Norwin hosting Plum in marquee boys soccer matchup part of 3 things to watch Thursday in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, September 5, 2018 | 8:06 PM

After having very similar 2017 seasons, two boys soccer playoff teams from a year ago prepare to meet for the first time in a couple of years as section foes Thursday.

Last year, Plum finished in second place in Section 3-4A with an overall record of 11-5-1, while Norwin ended up in second place in Section 4-4A with a mark of 11-5-1.

The Knights were the No. 6 seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs while the Mustangs were the No. 7 seed. Both teams lost in the first round by 2-1 scores in overtime, with Norwin falling to Canon-McMillan and Plum losing to Upper St. Clair.

Both teams are now in Section 3-4A and meet at Norwin on Thursday. The Knights are 2-1 overall and 1-0 in section play while the Mustangs have won one of their first three and are 0-1 in the section.

Fit to be tied

Another marquee match in WPIAL boys soccer Thursday is a clash between two teams that finished tied for the section crown a year ago.

Charleroi visits Waynesburg in a match to be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

The two teams finished 10-2 in Section 3-2A last year. The Cougars lost to Central Valley in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs, while the Raiders needed overtime to beat Obama Academy, 6-5, in Round 1 before falling to eventual champion Shady Side Academy, 3-0, in the quarterfinals.

Charleroi swept the regular-season series between the two, shutting out Waynesburg, 4-0 and 2-0.

Section champs collide

Realignment took place this offseason in all WPIAL sports, and the reshuffling of the section deck that takes place every two years pays dividends for WPIAL volleyball fans on Thursday.

Not one, but two section champions from a year ago meet in a pair of marquee matches.

In Section 2-4A, Oakland Catholic visits Baldwin. In 2017, the Eagles were co-champs in Section 4 with Armstrong, while the Highlanders won the Section 2 crown outright. Both teams ended up losing in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Also on Thursday, Neshannock travels to Beaver in Section 1-2A.

The Lancers won the section in 2017, finishing two games ahead of Shenango. The Bobcats are new to the section after winning Section 2-2A by two games over Avonworth.

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.

Tags: Baldwin, Beaver, Charleroi, Neshannock, Norwin, Oakland Catholic, Plum, Waynesburg, Waynesburg Central