For Norwin boys, wild, dramatic playoff ride came to a halt one stop short

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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CHAMBERSBURG — Unable to produce the tying goal like they had done so many times before, and unable to push for overtime and penalty kicks to fit their calling card, Norwin fell to Central Bucks South on Tuesday night, 1-0, in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals to bring a historic run to an end.

For once, a team that made so much noise moved its mouth, but no sound came out.

The first-time WPIAL champions were emotional and distraught after the defeat, wishing they had more soccer to play, but the reflecting soon began on the long, curvy ride home on Route 30 and the turnpike.

“It’s crazy when you think about it, huh?” coach Scott Schuchert said as he prepared to board the bus Tuesday night. “These boys have been unreal.”

Not many teams have the panache and late-game theatrics the Knights possessed.

Norwin (17-6-1) won three of six playoff games with penalty kicks, calling on its “Knight Shift” fivesome of shooters to make their mark, one by one, and the keen goalkeeping of senior Anthony Scalise.

Norwin edged past Abington 2-1 (4-3 PKs) to reach the semifinals for the first time but could not carry on the momentum to the state finals as they played a second straight District 1 team.

A strong defensive effort from Central Bucks South, the sixth-place team from District 1 (Philadelphia area), limited Norwin build-outs and had the Knights pressing most of the game.

Schuchert believed he and his staff had his players ready for the grind of the postseason. Behind the scenes, Norwin got healthy and confident at the right time.

“We had a juggernaut of a schedule,” Schuchert said. “We played NA twice, Seneca Valley twice, Peters Township twice. We saw so many styles. Our section schedule made us tougher. We played teams with skill and physicality, and a blend of both.”

Schuchert said teams that make it this far in the postseason are looking to take down their opponents’ strengths and expose their weaknesses.

With that in mind, teams usually have a clear-cut identity by now. For Norwin, it was a gritty approach and sound goalkeeping that allowed them to hang around and keep games close.

“Every team we play in the WPIAL is physical,” Scalise said. “We have to answer how they play and go back at them.

“We’re also in better shape than any other team. All those runs at Turner Valley paid off for us.”

The Knights played 330 minutes of overtime soccer in the playoffs and went 3-0 in shootouts.

Schuchert said the team’s confidence began to blossom when the Knights tied Upper St. Clair, 1-1, in the last Section 2 game.

“That’s when they started to believe,” he said.

But the final game of the regular season, Norwin players and coaches revealed, carried dual-meaning: It allowed for rest and also lit a fire.

Norwin lost to North Allegheny, 3-1, but the Knights sat a dozen regular players.

“We sat our starters,” junior Daniel Maddock said. “The coaches talked and the plan was to rest starters. They played their starters. We felt disrespected.”

Remember, Norwin played North Allegheny for the WPIAL title and slinked past the Tigers 2-1 (5-3 PKs) at Highmark Stadium to claim its first championship.

“We didn’t want to show anything,” Schuchert admitted. “We had some guys hurt and rested them.

“Everyone came back for the Seneca Valley game, and it was a double boost because we were recharged and we found our identity.”

Norwin knocked off top-seeded Seneca Valley, 3-2 (4-2 PKs) to jumpstart the run.

The NA game is an outlier because it marked Norwin’s only loss in a nine-game stretch that included three one-goal wins and the three shootout wins — one close call after another for the highlight film.

“Making the state semifinals was just another step for our confidence,” Maddock said.

Schuchert thinks the program took a giant step forward, but doesn’t see the Knights stopping here.

“This is the best freshmen class we have had,” Schuchert said. “People (around the program) are asking me if I think we can win (more WPIAL titles). I think it’s possible. Getting that first one was huge. It shows we can do it.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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