Norwin Repeats With Win Over Canon-Mac for Girls 4-A Crown

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 5, 2016 | 9:35 PM

For the second straight year, the Norwin Knights are WPIAL champions.

In 2015, it was in Class AAA. One year and a realignment later and the Knights now are Class 4A champs.

The top-seeded Knights dominated the No. 2 seed Big Macs in a game played at Highmark Stadium.

Norwin (20-0-1) started the scoring at the 27:50 mark of the first half when Emily Harrigan, a Rutgers recruit, got behind the defense off a feed from Alyssa Victor and beat Canon McMillan goalkeeper Megan Virgin.

Canon-McMillan had a chance to even the score just 3:17 later after being awarded a penalty kick. However, Samantha Wexell made a diving save on the shot from Aideen O’Donoghue, another Rutgers recruit. It was a play Harrigan felt gave her team another jolt of momentum.

O’Donoghue did have another great scoring chance in the first half as Wexell came out of the net to play the ball, but ODonoghue pushed the ball wide of an open cage.

Harrigan did her thing again in the second half, notching another goal at 38:42. The junior forward found the back of the net after a nifty pass from Kelley Kingerski. Kingerski was in the Norwin starting lineup as Megan Chervenick was sidelined due to a concussion.

Harrigan played the role of playmaker 3:25 later setting up Lexie Kolano with a pass that Kolano converted into Norwin’s third goal of the game. The goal by Kolano snapped a streak of five straight Norwin goals in the postseason tallied by Harrigan.

The shutout was averted when Addy Roman scored for Canon-McMillan with 3:57 left in the game. It was the only goal allowed by Norwin in the entire WPIAL tournament. The Knights outscored their foes 16-1 in the WPIAL playoffs.

Canon-McMillan (18-1-1) played the game without Sabrina Bryan, one of its top forwards, who has a knee injury that will keep her out for the rest of the season.

Both teams advance to the PIAA playoffs.

Norwin will take on Fox Chapel, the third qualifier out of the WPIAL. Norwin defeated Fox Chapel in the WPIAL semifinals 1-0.

Canon-McMillan  :  0 – 1 = 1
Norwin  :  1 – 2 = 3

First half scoring

N – Emily Harrigan……27:50

Second half scoring 

N –   Harrigan…..38.42

N – Lexie Kolano…..35:17

CM – Addy Roman….3:57

Tags: Canon-McMillan