WPIAL boys soccer quarterfinal preview capsules for Westmoreland County teams

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | 7:24 PM

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Quarterfinals

Class 4A

No. 3 Franklin Regional (16-2) vs. No. 11 Canon-McMillan (11-6)

8 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway

On air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 2 North Allegheny (16-2-1)/No. 10 Upper St. Clair (7-9-1) winner Saturday in semifinals

Free kicks: Franklin Regional continued its snug defensive play with a 2-1 win over 14th-seeded Mt. Lebanon in the first round. The Panthers have yielded just 12 goals all season, giving up just two goals in a game once, to Penn-Trafford. Center-midfielders Justin LeDonne and Auston Kranick scored for the Panthers in the first-round win. … Canon-McMillan outlasted No. 6 Norwin in a physical first-round matchup, 2-1 in overtime, as sophomore defender Tommy Samosky scored twice. The Big Macs have reached the quarterfinals six consecutive times. They won the WPIAL title two years ago.

Class 3A

No. 8 Belle Vernon (14-4-1) vs. No. 1 West Allegheny (17-1-1)

8 p.m. Wednesday at Peters Township

On air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 13 Indiana (12-7)/No. 5 South Fayette (13-4-2) winner Saturday in semifinals

Free kicks: Belle Vernon got two goals from Aaron Brown while Jackson Guess and Markello Apodiakos scored one apiece in a 4-1 win over Hampton in the first round. The Leopards get a rematch with West Allegheny which upset them in the first round last season 3-0 when Belle Vernon was the No. 4 seed. … Section 2 champ West Allegheny has been one of the most dominant teams in the WPIAL all season. The Indians have not lost since opening night, 2-1 against Franklin Regional. They have 12 shutouts during their 18-game unbeaten streak. Fletcher Amos had a hat trick in a 9-0, first-round win over West Mifflin, and teammate Steven Abbott scored twice.

Class 2A

No. 3 Mt. Pleasant (15-2) vs. No. 11 Central Valley (9-7-2)

8 p.m. Wednesday at Canon-McMillan

Winner plays: No. 15 Shady Side Academy (10-7-1)/No. 7 Waynesburg (12-6) winner Saturday in semifinals

Free kicks: Mt. Pleasant won a first-round playoff game for the first time in 16 years with a 5-1 win over Elizabeth Forward. It won a preliminary round game in 2013. In the latest win, Brad Tait and Sam Napper each scored two goals and assisted on one apiece, and high-punting keeper Shane Piper had six saves to lead the Vikings, who are riding a 13-game winning streak. … Central Valley finished third in Section 4, but the Warriors play a strong brand of defense. Goalkeeper Caleb Carson made six saves in a 6-0 clean sheet against Charleroi in the opening round. Teammate Gabe Samangy scored a hat trick in the victory.

Class A

No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic (14-3-1) vs. No. 4 Winchester Thurston (15-1)

6 p.m. Wednesday at Hampton

Winner plays: No. 1 Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (17-1)/No. 8 Bentworth (13-6) winner Saturday in semifinals

Free kicks: This is a rematch that Greensburg Central longed for, having lost twice to Winchester Thurston in Section 2 play, 4-3 and 2-1. The Centurions' other loss came against Hempfield. In the first round, leading scorer Luke Mort found the net twice as GCC edged Chartiers-Houston, 3-1. GCC lost to Freedom, 1-0, in last year's quarterfinals. … Winchester Thurston blanked Monessen, 3-0, in the first round. The Bears have won 14 consecutive games, a 2-1 loss to Seton LaSalle on Sept. 2 their last defeat. They have nine clean sheets.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Canon-McMillan, Central Valley, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Mt. Pleasant, West Allegheny, Winchester Thurston