High school roundup for Oct. 28, 2024: Avonworth rallies past Deer Lakes into 2A finals
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Monday, October 28, 2024 | 10:27 PM
With a pair of late goals by Rowan Carmichael and stellar goalkeeping by Alex Rowe, the Avonworth boys soccer team is heading to a WPIAL final for the first time since 2018.
Carmichael scored twice in the final four minutes and the second-seeded Antelopes earned a 3-1 win over No. 3 Deer Lakes in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium.
The Antelopes (16-2-2) will face top seed and defending champion South Park in the championship game at Highmark Stadium at a date and time to be determined.
Deer Lakes (17-3-1) will face Burrell in the third-place match Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. The winner moves onto states.
With the score tied 1-1 late, Carmichael scored the game-winner from the left side, depositing the ball into a vacated net.
He scored a similar goal with 30 seconds remaining in the match.
Avonworth led 1-0 at halftime, but an own goal in the 60th minute tied the match when an Antelopes player accidently headed a ball into his own net trying to clear a cross.
Prior to the own goal and after, Rowe was outstanding in net.
He made a stop on Deer Lakes’ Artemey Parshyn moments before Carmichael’s game-winner.
Nathan Kline scored with eight minutes remaining in the first half to give Avonworth the lead, finishing off the work of Abdul Basit.
Basit won a race to a loose ball on the left side, fired in a ground pass and Kline met it near the back post.
Rowe came up big twice for the Antelopes prior to Kline’s goal.
His first big save came off a free kick by Zane Spence just to the left of the 18-yard box. Spence curled a shot in on goal, but Rowe punched the ball away and it went out of bounds.
Three minutes later Rowe made a diving stop on a chance by Jacob Orseno that was set up in the middle of the box by a clever backheel pass by Collin Rodgers.
This will be Avonworth’s first time playing in a Class 2A final. Their previous trips to the final came in Class A.
Moon 3, Bethel Park 2 (OT) – Zech Balbach scored the game-winning goal in the first overtime as top-seeded Moon (21-0) advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A finals at Highmark Stadium. Evan Thomas scored twice, including the tying goal in the second half, for the Tigers, who will face No. 7 Franklin Regional for the championship at a time and date to be determined. Xavier Jackson scored twice for No. 5 Bethel Park (13-7).
Girls soccer
Peters Township 2, North Allegheny 1 (OT) – Cailin Martin scored the golden goal in the first overtime to send top-seeded Peters Township (18-0-1) to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game. Mandy Pirosko also scored for Peters, which will meet No. 2 Seneca Valley in the finals at Highmark Stadium at a date and time to be determined. Aubrey Wells scored to give No. 4 North Allegheny (12-6-1) an early lead.
Seneca Valley 4, Canon-McMillan 1 – Maddie Marcotte scored twice in the first half and completed her hat trick with less than 19 minutes to play to lead No. 2 Seneca Valley (14-2-2) to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game. Ashlee Libby also scored for the Raiders, who will meet No. 1 Peters Township in the finals. Abigail Ault scored for No. 6 Canon-McMillan (13-4-1).
Hockey
Bishop Canevin 4, Carrick 3 – Kamil Nurulin scored a short-handed goal with 2:34 to play to lead Bishop Canevin (2-1) to a Division 2 win. Brian Kalanish scored twice and Jayden Martincic added a goal and an assist for Bishop Canevin. Max Hagan had two goals and an assist and Ivan Manculich also scored for Carrick (2-1).
Central Valley 2, Wilmington 1 – Connor Svaranowic and Logan Sullivan scored third-period goals to lead Central Valley (2-2) to a Division 2 win. Justin Girman scored for Wilmington (0-2).
Connellsville 3, Knoch 2 (OT) – Matty Smith scored nine seconds into overtime to lift Connellsville (3-1) to a Division 2 win. Alex Boone and Evan Sokol also scored for Connellsville. Zach Weiland and Mick Ritts also had goals for Knoch (0-1-2).
Moon 5, Avonworth 3 – Clayton Foster had a pair of goals and Max DiPietro, Quin Tyler and Eric Hartman also scored for Moon (5-1) in Class A. Linus Jesionowski had a hat trick for Avonworth (2-2).
Morgantown 12, Gateway 3 – Jacob Hollander had four goals and two assists, John DiBartolomeo racked up three goals and three assists and Weston Mazey added three goals and an assist for Morgantown (4-1) in a Division 2 victory. CJ Evans scored a hat trick for Gateway (0-3-1).
Neshannock 4, Deer Lakes 1 – Brady Liguore and Will Klinchloe each had a goal and an assist and Jacob Gruber and Sam Mezzanotte also scored for Neshannock (3-1) in a Division 2 win. Mason Cervone scored for Deer Lakes (2-3).
North Catholic 4, Mars 2 – Carson Paglia had two goals and an assist, Anthony Neely added a goal and an assist and Bryce Radeke also scored for North Catholic (4-1) in a matchup of top teams in Class A. Jack Weaver and Grant Weaver scored for Mars (5-1).
North Hills 7, Butler 5 – Jonathan Trosky racked up four goals and an assistDillon Cobaugh added a goal and an assist and Will Jackson and Tobias Kiger also scored for North Hills (2-3) in a Class A victory. Anthony Trombatt had three goals and an assist and Jase Renwick and Aden Devore also scored for Butler (1-3-1).
Penn-Trafford 2, Canon-McMillan 0 – Brock Bienemann had an unassisted goal in the first period, Aiden Drotos scored with an assist from Marco Ferraccio in the second period and Tyler Funk made 21 saves to record the shutout as Penn-Trafford (4-0) blanked Canon-McMillan (2-3) in Class 2A.
Plum 8, Greensburg Salem 5 – Alex Ledonne scored twice, Colby Bartos and Joey Massarelli each had a goal and two assists and Max Keller and Luca Lapiana finished with a goal and an assist apiece for Plum (1-4) in a Class A win. Luke Dieter had two goals and an assist, Jake Fink also scored twice and Bryce Ferace dished out three assists for Greensburg Salem (0-3).
Quaker Valley 7, Montour 1 – Max Modrovich collected four goals and an assist, Jace Vasbinder added two goals and an assist and Ben McHenry contributed a goal and an assist to power Quaker Valley (5-0) to a Class A win. Aiden Moskovitz scored for Montour (2-2).
Thomas Jefferson 6, Upper St. Clair 2 – Lucas Blose scored twice and Luke Pokorny, Ty Hartman, Paul Guenther and Liam Mahoney also had goals to lead Thomas Jefferson (3-1) to a Class 3A victory. Ryan Buonomo and Amir Alsahlani scored for Upper St. Clair (2-2-1).
Wheeling Central Catholic 5, Meadville 2 – Zach Vitlip had four goals and Brady Kerr also scored to lead Wheeling Central Catholic (3-2) to a Class A win. Robert Mahoney and Cole Sobolewski scored for Meadville (1-4).
Wheeling Park 8, Hampton 4 – Owen Abraham scored twice and Gavin Hudrlik, Landon Szazynski, Kaden Schnarr, Brody Groome, Luke Simonetti and Cooper Abraham all had a goal and an assist apiece to lead Wheeling Park (2-1-1) to a Class A win. Daniel Leyes had two goals and an assist, Preston Cochran added a goal and an assist and Joey Stephenson also scored for Hampton (2-3).
More High School Soccer Boys
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• Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Franklin Regional’s Tyler Pipon
• Plum boys soccer players have ‘nothing to hang their heads about’
• Norwin notebook: Soccer standout headlines all-section list