No regrets for North Allegheny boys soccer after ‘tricky season’

By: John Grupp
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 4:51 PM

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The North Allegheny boys soccer team ended this season with 10 wins, six losses, three ties and zero regrets.

In the wake of a 1-0 loss at top-seeded Peters Township in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals on Oct. 25, the No. 8 Tigers recalled a “tricky season” with many more highs than lows.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group,” senior defender Elliott Swierczynski said. “I feel like our team left it all out on the field. That’s all I can ask.”

While breaking in eight new starters, the Tigers made steady strides during a campaign that featured a 3-2 come-from-behind Senior Night win against North Hills, a 3-2 overtime win at then-WPIAL Class 3A No. 1 Hampton and a 1-0 OT victory against No. 9 seed Central Catholic in a WPIAL first-round playoff thriller.

“It was a fun team and an enjoyable year,” fifth-year coach Manuel Montero said. “The team had tremendous growth throughout the year. It was a tricky season. On paper, we looked like an older, stronger team. But we only had six, seven players that came back from last year. This is a year that we were extremely young.”

Despite their varsity inexperience, the Tigers (10-6-3) proved they could compete with anyone. All six of their losses were to top-four WPIAL Class 4A teams — WPIAL finalists Fox Chapel (twice) and Seneca Valley (twice), and WPIAL semifinalists Plum and Peters Township. Four of those losses were by a 1-0 score.

NA excelled under pressure. The Tigers played seven overtime games this season and never lost, going 4-0-3. The highlight, of course, was junior striker Francis Randiga’s acrobatic game-winner with 10:18 left in the first OT to beat Central Catholic in the playoff opener.

Randiga, who led the Tigers with seven goals, also scored the game-winner in a 1-0 OT victory at Butler, and senior attack Emmett Morris scored with 2 seconds left in the first overtime in a 2-1 win at Pine-Richland. Junior forward Owen Lopresti had the golden goal in the OT win at Hampton.

“In every overtime,” Montero said, “we were always the best team.”

North Allegheny was nearly the best team in the WPIAL quarterfinals. The Tigers had beaten Peters Township, 3-2, in a preseason scrimmage. But in the playoffs, then-undefeated Peters Township scored in the 54th minute and held off the Tigers.

“I was very heartbroken that we didn’t pull it off,” Swierczynski said. “I believe that we could have done it. I don’t think it really has hit me yet.”

Scoring was a season-long issue with North Allegheny, which managed just four goals in its final six games. Among the 12 WPIAL Class 4A playoff teams, only Pine-Richland (1.5) and Woodland Hills (1.4) averaged fewer goals than NA (1.6). The Tigers had only one player (Randiga) who scored more than three goals this season.

Senior defender Justin Stalter, who joined Swierczynski to form what Montero called the two best center-backs he’s coached at NA, said the WPIAL playoff loss didn’t diminish the season.

“It was definitely disappointing going out like that, but we had such a close bond,” Stalter said. “I think we worked as hard as we could every day. We definitely could have finished more chances, but I think we all left everything out there.”

Other seniors included midfielder Leo Yu, who earned all-WPIAL honors, midfielder Justin Chen and twin brother Kevin Chen, and goalie Xavier Zyskowski.

Montero said he was proud of how his players competed this season, especially in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

“They gave it their all,” he said. “In my pregame talk, I told them no regrets. Whatever happens, no regrets. And they did that. They worked hard. They played hard. They left it all on the line. We had our chances. Peters had their chances. At the end of the day, it’s whoever can put the ball in the back of the net.”

Tags: North Allegheny