A-K Valley soccer playoff preview capsules for Oct. 23, 2025

By: Triblive And Michael Love And Bill Hartlep
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 3:30 PM

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WPIAL soccer playoffs

Boys

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

3-North Catholic (16-1-1) vs. 6-Deer Lakes (15-3-1)

6 p.m. Thursday, Pine-Richland Stadium, Gibsonia

Winner plays: Winner of 2-Quaker Valley (16-2-1)/10-Shady Side Academy (12-4-1) in WPIAL semifinals (time/date/site TBD)

Players to watch: Justin Garvey, North Catholic; Peyton Kushon, Deer Lakes

Throw-ins: North Catholic will be out for revenge after Deer Lakes eliminated the Trojans, 3-0, in the quarterfinals last season. The teams split their section matches this season, both winning on the road. … The Trojans got two goals and two assists from Justin Garvey in a 7-1 win over Yough in the first round Monday. Arthur Mendonca also had two goals, and Brody Kennedy, Angelo Amelio and Jackson Schlegel also scored. North Catholic finished 13-1 and won the Section 1-2A title. … Kushon scored two goals, and Collin Rodgers, Artemis Parshyn and Jacob Orseno added scores in the Lancers’ 5-1 win over Central Valley in the first round. Deer Lakes reached the PIAA tournament last year after finishing as the third-place team in the WPIAL playoffs.

Girls

Class 3A

Quarterfinals

5-Mars (14-3-1) at 4-Plum (16-1)

7 p.m. Thursday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum

Winner plays: Winner of 1-Fox Chapel (16-1-1)/9-West Allegheny (10-8) in semifinals (date/site/time TBD)

Players to watch: Gianna Revetta, Plum; Addison Orehowsky, Mars

Throw-ins: Plum had no trouble Monday in a 5-0 first-round victory over No. 13 Chartiers Valley. Revetta led the way with two goals and two assists, and Olivia Bigger, Keirstin Curry and Ali Joyce also scored for the Mustangs. Plum, which captured its seventh consecutive section title with a 12-0 record, has opened the playoffs at home the past seven seasons and won all of them by a combined 38-3. Junior Emily Grubich also is one to look out for in the Plum offense, and the Mustangs defense and senior keeper Malayna Smith didn’t face a single Colts shot. … Plum and Mars are no strangers to each other. The teams met to decide the WPIAL Class 3A title each year from 2019-21 with the Planets coming out on top each time. Mars beat Plum last year in the third-place consolation with a trip to states on the line. … Mars scored in the second half Monday to pull out a 1-0 victory over No. 12 Kiski Area. Sophomore Miley Gratton tallied the game’s only goal. The Planets finished runner-up to Fox Chapel in the Section 1 race. Mars handed the Foxes their only section blemish in a 1-1 tie Oct. 1. Around that tie, Mars won six games by a combined 29-0. The Planets recorded 10 shutouts in the regular season and outscored opponents 62-9. Orehowsky, a Robert Morris commit, shores up the Mars defense.

9-West Allegheny (10-8) at 1-Fox Chapel (16-1-1)

7 p.m. Thursday, Burke Stadium, Fox Chapel

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Mars (14-3-1)/4-Plum (16-1) in semifinals (date/site/time TBD)

Players to watch: Emily McKee, Fox Chapel; Mia Bardelli, West Allegheny

Throw-ins: Fox Chapel junior Emily McKee, a Pitt verbal commit, was nearly unstoppable Monday night with five goals in a 7-0 home win over No. 16 Laurel Highlands. Senior Lily McLaughlin and junior Ella Ettinger also scored for a Foxes team still on track for a third trip to a WPIAL title game appearance. Fox Chapel won the Class 4A title in 2023 and finished as the Class 3A runner-up to South Fayette last year. The Foxes’ only loss this season came to Class 4A power North Allegheny. Fox Chapel is unbeaten in 13 games since. The only blemish in that run was a 1-1 tie coming against section rival Mars. … As one might expect in a matchup between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, West Allegheny needed overtime for its 3-2 first-round win at Thomas Jefferson. Bardelli, a sophomore, scored the game winner. Freshmen Jocelyn Rosborough and Eliana Rosenwald scored in regulation. The Indians also feature experience in the lineup with sophomore midfielder Mia McCarthy, sophomore forward Madison Pons and senior midfielder Ella Smith. West Allegheny placed third in Section 2 behind champion Moon and runner-up Montour. Last year, the Indians, as the No. 3 seed, were upended at home by No. 6 Mars in the quarterfinals.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Mars, North Catholic, Plum, West Allegheny