Norwin girls log another shutout, this time beating Latrobe

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 10:22 PM

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Momentum continues to build at Norwin as the girls soccer team returns to relevance.

First, the girls looked to make fundamental improvements and learn a new coach’s system. Then, they looked to stay healthy, manage minutes in a deep rotation and pace themselves for a productive stretch run.

Now, the Lady Knights are postseason bound after a two-year drought and are playing with supreme confidence.

With a playoff berth already secured, Norwin won for the fourth time in five games with its seventh shutout of the season, a 3-0 Section 1-4A win over injury-plagued Latrobe on Wednesday night at Norwin Knights Stadium.

“I have talked to the girls all year,” first-year Norwin coach Ashley DeVito said. “We needed to be playing our best soccer in October. I knew we wouldn’t be our best in August or September, but if we hit our stride at the right time, we could be breaking into the playoffs.”

Norwin (8-6-1, 6-2), which trails first-place Penn-Trafford (11-3, 8-0) by two games with two to go, is 5-1-1 in its last seven.

Seniors Carmella Simco and Julia Bursick and freshmen Neeve Graham scored goals in the victory, the team’s fourth shutout in five games.

Latrobe (5-4-1, 4-3), which played without three starters — senior Robin Reilly (concussion), junior Mackenzie Kubistek (concussion) and senior Brianna Hoffer (hip injury) — had won 6 of 7 and scored 35 goals in its last seven outings.

Reilly, a West Virginia commit, and Hoffer are captains.

Latrobe, which has just 21 girls on the roster and moved up from Class 3A this season, also already had clinched a playoff spot. It beat Norwin, 1-0, earlier in the season with each team getting a player red-carded.

Getting the team to full strength for the postseason will be a challenge.

“When you play teams of high caliber, it’s hard to compete against them with so few girls,” Latrobe coach Jamie Morrison-Campbell said. “(Norwin) had the better of play, but we’re still in games. We’re battling. It’s just hard to sustain it over such long games.”

Norwin, on the other hand, made mass substitutions, akin to the Norwin girls basketball team.

DeVito sent four and five subs into the game at a time, reaching 11 players down her bench.

“They were always fresh,” Morrison-Campbell said.

The build-up — goals and wins — has given stadium personnel reasons to flash the LED lights at Norwin home games.

Remember, Norwin was 4-14 last year and did not score a goal in nine games. Two years ago, the team missed the playoffs for the first time in program history.

Norwin opened the scoring in the 16th minute.

“Once we get that first goal, the flood gates open,” said Simco, who scored off a corner kick in the 16th minute. “We all have better attitudes, and we’re dominating teams.”

Goal for Norwin. It's Carmella Simco off the corner in the 16th minute.

Norwin 1, Latrobe 0.@GLCATATHLETICS @NHSGS_Boosters @NHSGirlsSoccer1 @TribLiveHSSN #wpialsoccer pic.twitter.com/VTVXvWO7gm

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) October 2, 2024

It was 2-0 with 2 minutes and 50 seconds left in the opening half when Bursick, a Duquesne recruit who did not play high school soccer last year, scored off a cross from freshman Tatum Casper.

Julia Bursick connects for Norwin with 2:50 to go in the first half.

Norwin 2, Latrobe 0.@GLCATATHLETICS @NHSGS_Boosters @NHSGirlsSoccer1 @TribLiveHSSN #wpialsoccer pic.twitter.com/olKv0aLJxB

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) October 2, 2024

“You see girls do things like that, and you think, that’s not a freshman,” DeVito said. “Tatum is a 14-year-old making plays like that.”

Graham’s goal came with just over 13 minutes remaining in the second half. A high ball in front of the net caromed off a defender and came to Graham, who sent a left-footed rip far right past goalie Gianna Trunzo to make it 3-0.

Goal for Norwin. It's Carmella Simco off the corner in the 16th minute.

Norwin 1, Latrobe 0.@GLCATATHLETICS @NHSGS_Boosters @NHSGirlsSoccer1 @TribLiveHSSN #wpialsoccer pic.twitter.com/VTVXvWO7gm

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) October 2, 2024

“It’s our time, and we’re ready to go,” DeVito said. “It’s all been a process for us.”

Latrobe’s Ellie Petruzzi injured her hip during the game and had to get treatment.

Junior goalkeeper Rebecca Kostrobala saved all three shots she faced for Norwin.

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

Tags: Latrobe, Norwin