No. 2 Riverview survives test from shorthanded Greensburg Central Catholic

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, September 23, 2024 | 10:13 PM

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Greensburg Central Catholic only had 11 players for most of the night, but that didn’t stop the Centurions from pushing No. 2-ranked Riverview to the limit in their latest Section 4-A girls soccer matchup.

After a scoreless first half, the visiting Raiders had to rally a couple of times to finally get past No. 5 GCC, 3-2, on Monday night in Carbon for a section sweep.

“The girls came in a little tight and hesitant. They knew it was going to be tough,” Raiders coach Sean Abraham said. “It was a physical battle.”

Riverview (7-1, 6-1), whose only loss is to No. 1 Springdale, got two goals from Mary Quinlan and the go-ahead score from Cailey Trosch to hand shorthanded GCC (1-4, 1-4) its third straight loss.

Riverview beat GCC in the season opener, 3-0.

The Centurions played arguably their best game of the season in the rematch, nearly reaching an equal 80 minutes with the returning WPIAL runners-up.

“It was an exciting game,” GCC coach Derek Cuthbert said. “It had drama, and it was physical. Our girls’ heads were never down. You can’t fault either team for how they played tonight.”

GCC scored the first goal in the 47th minute on a solid strike from Riley Kerr.

But the Raiders answered two minutes later on Quinlan’s first goal of the night.

“We had to focus tonight,” Quinlan said. “The first goal was the most important one. We were a little bit off at first, but we have that will to win.”

Quinlan converted again, this time on a 24-yard shot that bounced twice before creeping past Ava Fiser and hitting the back of the net in the 54th minute.

“That gave us a spark,” Abraham said. “But we had to keep moving and working.”

The 2-1 lead was fleeting.

Less than a minute later, GCC scored off a corner kick from Addie Vacanti, who overcame some early back pain to finish the game.

The ball was sent far post, headed by Kerr and kicked into the air. As it came down, Raiders’ keeper Chiara Brun tried to bat it out, but the ball got behind her and crossed the line to make it 2-2.

Tied again. Sienna Voetsch (?) For Greensburg Central Catholic off the corner. Ball slips past the keeper.

It's 2-2, 25:28.@RaiderSports10 @GCC_Centurions @TribLiveHSSN #wpialsoccer @RGSRaiders pic.twitter.com/pl29jG7uy1

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) September 24, 2024

“Our girls still believed they could win,” Cuthbert said. “It was about winning very little moment, whether it was a tackle, a pass, whatever. We turned it over too much.”

While a set piece tied it, the Raiders took the lead for good in the run of play.

Hannah Hudack sent a perfect cross from 25 yards to a cutting Trosch, who leaned in and knocked the ball into the cage with her chest.

Cailey Trosch with the chest-bump goal for Riverview.

Raiders take a 3-2 lead at 19:49.@RaiderSports10 @GCC_Centurions @TribLiveHSSN #wpialsoccer @RGSRaiders pic.twitter.com/dQFFDqPa1n

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) September 24, 2024

“It was nice to connect there,” Abraham said. “We weren’t connecting like we normally do.”

GCC remained aggressive but could not force another equalizer.

Fisher had four saves, and Jayla Peterson added one for GCC.

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

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Riverview