Westmoreland soccer preview capsule: Game for Monday, Oct. 30, 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 4:41 PM

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WPIAL soccer playoffs

Boys

Class 3A

Semifinals

11-Franklin Regional (12-7) vs. 2-Hampton (18-2-1)

6 p.m. Monday at North Allegheny

Winner plays: Winner of 8-South Fayette (11-4-3)/5-Montour (14-4) TBA in championship at Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh

Players to watch: Tyler Pipon, Franklin Regional; Luke Fiscus, Hampton

Throw-ins: Franklin Regional has back-to-back upsets in the bracket and is primed for a return to the semifinals for the fifth time in six seasons. … After a 4-0 win over No. 6 Mars, the Panthers took down No. 3 Moon, 2-1 in double overtime, as Pipon scored both goals. The Panthers were WPIAL champions in 2018 and ’19. They were a No. 4 seed last year when they lost to No. 13 Montour, 2-1 in overtime. Coach Lukas Petersen has to sit out this game because he received two yellow cards in the quarterfinal. … Hampton, which defeated Franklin Regional, 2-1 in overtime, in the 2021 semifinals, pushed past No. 7 Thomas Jefferson, 2-1 in 2 OTs, to reach the semis. The Talbots feature Fiscus, a talented senior midfielder, along with senior forward Coleman Docherty. Both are All-WPIAL players, along with teammate Oliver Spinola, a senior defender. … The winner qualifies for the PIAA playoffs. The loser will play in the third-place game for a spot in the state tournament.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional