A-K Valley girls soccer notebook: 8 teams pushing for section titles

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 | 4:47 PM

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Girls soccer teams in the Alle-Kiski Valley are surging as the WPIAL regular season passes the halfway point.

Eight teams either lead their section or are in second place. That group — Fox Chapel, Plum, Kiski Area, Freeport, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Riverview and Springdale — is a combined 56-9-1 overall and 39-5-1 in section matches.

Freeport and Burrell again are battling for the top spot in Section 2-2A, and rivals Riverview and Springdale are showing why they are among the class teams in Section 4-A.

Plum is undefeated and leading Section 4-3A. Kiski Area is playing well and looking forward to a section rematch with the Mustangs.

Dynamos highly ranked in Class A

Springdale (5-1-1, 4-0-1 Section 4-A) is No. 2 in the Trib’s Class A rankings behind Sewickley Academy.

The Dynamos, the defending WPIAL champion and state runner-up, tied Winchester Thurston, 1-1, in a rematch of last year’s WPIAL title game and then defeated Eden Christian in overtime before a convincing 5-1 win over Riverview in a matchup under the lights Sept. 11 at Riverside Park in Oakmont.

Freshman Adele Walters-Vrabel continued the strong start to her varsity career with a pair of goals against the Raiders, and senior Hailey Marchlewski and sophomores Tessa Derringer and Kaitlyn Shock also scored.

“I think that was the best we’ve played all season,” Springdale coach Marc Bentley said. “The student sections were in full voice, and we knew it would be a tough game. But we handled it really well.”

Walters-Vrabel has a team-best eight goal through seven games.

“Losing a lot of goals from last season, the question was where would the goals come from, and we found that with Adele,” Bentley said. “Seeing her in junior high and then in offseason workouts, we knew she had what it took to make an impact for us.”

Another freshman, Shelby DiPalma, scored twice to lead Springdale in a 6-1 win over Greensburg Central Catholic on Sept. 17. The Dynamos hope to keep it going Wednesday at home against Apollo-Ridge.

Riverview (6-1, 5-1 Section 4-A) has won two in a row since the loss to Springdale, and it hopes to make it three straight as it hosts the Ellis School at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday at Riverside Park.

The Raiders own a key 2-1 overtime win over Winchester Thurston from Sept. 8, and they rolled past GCC, 8-0, on Monday behind a hat trick and two assists from junior Mary Quinlan, two goals from junior Hannah Hudack and a goal each from freshman Mia Murphy and juniors Juliette Brun and Catie Hoolahan.

Brun and sophomore Maddy Martino combined for the shutout.

Yellowjackets and Bucs battle

Freeport (8-1, 5-0 Section 2-2A) topped Burrell for a fifth straight time Sept. 15. The Yellowjackets got goals in the 3-1 win from junior Cam Woods, senior Nia DiSanti and sophomore Cece Schlegel, while freshman Peyton Coury scored for the Bucs (6-2-1, 4-1).

The goal against Burrell was only the fourth given up this year by the Freeport defense and senior keeper Alyssa Alcorn. The Yellowjackets have scored 48 goals over nine games.

Burrell and Freeport will have their rematch Oct. 6, but each team has business to tend to before then.

Freeport hosts Shady Side Academy on Wednesday in a rematch of a 3-2 Yellowjackets overtime victory Sept. 3.

Burrell, which roared past Springdale, 7-0, on Saturday on single tallies from juniors McKenna Miller, Makiah Buchak, Katie Koehler, and Leah Waldsmith; sophomores Parker Moore and Allie McMahon, and freshman Chase Coury, hosts Valley on Wednesday evening.

The Bucs blanked Shady Side Academy, 4-0, last week as Buchak, Miller, Waldsmitih and sophomore Kinlee Moore registered goals.

Plum remains unbeaten

Plum built its impressive season resume and again stated its case for a spot in the Trib rankings with Monday’s 2-0 win over section rival Franklin Regional that completed a season sweep of the Panthers.

The Mustangs, who improved to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in Section 4, have allowed only two goals this season and have scored 40 times. Seniors Gianna Revetta and Olivia Bigger scored in Monday’s win, and the defense and senior Malayna Smith pitched the shutout, their sixth in a row.

Plum has won 34 straight section games, and it will go for 35 Wednesday at Elizabeth Forward. One of the two goals against Mustangs so far came against EF on Aug. 27. But the Mustangs countered with a pair of goals from junior Emily Grubuch, and additional tallies from junior Brenna McLaughlin and senior Allison Porter.

McKee and Foxes soaring again

Fox Chapel (9-1, 6-0 Section 1-3A) is No. 2 this week in the Trib Class 3A rankings, and its opponent in last year’s Class 3A title game, South Fayette (7-1-1, 5-0 in Section 3-3A), is No. 1.

The Foxes’ only loss came against North Allegheny, a 1-0 nonsection game Sept. 5, and they have won five in a row since then. They hope to make it six straight Wednesday at Penn Hills.

Junior Emily McKee scored a hat trick before halftime in Monday’s section matchup with Shaler as Fox Chapel rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Neither team scored in the second half of the 3-2 final.

McKee scored both goals in a 2-1 overtime win over Hampton. She owns three hat tricks and leads the Foxes with 21 goals through 10 games.

Lancers rolling to playoff spot

Deer Lakes is well on its way to a third consecutive trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

The Lancers, who host Yough on Wednesday in a rematch of a 1-0 win Sept. 3, are 9-1 overall and 4-1 in Section 4-2A.

They have won four games in a row by a combined 26-2 since a 2-1 home loss to section leader Mt. Pleasant on Sept. 8. That included a 2-1 win over District 10 power Ft. LeBoeuf at home Sept. 13.

Deer Lakes has not played since a 4-0 win over section foe Southmoreland last Wednesday behind goals from juniors Tessa Hollibaugh and Aby Kushon, sophomore Kaylea Detar, and senior Bri Simonetti.

It was the sixth shutout of the season for the defense and senior keeper Mikayla Potter.

The Lancers travel to Mt. Pleasant on Monday.

Cavaliers keeping pace in section play

Kiski Area, 5-3 overall and 5-2 in Section 4-3A, bounced back from a 3-0 loss to Plum with consecutive road section shutouts: 5-0 over Indiana last week and 7-0 over Greensburg Salem on Monday.

Six Cavaliers players scored goals in the win over the Golden Lions with sophomore Ellie Arnold leading the way with two. Sophomore Hannah Keibler, senior Tessa Shaffer, junior Addison Buffone, and seniors Addison Bell and Val Klingensmith each scored in the victory.

Kiski Area will get a chance to avenge its only other section loss, 4-0 to Franklin Regional, when the teams meet Wednesday at Kiski’s Richard Dilts Stadium.

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.