South Hills notes: Brentwood soccer players earn all-section honors

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 16, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Notebook items from around the South Hills:

• The Brentwood boys soccer team ended its season with a 4-2 win against South Side Beaver on senior recognition night.

Four seniors were honored — midfielder Ryan Kelly, defender Mason Woods, goalkeeper Dylan Brown and midfielder Rihn Irvin.

Kelly was a four-year starter for the Spartans who accounted for 11 goals and 11 assists. He was a first-team and honorable-mention all-section selection the past two seasons.

“Ryan was one of the most skilled players we've had in recent years,” coach Ron DiNardo said.

Woods was a two-year starter on defense who had two goals this season.

“Mason was one of the team leaders on defense,” DiNardo said.

Brown moved from defense to goalkeeper this season. He finished with a 10-6 record, 115 saves and 2.25 goals-against average.

“Dylan's true position was as a defender, but he started in goal for me this season,” DiNardo said. “He put the team ahead of himself.”

• Four members of the Brentwood boys soccer team were named all-section.

Kelly and junior defender Dominic Dudiak were first-team selections.

Shashak Gurung, a sophomore forward, and Biren Biswa, a junior midfielder, received honorable-mention plaudits.

• Thomas Jefferson's Morgan Yurkovich, a 5-foot-8 senior setter, was an All-WPIAL selection in Class AAA for the second year in a row.

Three TJ netters were named first-team all-section — Yurkovich, senior Makayla Falk (outside hitter) and junior Sydney Moran (libero).

Three other girls were second-team all-section selections — junior Julia Micklo (defensive specialist), and sophomores Tanner Patrick (outside hitter) and Tyler Turk (middle hitter).

Yurkovich, a four-year letter winner and Pitt-Johnstown recruit, and Falk also earned all-section accolades last year.

Yurkovich was voted 2017 homecoming queen at TJ.

• Seton LaSalle's Mofoluke Obiri and Kaylee Russman were lauded as All-WPIAL selections in Class A girls soccer.

Obiri, a senior forward, and Russman, a senior goalkeeper, also were voted all-section, as were four of their teammates — junior defenders Vanessa Peretin and Sarah Farnan, and junior midfielder Emma Hoffman.

“Vanessa made all-section, but I think she was looked over for any other awards,” coach Brooke Mangis said. “She played phenomenally all year but really stepped it up in the playoffs. I feel she deserved to make All-WPIAL, but no defenders made it from Single A.”

• Baldwin senior Hanna Kalwarski signed a letter of intent last week with West Liberty, where she will continue her gymnastics and track and field careers.

Kalwarski is a fourth-year gymnast and a pole vault specialist. She plans to study to be a physician's assistant.

• Seton LaSalle senior running back Lionel Deanes ended his career with a school-record 5,280 yards on the ground and 56 touchdowns.

The 5-7, 185-pound Deanes, nicknamed “The Train,” rambled for 2,112 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.

• Student-athletes from more than 100 high schools in Western Pennsylvania attended the recent WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit held at Sen. John Heinz History Center and Sports Museum.

Baldwin was represented by seniors Alina Stahl (soccer, track), Taylor Dadig (softball), Carly Santillo (softball) and Gehrig Hutchison (wrestling).

Former Steeler Will Allen and State Sen. Jay Costa were guest speakers. Several students also talked about the importance of sportsmanship.

• Kayla Polakovic, a senior defender, was named team MVP and Dalaney Ranallo, a sophomore midfielder, was selected coaches MVP in the Thomas Jefferson girls soccer program this season.

• Seton LaSalle junior outside hitter Jenni Pitts landed first-team All-WPIAL honors this year in Class AA.

Ray Fischer is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin, Brentwood, Thomas Jefferson