Plum soccer teams compete in WPIAL playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, October 23, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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In the regular season, Plum boys soccer went 4-0 in overtime and a couple of days before Saturday's Class AAAA first-round playoff match with Upper St. Clair Mustangs coach Anthony Russo said he hoped his team wouldn't have to experience being on the wrong side of an overtime game in the postseason.

Unfortunately for the No. 7-seeded Mustangs, the cruel reality of losing in sudden-death overtime reared its ugly head Saturday when Christopher Lloyd scored in the extra frame to give No. 10 Upper St. Clair a 2-1 victory.

Plum has lost its last six playoff games, which have come over the last 11 years. The Mustangs finished the year 11-6-1.

The postseason defeat came on the heels of a solid ending to the regular season.

Plum finished 3-1-1 with wins over Allderdice, North Hills and Penn Hills. The Mustangs had two overtime wins over Brashear, one against Fox Chapel and another against Allderdice.

They got those victories with a balanced scoring attack. Callan Scharba, a senior, led the team with nine goals, freshman Darius Flowers scored eight and Jordan Floyd, a junior who scored the lone goal in the playoff game, also had eight, and senior Sean Saich scored five.

“It speaks to the magnitude of the depth we have, and it's not necessarily all seniors that are doing it,” Russo said. “There are some freshmen and juniors in there too. Whenever we desperately needed a goal, we'd have someone different stepping up. It's exciting to see that everyone is hungry and looking to score. Don't get me wrong I'd love to have a 20-goal scorer that can rack up two or three goals a game, but the hunger of everyone here wanting to make a difference is a good thing.”

Floyd and Flowers both return next year.

Flowers burst onto the scene this season and, with three more seasons of eligibility remaining, there's potential for a very bright future.

“The past three seasons that I've been here I've said the same spiel before every season that nobody's spot is guaranteed and if you put hard work in during practice and games that you're going to be rewarded for it,” Russo said. “I think (Flowers) took that to heart and he made sure that I couldn't keep him out of the lineup. He had a couple assists in a game against Fox Chapel this year and scored a couple of big time goals for us.”

Plum girls soccer also entered the postseason in good form, winning its final three section games over Penn Hills, Brashear and Fox Chapel to finish second place in Section 3-AAAA. The good finish earned the Mustangs the No. 8-seed in the postseason. They faced No. 9 North Allegheny in the first round on Monday.

Plum finished the regular season 13-4 and 8-2 in Section 3.

The 3-2 win against Fox Chapel in the final section game of the year was a satisfying one for the Mustangs given that they lost to their rivals, 2-1, in the first meeting. It was the only blemish on Fox Chapel's section record.

Plum forwards Jordyn Huemme and Gina Proviano showcased their talents against the Foxes. Huemme, a senior, had all three goals and Proviano, a freshman, assisted on all three goals. Huemme and Proviano tied for the team lead in goals with 17.

Plum coach Caitlyn Schuchert said Huemme and Proviano bring different styles to the table, but have meshed well on the field.

“Gina is very tactical. She reads the game very well and knows how to put herself in a good position to score,” Schuchert said. “She finishes off a lot of her opportunities. Jordyn is a workhorse. She wants the ball all the time. She might take more shots than anyone else, but she finds the net a lot. The power behind her shots is pretty wicked.”

While Huemme and Proviano have been leading the offense, the defense and goalie tandem Zoe Nonnenberg and Alyson Brynner have had plenty of success, posting nine shutouts this season. Taylor Oravitz is a three-year starter at center back and has been an anchor of the defensive backfield for the Mustangs.

“Our defense works really hard,” Schuchert said. “They deny shots. They deny dangerous passes. Our keepers are really, really good. We have two junior keepers (Bryner, and Nonnenberg) that split time in net, and I can't say enough about them. They push each other to be better, and they've saved our butts quite a few times this season.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

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