Westmoreland high school soccer playoff preview capsules for Oct. 25, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, October 24, 2025 | 5:11 PM

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WPIAL soccer playoffs

Boys

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

6-Norwin (11-5-3) at 3-Plum (14-2-2)

2 p.m. Saturday, Mustang Stadium, Plum

Winner plays: Winner of 10-Pine-Richland (6-10-2)/2-Fox Chapel (14-2) in semifinals (date, site TBD)

Players to watch: Ian Natale, Norwin; Austin Kolankowski, Plum

Throw-ins: Norwin shook off a slow start to blank Woodland Hills, 4-0, in the first round for its eighth straight shutout. Natale and Danny Metzger each scored two goals, and Tanner Johnson, Obarra Owolabi and Jack Lepore notched assists. The Knights are 0-1-1 against Plum this season, losing 1-0 at home and tying the Mustangs 0-0 on the road. … Plum will resume play after a first-round bye. The Mustangs reached the WPIAL final last year before falling to Fox Chapel, 1-0. Plum has won seven straight section titles. Christian Alter scored the only goal in 180 minutes against the Knights this season. The goal, which richocheted off his head and into the net in the 76th minute, came late in regulation in the teams’ first matchup when a handball was called on Norwin near the corner of the box. Hudson “Andy” Strasser had the assist.

Girls

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

12-Shady Side Academy (8-9) at 4-Mt. Pleasant (14-4-1)

Noon Saturday, Viking Stadium, Mt. Pleasant

Winner plays: Winner of 8-Burrell (10-6-2)/1-South Park (19-0) in semifinals (date, site TBD)

Players to watch: Laurel Rummel, Mt. Pleasant; Virginia Power, Shady Side Academy

Throw-ins: Shady Side Academy scored an upset in the first round, blanking No. 5 Deer Lakes, 1-0. Power found the net for the Bulldogs midway through the second half, and the defense kept a dangerous Lancers’ attack quiet the rest of the way. Shady Side Academy lost to Beaver in the first round last year and made the semifinals in 2023, defeating Burrell to make the finals, where it lost to Avonworth, 1-0. They also made the semis in 2021 and ’20. The Bulldogs won WPIAL Class A titles in 2010, ’13, ’16 and ’19. Sarah Kushnir leads the team in scoring with 17 goals. … Addison Cole and Morgan Gesinski scored goals, and Rummel stood tall behind a strong defense as the Lady Vikings opened the playoffs with a clean sheet, a 2-0 win over No. 13 Avonworth. Gesinski has 29 goals for the season. The Lady Vikings have 14 shutouts in 19 games. They last made the semifinals in 2022 when they edged South Park to reach their first final. Mt. Pleasant could see Burrell in the semifinals. Burrell ended the Vikings’ season in the quarterfinals the last two years.

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

Tags: Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Plum, Shady Side Academy