Norwin boys will vie for spot in soccer title match without suspended coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, October 30, 2023 | 4:50 PM

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Norwin will make its first WPIAL boys soccer semifinal appearance since 2020 on Tuesday night, but the Knights will be without coach Scott Schuchert, who has to sit out after receiving two yellow cards — the equivalent of a red card — in the quarterfinal upset of No. 1 seed Seneca Valley.

Schuchert said the second card was over a “miscommunication.”

His initial suspension was for two games, but Norwin was looking to appeal.

The eighth-seeded Knights (13-5-1) play No. 5 Fox Chapel (12-4-2) at 6 p.m. at Hampton.

Schuchert said he did not say anything malicious, and a referee heard him wrong. Rather than a warning or discussion, the official quick-drew the card.

Norwin’s bench already had received a yellow card for something a referee heard, but Schuchert said a misinterpretation led to the second card, which came in the 65th minute of a tense matchup.

Schuchert contested the crew was looking for a reason to double-card him.

“I told (the referee) he was fishing for something,” Schuchert said. “I even made a fishing-reel motion. He thought I used the word ‘fixing.’ I’m like, no, that’s not what I said. He misheard me. He said, ‘OK, you’re getting two games.’

“I have been coaching long enough to know there is a line to cross, and I didn’t cross it. I couldn’t believe it.”

The incident made for an emotional Saturday night. On one hand, Schuchert was ecstatic because his team finally solved Seneca Valley — its playoff nemesis — with a dramatic 3-2 win on penalty kicks (4-2).

“There was a five-minute delay after the card,” Schuchert said. “We scored right after that.”

But when an official carded Schuchert a second time, telling him he was going to have to sit out the semifinal, the wind came out of the sails a bit.

If Norwin knocks off Fox Chapel, Schuchert could return for the WPIAL championship Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

“Obviously, we want to win for ourselves because we’re all competitors, but we want to win for coach just as much,” Norwin senior Owen Christopher said. “His love for our school and for us is unmatched. I don’t think any other coach can match his energy and emotion. When we run sprints, he gets right on the line and runs with us. I’ve seen how much the game means to him over the past four years. We want to give him that championship he deserves.

“It’s important that we regroup and refocus. There’s still much work to be done.”

Mike Powers, Dave Kozak and Carter Breen will coach the team in his absence, Schuchert said.

“Our boys had a sense of resiliency all night in (Saturday’s) game, and I look for that to continue,” Schuchert said. “It’s the WPIAL playoffs: Expect the unexpected. We were ready. We had 10 days to prepare. I said it would be a race to three (goals).

“At this point, I feel I have prepared the team for every situation.”

Even one like this?

“These kids are so driven,” he said. “I don’t see any let up. It’s not about me. It’s about (seniors like) Owen (Christopher) and Anthony (Scalise) and what they’ve meant to this program for four years.”

Against Seneca Valley, Christopher, Alex Brown, George Bunovich, and Chase Molinaro scored in the shootout, and Scalise made a key save. Seneca Valley won WPIAL titles in 2018, ’20 and ’21, and was the runner-up last season.

Norwin is chasing it first WPIAL title in boys soccer.

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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