Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Playoff berth especially sweet after Hempfield’s struggles

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Hempfield faced a must-win game last Thursday to extend its season.

The Spartans (5-10) came through in the clutch.

They played inspired soccer, blanking Gateway, 4-0, to clinch their first WPIAL playoff spot since 2014.

Braden Crowe scored two goals and assisted another, and Isaac Pugliese and Tyler Gilpin also scored in the win. Nick Harden earned the shutout in goal.

The Spartans’ climb back to the postseason has been slow and steady.

Coach Mike Crowe took over the program four years ago. When he started in fall 2022, he had 14 players sign up.

“The program was on the verge of being shut down,” Crowe said. “We managed to get that number up to 18 for my first season, and we went out and lost every game. But the boys came back for more the following season. We added a few more boys than we lost and played a little better. We still lost every game, but the program was growing, we were incrementally getting better and we tracked that progress.”

Hempfield had three winless seasons since its last playoff trip (2020, ’22 and ’23) and won one game from 2020-23.

Last year, Hempfield snapped a 46-game losing streak (41 section games).

“It was hard times, but the boys kept fighting,” Crowe said. “We really turned a corner last year. This year, we came in with a goal in mind, and that was to qualify for the playoffs. The guys have worked tirelessly throughout the season, staying focused and true to this goal.

“This team, particularly the juniors and seniors, have battled through the lean times and are now reaping the benefits.”

Crowe said captains Dimitri Poulich and Sawyer Leuthold and goalkeeper Nick Harden have been keys to the defense.

Allderdice lurking

Allderdice pulled a head-turning win last week when it clipped Franklin Regional, 2-1, in overtime.

The Dragons (13-5) still had two games against each Section 3-3A team on their schedule despite no longer being a member of the section.

Still, they are a formidable contender for the PIAA postseason. So say section coaches.

“They’d be a top team in the WPIAL and a major threat to win the whole thing,” Franklin Regional coach Nick White said. “It felt like a WPIAL or state playoff game — both teams hitting crossbars and posts, both keepers making saves, back and forth, momentum swings. Both teams had a field player save a sure goal. It was a great game.”

Panthers’ defender Thomas Bridges missed the second half and overtime after suffering a head laceration.

The Dragons are an anomaly this season. They were in a WPIAL section last year but were informed in early October they were not eligible for the WPIAL playoffs because they were in a different PIAA district – District 8 (City League).

Allderdice had an “associate membership” but was not initially told it would not be playoff eligible — only for the PIAA playoffs.

The rule was passed in 2023.

A school within a few blocks of Highmark Stadium was denied a shot at a WPIAL title.

Obama Academy faced the same situation.

Allderdice won the City League title and reached the PIAA 3A quarterfinals before finishing 14-5-1.

The team reached eight wins in a row with the Franklin Regional victory. The Panthers are the returning WPIAL runners-up.

Dragons’ coach David Thyberg called it a signature win.

Allderdice would be in first place under the previous iteration. It swept West Mifflin, Latrobe, Belle Vernon and Uniontown and split with Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford.

“Regardless, we are primed for another PIAA state playoff run even with our performance flying under the radar,” Thyberg said. “Our players train and compete with the same commitment as their WPIAL peers.”

Free kicks

Yough’s Isaac Pacacha, one of the WPIAL’s more underrated goal scorers, had a hat trick in a 6-5 win over Waynesburg. … Charleroi’s Dylan Klinger had a 13-point game against Derry. He had six goals and two assists in a 12-1 win. He reached 100 career goals. … Belle Vernon’s Tyler Caterino is the only first-year coach in the county to lead his team to the playoffs.

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

Tags: Allderdice, Hempfield