Norwin’s championship defense ends in unexpected fashion

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, November 9, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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While the season didn’t end with another WPIAL championship, it did come with a bizarre ending for the Norwin boys soccer team.

And a crushing ending, at that.

Still, the Knights finished another strong season at 11-6-1 and stayed among the top contenders in Class 4A.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and we would have to work for it,” Norwin coach Scott Schuchert said about Norwin chasing a championship repeat. “You never know what might happen in the playoffs.”

Norwin pieced together a pair of four-game winning streaks, posting three straight shutouts in the first stretch.

The Knights finished two games behind Plum in Section 1. They allowed just 26 goals in 18 games.

A pair of one-goal losses to Plum prevented the Knights from a section title.

“The team was growing throughout the year, figuring out how to have our own identity, not as just the returning WPIAL champions,” senior forward Daniel Maddock said. “We had hopes of making a run in the playoffs, and the way it ended was just so sudden. Each of us worked all season as hard as we could, and I couldn’t have asked for more from my guys. It was definitely an unlucky ending, and we really weren’t ready for it to end.”

Just before the playoffs began, Norwin had two high-quality tuneup games out of section.

Both went to double overtime.

The Knights tied Latrobe, 1-1, before edging past Upper St. Clair, 2-1.

“That’s why we scheduled those kinds of teams,” Schuchert said. “We want to be playing our best in the playoffs.”

The season came to an abrupt end for the defending WPIAL champions in the playoff opener.

No. 12-seeded North Hills used a last-second goal to stun No. 5 and host Norwin, 3-2, in a first-round game.

Not many people get to witness a buzzer-beater in soccer. Those at the game can say they have.

North Hills made a final dash to avoid ovrtime. Zachary Fritz took a pass and Norwin keeper Ryan Dooen came out and deflected his shot. The ball, though, trickled behind him.

Norwin’s Chase Molinaro tried to clear it in front of the cage, but his kick hit a hard-charging Ryan Schiller, his teammate, on the side of his head and the ball went into the net for the go-ahead score with just two seconds to go in regulation.

“You try to practice and prepare for every scenario possible,” Schuchert said. “Then that happens. At that point, as a coach, you’re just hoping for an offsides or something. It was crazy. Kudos to them. They played till the end.”

Norwin will lose 11 seniors, including Daniel Maddock, Dooen, Schiller, Tanner Schneck, George Bunovich and Dylan Moyer.

“It was another season packed full of core memories,” Schuchert said. “We are definitely trending in the right direction. Although it’s the end of an era with our senior group, the underclass is ready to be lifted from under their shadows.”

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

Tags: Norwin