With defense leading way, Sewickley Academy boys contended in section, battled to the end

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Defense dominated on the Sewickley Academy pitch this season.

More than half of the wins in 2025 by the Sewickley boys soccer team were shutouts.

The Panthers advanced to the WPIAL Class A playoffs via a 7-3 record in Section 1 and ended up 12-5 overall.

Seven of the 12 victories were shutouts, including a particularly impressive stretch where the Panthers generated four clean sheets in five games.

“Overall, we had a good season,” coach Joel Stewart said. “We finished second in the section with a chance to tie for first if we would have won our final (section) game. Unfortunately, things did not go our way that game as we lost 3-2 in OT.

“This was a special team that gave it their all every game. I am very proud of all of them. Even though we did not achieve the goals we set in the beginning of the season, I am very proud of this team. They showed a lot of grit dealing with adversity throughout the season.”

Sewickley’s defensive corps was spearheaded by senior Blake Wilmot, a four-year starter. Wilmot played at the center back position in 2025.

“One of the often-unmentioned strengths of Blake is his ability to play the ball out of the back,” said Stewart, who was assisted by Jeff Meyers. “He distributes the ball very well to begin a lot of our possessions.

“The other thing I will add to Blake’s strengths is his ability to finish dead ball situations. He (had) several goals this season coming forward on corner kicks and direct kicks into the box.”

Wilmot and junior Jake Donesec started at center back, junior Max Soderstrom was at left back and sophomore Mason Baker manned the right back position.

While the team’s defensive corps was young, seniors Chase D’Antonio, Finn Wentz, Nick Day, Luca Peluso and Wilmot were teammates for several years.

Wentz was a four-year competitor in soccer and will be in his fourth season in the boys tennis program in the spring.

“I think the team played well,” Wentz said. “We battled a lot of adversity, and I’m proud of how we carried ourselves. I think the playoff wins and section titles will always be the fondest part of my experience.

“However, my favorite part was playing alongside my friends. We have played together since we were little, and our team dinners and summer practices I will always remember.”

Wentz and D’Antonio were named all-WPIAL by the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association.

“It is definitely tough to play my last season (at Sewickley Academy),” Wentz said. “The time went by quicker than I thought. The individual awards are nice, but I would have traded it all for a chance to win a WPIAL championship.

“Our coaches and trainer Suzi (Peluso) have meant so much to us, and I am forever grateful for them.”

Day was a two-year starter in soccer and also participates in track and field.

“We have five talented seniors who have been with the program for a long time,” Day said.

Peluso is a three-sport standout at Sewickley. He was a four-year starter in soccer, has skated on the varsity hockey team for three seasons and will be a fourth-year player in the boys lacrosse program in the spring.

The Panthers were anchored defensively by a pair of rock-solid underclassmen this season. The starting goalkeeper was freshman Hayden Haley, who was supported by sophomore goalie/forward Carson D’Antonio.

Sewickley achieved clean sheets against Serra Catholic (8-0), Greensburg Central Catholic (2-0) and in section play against Freedom (6-0, 3-0), South Side (5-0) and Beaver County Christian (1-0).

The seventh-seeded Panthers blanked No. 10 Trinity Christian, 4-0, in the WPIAL first round before losing a 4-1 decision to No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals.

“We had a great first round of the playoffs with a convincing win over Trinity Christian,” Stewart said. “We were very confident heading into our game with OLSH. We knew how good they were, and we knew we had to play our best game of the season. Unfortunately, we just had an off night against a very good team that capitalized on our mistakes.”

Along with Hailey, Wilmot, Donesec, Soderstrom and Baker, the Panthers’ postseason lineup consisted of sophomore Owen Brooks, Chase D’Antonio, Peluso, Wentz and Day at midfield and junior Ben Terrell at striker.

“I think we were better than our seed,” said Wentz, the younger brother of former Sewickley goalkeeper Cooper Wentz. “We beat Trinity Christian and played one of our better games of the season. On a personal level, it was nice to come back after my calf injury and get the win.

“The OLSH game was difficult. They were our old rivals, and they were the better team on the day. We fought hard, but our efforts ultimately were not enough, and our dream to win a championship faded.”

Sewickley finished as the section runner-up to Beaver County Christian, which ended up 8-2 in Section 1-A. The Panthers secured a 31-11 scoring advantage in section play and 51-20 overall.

D’Antonio led the team offensively with 14 goals. Wentz contributed 12 goals and led in assists. Both players were named all-section along with Wilmot and Peluso.

There were 20 players in the Panthers’ soccer program in 2025 including five juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen.

“Our team next season will be young,” Stewart said, “but I am excited for the team to come together and compete for another section title.”

Bentworth defeated OLSH, 3-1, Nov. 30 at Highmark Stadium to win the WPIAL championship.

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