A-K Valley girls soccer playoff capsules: Games for Monday, Oct. 21, 2019

By: Michael Love
Sunday, October 20, 2019 | 5:20 PM

Monday’s games

Girls soccer

First round

Class AAAA

9-Fox Chapel (9-7-1) at 8-Upper St. Clair (11-5)

8:15 p.m. Monday at Upper St. Clair

Winner plays: 1-Norwin on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Peter Torres, Fox Chapel; Dave Gray, Upper St. Clair

Players to Watch: Lucy Ream, Jr., M/F, Fox Chapel; Marissa Krenn, Sr., D, Upper St. Clair

Corner kicks: Fox Chapel finished tied with Pine-Richland for fourth place (6-6) in Section 1. Foxes capped regular season with 6-0 win over Seton La Salle. Ream leads the team in goals, and Blair Echnat and Emma Wecht also are scoring threats. Fox Chapel returns to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. … Upper St. Clair owns the record for most WPIAL girls team titles with eight. The Panthers last won a WPIAL title in 2011. They finished third in Section 2 this year behind No. 2 Peters Township and No. 4 Moon. Krenn, a Fordham recruit, anchors the back line. USC handed Peters Township its only loss, 2-1 on Sept. 7.

Class AAA

15-Gateway (8-9-1) at 2-Plum (14-1-1)

8 p.m. Monday at Plum

Winner plays: Winner of 7-Hampton (11-5-1)/10-Elizabeth Forward (8-7)

Coaches: Kelly Bender, Gateway; Jamie Stewart, Plum

Players to Watch: Maddy Neundorfer, Sr., GK, Gateway; Kaitlyn Killinger, Fr., M/F, Plum

Corner kicks: Gateway finished tied for fourth with Franklin Regional in Section 1 and qualified on the final day of section play with a win over the Panthers. Neundorfer is a Duquesne commit. Sophomore forward Addy Green leads the team with seven goals. The Gators are in the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. … Plum finished as the co-champion of Section 3 with Oakland Catholic at 11-1. The Mustangs enter the playoffs riding a 12-game unbeaten streak (11-0-1). They tied Hampton 1-1 in the regular-season finale. Plum qualified for the playoffs for the eighth year in a row. Killinger leads the Mustangs with 16 goals and nine assists. … The game is a rematch of an early-season contest won by Plum, 2-1.

Class AAA

11-Ringgold (8-10) at 6-Kiski Area (12-4)

8 p.m. Monday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: Winner of 3-West Allegheny (13-2)/14-Franklin Regional (8-8) Thursday in quarterfinals.

Coaches: Olivia Wilkerson, Ringgold; Mike Spagnolo, Kiski Area

Players to Watch: Carly Lutz, Fr., D, Ringgold; Kaylee Elwood, Jr., M, Kiski Area

Corner kicks: Ringgold is back in the playoffs after missing the postseason by one game last season. Rams finished tied for third in Section 2 with Laurel Highlands. Lutz, freshman Katelyn Ferrence and sophomore Marina Alberto are scoring threats. Ringgold has played with heavy hearts because of the offseason death of team captain Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel. … Kiski Area won eight of nine to close the regular season. Cavaliers finished runner-up to Class AAA No. 1 seed Mars (14-0-1) in Section 1. Kiski is making its fifth straight playoff appearance. Senior Sidney Palla (17 goals), Elwood (13) and senior Reagan Frederick (10) led the team in scoring during the regular season.

Class AA

11-Quaker Valley (5-9-3) vs. 6-Deer Lakes (13-3-1)

6 p.m. Monday at Mars

Winner plays: 3-South Park on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Jamie Birmingham, Quaker Valley; Frank Accetta, Deer Lakes

Players to watch: Madeline Boulos, Soph., F, Deer Lakes; Sophie Besterman, Sr., M, Quaker Valley

Corner kicks: Game is a rematch of 2018 quarterfinal matchup won by Deer Lakes, 2-1. … Quakers finished fourth in Section 1. They finished regular season 0-2-3 and scored just twice in those games. QV owns a 2-0 victory over No. 2 seed North Catholic. … Deer Lakes finished tied with Freeport for second place (9-3) in Section 2-AA. Sisters Madeline and Abigail Boulos and Lily Litrun are scoring threats. Junior captain Nina Lafko is out for the season with a knee injury. Lancers outscored their opponents 65-24 in route to a 13-3-1 overall record.

Class AA

9-Waynesburg Central (10-6) vs. 8-Freeport (14-4)

6 p.m. Monday at Plum

Winner plays: 1-Hopewell on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Greg Basinger, Waynesburg Central; Brittni Grenninger, Freeport

Players to watch: Rhea Kijowski, Jr., F, Waynesburg Central; Sidney Shemanski, Sr., F, Freeport

Corner kicks: Freeport and Waynesburg met in the 2017 WPIAL Class AA semifinals, a game won by the Raiders, 7-0, en route to their first WPIAL title. … Kijowski, a West Virginia commit, leads Waynesburg in scoring. She scored the winner in overtime to defeat third-seeded South Park. Raiders won five of six to cap the regular season and finished third in Section 3 behind South Park and Yough. … Shemanski (34 goals) is Freeport’s leading scorer. The Yellowjackets and Deer Lakes tied for second place (9-3) in Section 2-AA. Freeport posted 10 regular-season shutouts.

Class AA

13-Mt. Pleasant (10-6) vs. 4-Burrell (16-0)

6 p.m. Monday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Yough (14-1-1)/12-Highlands (5-9) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Josh Pajak, Mt. Pleasant; Frank Nesko, Burrell

Players to watch: Megan Liberoni, Sr., F/M, Mt. Pleasant; Allie Vescio, Sr., F, Burrell

Corner kicks: Mt. Pleasant finished tied with Brownsville for fourth (6-6) in Section 3. The Vikings finished section play 1-4 after a 5-2 start. Liberoni and Mackenzie Leeder pace the offense. … Burrell outscored opponents 89-8 en route to its first section title since 2005. The Bucs made it to the WPIAL quarterfinals the past two seasons. Vescio (27 goals), Jordyn Kowalkowski (17), Megan Malits (13) and Danica Johnson (13) are scoring threats. Burrell is seeking its first WPIAL title.

Class AA

12-Highlands (5-9) at 5-Yough (14-1-1)

6 p.m. Monday at Penn-Trafford

Winner plays: Winner of 4-Burrell (16-0)/13-Mt. Pleasant (10-6) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Jenna Plummer, Highlands; Dann Appolonia, Yough

Players to watch: Ariana Kovach, Sr., M/D, Highlands; Justine Appolonia, Sr., F, Yough

Corner kicks: The Golden Rams return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Highlands missed postseason last year by two points in Section 2-AA standings. Jess Cekada leads the team with 10 goals. Kovach has six goals. … Yough tied third seed South Park for the Section 3 title (10-1-1). Appolonia, a Youngstown State commit, is the program’s career goals leader.

Class A

13-Springdale (7-9) vs. 4-Seton LaSalle (12-5)

6 p.m. Monday at Seneca Valley

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Greensburg Central Catholic (11-3)/12-Carlynton (8-5-2) Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: T.J. Cherry, Seton LaSalle; Marc Bentley, Springdale

Players to watch: Ashley Farrell, Sr., D, Springdale; Gina Mastelle, Sr., GK, Seton La Salle

Corner kicks: Springdale is in the playoffs for the third straight season and 12th time in the past 13 years. They lost in the quarterfinals last year to eventual Class A champion Freedom. Springdale and Serra Catholic for fourth in Section 1 at 5-5. Miranda Shock leads the team with 15 goals. … Seton LaSalle outscored Section 4 opponents 37-3 en route to 12-0 record. Mastelle is a three-year starter in goal.

—Michael Love

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: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Gateway, Highlands, Kiski Area, Mt. Pleasant, Plum, Quaker Valley, Ringgold, Seton La Salle, Springdale, Upper St. Clair, Waynesburg, Yough