Franklin Regional perseveres, beats Bethel Park to earn return trip to WPIAL title game

By: Antonio Rossetti
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 9:41 PM

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Fabrizzio Costa’s late-game goal set up by Michael Hillenbrand sent No. 3 Franklin Regional back to Highmark Stadium, defeating No. 2 Bethel Park, 1-0, in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Tuesday night.

“If you give yourself enough opportunities, something good can happen,” Franklin Regional coach Nick White said. “On that particular play, we get the ball across, Fabrizzio’s right there to knock it in. A great finish. Luckily for us, one goal was enough.”

Franklin Regional will face No. 8 West Allegheny while making its fifth appearance in the Class 3A title game since 2018, with its most recent titles coming in 2018 and ’19. The Panthers are heading back for the second straight season.

“We talked a lot about what it would take to get back,” White said. “Our boys have been motivated. … We were motivated by preseason not (being) ranked. A lot of the stuff I was reading was about the guys we lost. Our guys returning had a chip on their shoulder this year. We got a lot of effort from a lot of guys.”

A motivated Panthers team needed to break the scoreless tie against Bethel Park to get back to the title game and found itself with all the momentum in the second half.

With 17:23 on the clock, Dom Mascara threw the ball in to Hillenbrand.

Hillenbrand shifted gears and sprinted down the left side of the pitch, getting an angle on Bethel Park defenders and setting up Costa for a one-touch shot in front of the net.

Costa blew it by Luke Rubican to get his team on the board.

“(Michael) was a force down that left side,” White said. “It felt like it was a matter of time before something went our way. He was driving the ball well and getting good crosses in. We were getting a lot of plays where we got crosses through. It was persistence.”

With Hillenbrand as the catalyst, the Panthers had 27 total shots, 15 of them on net.

“It feels great to play a role on this team,” Hillenbrand said. “It feels good to be a person to lean on for the team and someone to rely on.”

Costa, who tallied three shots on goal, credited the team’s chemistry for the victory.

“Michael has been killing the left wing all game,” Costa said. “It’s just something we practice and work with. It was just repetition. I was just there to finish it, thankfully.”

The Panthers were on the attack nearly 80% of the first half, outshooting the Black Hawks 7-3.

“We played a lot of that first (half) in their end, but we had nothing to show for it,” White said. “Could we persist? Can we persevere and can we continue to knock that wall down? The idea of persisting, persevering and pursuing victory was paramount.”

The Black Hawks took some control on the attack in the last 10 minutes. The Panthers, however, held Bethel Park to two shots in the second half. Nevertheless, it was nerve-wracking for White.

“Bethel has found ways all year to score late and win games. … We really needed to stay focused there,” White said, “I’m really excited for our guys. It is very difficult to win in the WPIAL, to make playoffs and to do things in the playoffs. It’s very difficult, and you can’t take these opportunities for granted.”

Franklin Regional’s Emerson Bush saved all five shots on target. Bethel Park’s Rubican saved 14 of 15 shots on target.

The Panthers are filled with excitement heading into the finals.

“I’m super hyped,” Costa said. “We went last year when I was a junior and now as a senior. It’s been something we’ve been looking forward to all season. We all worked so hard. Just six months of preparation and continuous work, and it feels good to be back.”

White is proud of the team because it dealt with injuries all season but still found a way.

“This was a complete team effort from all 37 names on the roster, JV included,” White said. “They give us so much energy from the bench. I’m really happy and proud of them.”

The WPIAL is expected to announce a date and time for the finals Wednesday morning.

Tags: Bethel Park, Franklin Regional