record 47 goals, second most in the WPIAL. Brandon Yeschenko is the set-up guy with 20 assists.

15-Jeannette (10-7-1) at 2-Quaker Valley (14-3)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 10-Elizabeth Forward (10-6-1)/7-Knoch (11-7) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Jordan Taylor, Jeannette; Nick Allan, Quaker Valley

Throw-ins: Jeannette made the playoffs for just the second time in program history. It has not won a game in the postseason. Taylor leads the WPIAL with 54 goals and has 159 for his career. … Quaker Valley tied Avonworth for the Section 4 title while leading the section with 89 goals. The Quakers ended the regular season with six straight victories, all by shutout.

Girls

Class 3A

First round

12-Penn-Trafford (11-6) at 5-South Fayette (10-4-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 13-Oakland Catholic (6-6-2)/4-Thomas Jefferson (16-1) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Rease Solomon, Penn-Trafford; Anna Fraps, South Fayette

Throw-ins: Penn-Trafford nearly pulled one of the biggest upsets in WPIAL history last year when it challenged Mars in the first round before dropping a 1-0 decision. Most of that Warriors team returns. Ten of their 11 wins are by shutout. … South Fayette caught everybody’s attention when it upset nationally ranked Moon earlier in the season. It later tied the Tigers, 1-1. The Lions only scored 34 goals but posted nine shutouts.

10-Franklin Regional (11-5-1) at 7-Montour (12-2-3)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 15-Kiski Area (7-9-2)/2-Plum (15-0-1) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Abby Paterline, Franklin Regional; Grace Bannon, Montour

Throw-ins: Franklin Regional prides itself on defense and tight games. Four of its five losses are by one goal. Aris Lamanna, a Coastal Carolina commit, is one of the top shot-stoppers in the WPIAL. Paterline is the leading goal scorer. … Montour, which tied Franklin Regional, 1-1, earlier in the season, also is terrific on defense. The Spartans have 10 shutouts, including four in a row.

11-West Allegheny (10-7) at 6-Latrobe (12-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 14-Connellsville (11-7)/3-Moon (12-1-2) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Chloe Hart, West Allegheny; Maddy Petruzzi, Latrobe

Throw-ins: West Allegheny pulled even at 6-6 to finish fourth in top-loaded Section 4, which houses Moon and Montour. The Indians, who only scored 16 goals in 12 section games, lost in the first round last year to Thomas Jefferson. … Latrobe is looking to follow up on a historic run to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA playoffs. The talented Wildcats are led by Regan and Robin Reilly, Maddy Petruzzi, Ava Yurko and others, all of whom bring postseason experience.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, East Allegheny, Franklin Regional, Jeannette, Keystone Oaks, Latrobe, Montour, Mt. Pleasant, Penn-Trafford, Quaker Valley, South Fayette, South Park, West Allegheny, Yough