Westmoreland County soccer playoff preview capsules for Oct. 21, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, October 20, 2025 | 6:18 PM

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WPIAL soccer playoffs

Boys

Class 4A

First round

11-Woodland Hills (7-7) at 6-Norwin (10-5-3)

8 p.m. Tuesday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon

Winner plays: At 3-Plum (14-2-2) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Andrew Bingham, Woodland Hills; Ryan Schoemer, Norwin

Throw-ins: Woodland Hills returns to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Wolverines took fourth place in Section 2. They have 22 goals and have allowed 50. They defeated Hempfield in the last game of the regular season, 1-0 in double overtime. … Norwin takes a streak of seven straight shutouts into the playoffs. That includes a 0-0 tie with Plum and a 1-0 win over Upper St. Clair. The Knights have not surrendered a goal since Sept. 22 in a 2-1 loss to Fox Chapel. They have 10 clean sheets overall. Ryan Schoemer powers the offense. The Knights were stunned in the first round last year by North Hills.

12-Hempfield (5-10) at 5-Canon-McMillan (12-3)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Canon-Mac Stadium, Canonsburg

Winner plays: At 4-Seneca Valley (15-2) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Braden Crowe, Hempfield; Adam Kuchera, Canon-McMillan

Throw-ins: Hempfield is back in the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The Spartans finished fourth in Section 1. A 4-0 win over Gateway late in the season was the playoff clincher. The Spartans have not won a playoff game since 2007. Braden Crowe is the top goal scorer. … Canon-McMillan was ranked No. 1 earlier in the season by TribLive. The Big Macs took second place in Section 2 behind top-seeded Peters Township. They have won 9 of 10 and have scored 65 goals and yielded 17. Nonsection wins against Fox Chapel and Bethel Park were impressive.

Girls

Class 2A

First round

9-Belle Vernon (13-4-1) at 8-Burrell (9-6-2)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Buccaneer Stadium, Lower Burrell

Winner plays: Winner of 16-Yough (7-10)/1-South Park (18-0) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Ali Watson, Belle Vernon; Makiah Buchak, Burrell

Throw-ins: Belle Vernon, a Class 2A newcomer last year, finished second in Section 1 to unbeaten South Park. The Leopards have 10 shutouts, including six straight during their current six-game winning streak. Ali Watson and Abby Russell have been a dependable goal connection, while Rory Bastedo and Skylar Salay make a formidable one-two punch at goalkeeper. … Burrell has played bracket-buster in recent years, knocking No. 1 Mt. Pleasant out in the quarterfinals last year. The Buccaneers finished second in Section 2 behind Freeport and North Catholic. Burrell is 1-4-1 in their last six games, but that was a grinding stretch against playoff teams Freeport, Shady Side Academy, Plum and Peters Township.

13-Avonworth (9-8-1) at 4-Mt. Pleasant (13-4-1)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Viking Stadium, Mt. Pleasant

Winner plays: Winner of 12-Shady Side Academy (7-9)/5-Deer Lakes (15-2) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Bella Moyer, Avonworth; Morgan Gesinski, Mt. Pleasant

Throw-ins: Avonworth tied for third place in Section 3 with Beaver. It tied No. 3 seed Quaker Valley, 0-0. Avonworth has 33 goals and has given up 31.The Antelopes lost to Deer Lakes in the first round last year after winning three straight WPIAL titles from 2021-23. Avonworth defeated Mt. Pleasant, 2-1, to win the 2022 WPIAL championship. … Mt. Pleasant, a perennial playoff team under coach Rich Garland, is aiming for its first title run. The Lady Vikings lost in the quarterfinals the past two years after reaching the finals in 2022. Robert Morris commit Morgan Gesinski is one of the WPIAL’s top goal scorers. She has 28 goals this year and more than 100 goals in her career. Laurel Rummel is a fourth-year starter at goalkeeper. Mt. Pleasant has 13 shutouts and outscored section teams 77-1. The Lady Vikings were the No. 1 seed last year.

14-Southmoreland (7-9-1) at 3-Quaker Valley (13-1-1)

6 p.m. Tuesday, Quaker Valley Stadium, Leetsdale

Winner plays: Winner of 11-Keystone Oaks (8-9)/6-Central Valley (12-3-1) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Hannah Conn, Southmoreland; Ariana Bosh, Quaker Valley

Throw-ins: Southmoreland is a playoff regular under coach Josh Pajak. The Scotties and Yough tied for third place in Section 4 behind Mt. Pleasant. They are one of four 2A playoff teams with a sub-.500 record. Hannah Conn and Ashley Seder are go-to goal scorers. … Defending champion and state semifinalist Quaker Valley was met with little resistance on the way to the Section 3 title. The Quakers outscored teams 40-1, and 57-4 overall. Their losses are to playoff teams Pine-Richland and South Fayette. They have posted 11 shutouts in 14 games.

16-Yough (7-10) at 1-South Park (18-0)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, South Park Stadium

Winner plays: Winner of 9-Belle Vernon (13-4-1)/8-Burrell (9-6-2) Saturday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Daisy Miller, Yough; Arianna Beck, South Park

Throw-ins: Yough has dropped four of five heading into the playoffs. The Cougars’ signature win for now was a 5-2 victory over Southmoreland early in the season. The Cougars lost to North Catholic in the first round last year, 3-0. Daisy Miller is the top goal scorer, but watch for Kate Slavick. Carly Fitzgibbons is a proven, fourth-year starter in goal. … South Park was a semifinalist last season but was upset by Burrell. The Eagles have scored 103 goals and allowed three. They lead the 2A playoff field with 15 shutouts. Wins over Mt. Pleasant and Thomas Jefferson stick out.

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

Tags: Avonworth, Belle Vernon, Burrell, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Quaker Valley, South Park, Southmoreland, Woodland Hills, Yough