Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Young Norwin roster ‘learning how to win close games’

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

With seven seniors, 16 juniors and 13 sophomores, Norwin often rolls out a young lineup.

When the Knights played Plum last week, nine players who are playing varsity soccer for the first time were on the field.

Only one senior started that game: midfielder Ian Natale.

“We do have a young group,” coach Scott Schuchert said. “We’re still learning how to win close games.”

The maturation process has come with challenges in the form of tight finishes. Norwin (4-4-2, 3-1-1 Section 1-4A) has played in four one-goal games, including 2-1 losses to Franklin Regional and Peters Township, a 1-0 win over Penn Hills and a 1-0 loss to Plum.

The Knights tied North Allegheny (0-0) and Central Catholic (2-2).

“We’re so close,” Schuchert said. “It’s a game of inches. I just wish we could turn inches in our favor.”

Vikings motivated

Mt. Pleasant (8-4) wants to be considered one of the better teams in Class 2A, and the team rallies around that point for motivation.

Winning the section is important, but so are games against nonsection teams.

“We put the Top 5 rankings on the wall each week,” senior defender Damien Ohler said. “We want to be there. This year, our goal is to not go into nonsection games blind. Those count too.”

Sophomore midfielder/forward Tyke Snyder said last year’s playoff loss to Shady Side Academy still is fresh in the players’ minds.

“We’re coming for it,” Snyder said. “We kept all the receipts.”

FR back in rankings

Franklin Regional jumped back into the Trib HSSN Top 5 rankings this week, taking the No. 5 spot back a week after losing it.

The Panthers (9-2) bounced back from their 1-0 double-overtime loss to Belle Vernon to win four straight but lost to Penn-Trafford on Tuesday, 1-0.

Franklin Regional, Belle Vernon and Latrobe were all tied for first in Section 3-3A before Belle Vernon took over the top spot at 5-1.

Tight squeeze

Belle Vernon is 7-5-1 overall and 5-1 in Section 3-3A, where it sits on top. But the Leopards have only managed 17 goals while allowing 21.

Close games will produce those kind of numbers.

The Leopards have been in seven one-goal games, including back-to-back 2-1 wins in overtime (over Ringgold and Uniontown).

They also lost to Charleroi (3-2) and Yough (2-1), beat Uniontown (2-1) in overtime, edged Franklin Regional, 1-0, in double overtime and clipped Mt. Pleasant, 1-0.

Belle Vernon played to a 1-1 tie against Connellsville.

State finals

The PIAA soccer championships moved from Hersheypark Stadium to Eagle View Middle School at Cumberland Valley in 2022.

But there will be a different site for the state finals this year. That is because Eagle View Middle School is undergoing renovations.

Mark Byers, the PIAA Chief Operating Officer and director of soccer, said the league is looking for an alternative location.

A recommendation will be made at next month’s PIAA meeting.

A WPIAL official said the finals could be played somewhere near Mechanicsburg.

Schuchert out

Norwin coach Scott Schuchert is serving a two-game suspension for receiving two yellow cards in last Thursday’s home game against Plum.

Officials carded him during the postgame handshake line for comments he made over a handball call that let to Plum’s goal in the Mustangs’ 1-0 win.

Schuchert did not think anything he said was derogatory, nor did he think it deserved a card.

Top games

Teams will resume section play Thursday, beginning the second half of their section schedules.

In Section 3-3A, Belle Vernon visits Penn-Trafford, while Franklin Regional heads to Latrobe.

In Section 4-2A, Yough hosts Brownsville, Derry visits Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland goes to Greensburg Salem.

Norwin at Hempfield (1-4A), Bentworth at Greensburg Central Catholic (2-A) and Trinity Christian at Jeannette (4A) are other local matchups.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford