Riverview girls soccer caps season in WPIAL quarterfinals

By: Michael Love
Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

With one WPIAL Class A playoff victory under its belt, the Riverview girls soccer team hoped for more when it tangled with No. 2 Seton-La Salle in a quarterfinal contest Oct. 26 at Dormont Stadium.

Raiders coach Sean Abraham said his team was ready for the challenge, but in the end, the Rebels were too much to overcome and eliminated Riverview, 4-0.

“Seton was a really good team,” Abraham said. “They were solid across the board. We had been battling some injuries, so not everybody was at 100%. But that is not to take anything away from Seton. They came in and executed their plan.

“It wasn’t the outcome we ultimately wanted. We started out the season strong and playing well before injuries got us. But these girls battled and were able to get to the quarterfinals. I told them I was really proud of them. It was a great season.”

Riverview, which tied Winchester Thurston for second place behind Springdale in Section 4, finished the season 12-4 overall.

Springdale and Winchester Thurston were able to survive and advance to play each other in the WPIAL title game Oct. 31 at Highmark Stadium.

It was a better result for the Raiders in their first-round contest at Waynesburg Central.

The teams played to a scoreless tie until about 15 minutes left in regulation when sophomore Hannah Hudack scored off an assist from senior Molly Morrissey.

That was the difference in what turned out to be a 1-0 final. Senior goalkeeper Chiara Brun helped the Riverview defense keep a clean sheet. It was the team’s eighth shutout of the season.

“The girls played well,” Abraham said. “It was a good matchup for them. They stuck to the game plan. We had a feeling (the goal) was coming. Hannah received that pass from Molly, cut inside and let it rip.”

The playoff loss to Seton-La Salle marked the end to the high school careers for six seniors: Morrissey, along with Kat Tsambis, Chiara Brun, Lily Hood, Cailey Trosch and Lyla Flanick. As freshmen in 2021, they helped form the foundation for the team in its return to competition after a one-year hiatus because of low numbers at the varsity level.

“(The seniors) were emotionally upset (after the loss to Seton-La Salle) because they thought we could go further,” Abraham said. “They wanted to go further. But it is part of the game. They were disappointed because it was the last game of their high school careers, but they will eventually be able to look back and see all they accomplished these past four years.

“They believed in the program and wanted to help it come back strong. They all stuck together and helped get us to where we are today with two straight trips to the playoffs and hopefully more to come.”

The team also will say farewell to junior midfielder/forward Alix Delsault, an exchange student from Belgium and a cousin of Juliette and Chiara Brun who was able to produce strong results in her only season with the Raiders.

She tallied eight goals, tied for second on the team with Trosch and junior Isabel Chaparro, and added five assists.

“Alix was a strong addition to the girls we had there already,” Abraham said. “It worked out really well.”

Sophomore midfielder/forward Mary Quinlan, who finished with a team-best 10 goals, is one of a number of key players who will be back next year to form the team’s nucleus.

Hudack, also a midfielder/forward, was right there among the team scoring leaders with seven goals.

Others able to come back next year are sophomores Catie Hoolahan, Juliette Brun and Emma Battaline; and freshmen Anastasia Underwood and Madelyn Martino.

“It is still fresh in their minds that they are no longer playing this season, but they do know what the future holds,” Abraham said. “There are also some players coming up from the junior high team who will be good additions.

“We want to build on the positive things we accomplished this year, including getting into the playoffs again. We’re now looking to move forward and come back strong next year.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Riverview