North Allegheny boys soccer holds head high after semifinal loss

By: John Grupp
Saturday, November 9, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The North Allegheny boys soccer team’s 2024 season started with a loss and ended with heartbreak, but everything in between was exceptional.

“The regular season historically was very good,” coach Manuel Montero said. “It was phenomenal.”

The season, which opened with a disappointing loss to Wheeling Park (W.Va.) and concluded with a 2-1 WPIAL semifinal loss to top-seeded Plum, would include a 16-4-1 record, a share of the Section 3-4A title, the Tigers’ first sweep of rival Seneca Valley in 22 years and a pair of playoff victories.

“We talked about how it sucks to lose,” senior defender Caleb Rumberger said of the loss to Plum, “but we had a good season overall.”

Two years after failing to reach the playoffs in Montero’s first season, the senior-heavy Tigers topped Central Catholic, 2-1, and rival North Hills, 1-0, in the opening two rounds to move within striking range of a return trip to the WPIAL Class 4A title game. But Plum broke a 1-1 tie early in the second half and held off the No. 4-seeded Tigers.

“I was proud of them,” Montero said. “Everything they’ve accomplished the last two years, the personal growth, the life lessons. I told them, ‘I am proud of you guys. If you are going to lose, this is exactly how you lose — with your head up and the opponent needing to give their all to beat you guys.’ “

It was the final game for a 12-man senior class that had reached the WPIAL finals as juniors — losing to Norwin on penalty kicks — before this season’s near-miss. The Tigers lost four games all season, each by a single goal.

“We didn’t play our best game against Plum,” Montero said. “But it was 100% us. We had about six corner opportunities and we only came up with one goal. They had four and they came up with two goals. There’s your game.”

After stumbling against Wheeling Park, 2-1, in the opener, North Allegheny went 13-1-1 with nine shutouts in its next 15 games. The Tigers beat rivals Seneca Valley and Fox Chapel in a three-day span in mid-September on their way to an 8-2 section mark that earned them a share of the crown with Fox Chapel. When the Tigers edged host Seneca Valley, 1-0, on Oct. 8, it completed their first outright season sweep of the Raiders since 2002. North Allegheny had been 7-29-6 in the past 21 seasons against Seneca Valley.

Senior midfielder Nathan Katari (10 goals) and senior forward Zach Nash (7 goals) were recognized with all-WPIAL Class 4A honors, and Katari was one of 13 WPIAL players to be named all-state.

Joining Katari, Nash and Rumberger as senior starters were midfielder Mykola Denysenko, who tied for the team-lead with 10 goals; forward Noah Hutter (5 goals), defenders Lucas Henderson and Ryan Eck, and goalkeeper Ryan Young, who excelled in net in his first season as a varsity starter.

Other contributing seniors were midfielder Will Love, defender Ben Hickel and reserve goalies Emiliano Perin and Ryan Dyga.

“This senior class is special,” Montero said. “They bought in 100%. My first year they were sophomores, and they saw the seniors. That was the year we missed playoffs, but things were starting to click. That group worked really, really hard. They carried that the last couple of years.”

The underclassmen also played a big part. In the pivotal 1-0 win over Seneca Valley, junior midfielder Kevin Chen scored off an assist from junior defender Justin Stalter in the 67th minute for the game’s lone goal. Another junior, midfielder Leonardo Yu, scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Fox Chapel, the eventual WPIAL Class 4A champion, on Sept. 19.

Many of the seniors have played together since seventh grade, making the WPIAL semifinal loss so difficult. A victory would have clinched a berth in the state playoffs.

“It sucked knowing that I won’t see some of those guys until graduation,” said Rumberger, who will play at Pitt-Greensburg. “It is definitely something I’m going to miss.”

Montero said the business-like approach after the two WPIAL playoff victories — there was little celebrating with bigger prizes ahead — showed the focus of the program.

“This is what we are expected to do,” he said. “My standards are to challenge for the WPIAL final and the state playoffs. If we don’t meet that, at least in my book, it’s a bad season. For everybody else, it’s, ‘Hey, you guys had a great season.’ Yeah, we did. But once you set higher standards and you’re not making the WPIAL finals, that’s not meeting our standard.”

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