Alle-Kiski Valley PIAA soccer preview capsules for Nov. 9, 2024

By: Triblive And Michael Love And Bill Hartlep
Friday, November 8, 2024 | 6:31 PM

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PIAA soccer playoffs

Boys

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

Warwick (18-3) vs. Fox Chapel (13-4-2)

1 p.m. Saturday, Trojan Stadium, Chambersburg

District seeds: Warwick 3-2; Fox Chapel 7-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-2 Plum (17-1-3)/3-1 Cumberland Valley (19-1-1) on Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

First round: Warwick 3, Conestoga 2; Fox Chapel 3, Mechanicsburg 0

Corner kicks: Warwick upset defending state champion Conestoga in the first round Tuesday. Warwick had lost to Conestoga twice in the past four seasons in the PIAA tournament. Conestoga had won five PIAA titles in the past 13 seasons. Eli Yerger scored twice, and Riley Bills added a goal for Warwick. Isaac Yerger, Eli’s brother, earned the win in goal. Warwick competes in District 3’s Lancaster-Lebanon League. … Sean Regan and Rocco Poli scored early in run of play, and Aidan Stein added a goal on a penalty kick to secure Fox Chapel’s 3-0 first-round win over Mechanicsburg. The Foxes have posted three straight shutouts and have outscored teams 8-1 in the postseason, including a 1-0 win over Plum in the WPIAL championship game. The Foxes are led by senior Milo Chiu, who was named the Section 3 player of the year and to the All-WPIAL team, as well as senior All-WPIAL selection Carson Krushansky. The Foxes’ most recent trip to the PIAA quarterfinals came in 2015 when they lost to Springfield (Delco), 2-1. Fox Chapel is in the PIAA tournament for the 14th time. The Foxes won the PIAA title in 1990. They were PIAA runners-up in 1987.

Plum (17-1-3) vs. Cumberland Valley (19-1-1)

Noon Saturday, Mansion Park, Altoona

District seeds: Plum 7-2; Cumberland Valley 3-1

Winner plays: Winner of 3-2 Warwick (18-3)/7-1 Fox Chapel (13-4-2) on Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

First round: Plum 1, McDowell 0 (5-4 PKs); Cumberland Valley 2, Souderton 1

Corner kicks: Gage Adinolfi, Bryce Bobich, Andy Strasser, Christian Alter and Noah Smith scored in a shootout, and Chase Eber made a key save in the seventh round to seal Plum’s first-round victory. The Mustangs are looking for their first PIAA title. They lost to Cathedral Prep in first round in 2022 in their most recent appearance in the state tournament. … Lex Radosavljevic and Jayden Handy scored for Cumberland Valley in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Souderton. CV has won back-to-back District 3 titles, including a 2-0 win last month against Warwick. It was the team’s fourth title in seven years and 11th overall. This is the Eagles’ first trip to the PIAA quarterfinals since 2020. Cumberland Valley’s lone loss was to Emmaus. The Eagles are seeking their first PIAA title.

Girls

Class 3A

Quarterfinals

Fox Chapel (19-4) vs Lower Dauphin (19-2)

11 a.m. Saturday, Trojan Stadium, Chambersburg

District seeds: Fox Chapel 7-2; Lower Dauphin 3-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 South Fayette (20-3)/7-3 Mars (19-3) on Tuesday in semifinals (site/time TBD)

First round: Fox Chapel 5, Hollidaysburg 1; Lower Dauphin won by forfeit

Corner kicks: Fox Chapel stands just two wins away from its first PIAA championship-game appearance. The Foxes bounced back from a 4-0 loss to South Fayette in the WPIAL title game to defeat District 6 champion Hollidaysburg, 5-1, on Tuesday at Hollidaysburg’s Tigers Stadium. Fox Chapel scoring was spread out among five players — senior Paige Solomon, sophomore Taylor Wilkinson, senior Alyssa Quackenbush, sophomore Emily McKee and senior Maddie Grimsley. McKee, Grimsley, Quackenbush, sophomore Caylie Wilkinson and junior Cassie Classen provided assists, and senior keeper Gianna Patterson picked up the win in net. McKee’s goal was her team-leading 34th of the season. Quackenbush and Grimsley have 17 and 12 goals, respectively. The Foxes scored at least five goals in a game for the 10th time this season. Fox Chapel now is averaging 4.3 goals and giving up 0.6. The Foxes were eliminated in last year’s state quarterfinals by District 1 champion Conestoga. … Lower Dauphin surrendered just one goal in four District 3 playoff games. The Falcons also scored 21 goals including three in a 3-0 victory over Cocalico in the title game Oct. 31. Lower Dauphin, in the PIAA playoffs for the second time in three years, received a forfeit to the quarterfinals when District 12 didn’t have a representative able to compete in the first round. The Falcons went 1-1 in the 2022 Class 3A tournament. They were eliminated by Mars, that year’s WPIAL runner-up, 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Last year, Lower Dauphin saw its season end in the District 3 quarterfinals at the hands of Cocalico. The Lower Dauphin girls seek their first PIAA championship. The Falcons boys team captured Class 3A state titles in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Ashley Economopolous, a senior, is a dangerous goal scorer from anywhere on the field. The Old Dominion recruit scored twice and assisted on the third goal in Lower Dauphin’s District 3 title triumph. Junior forward Hannah Sanson also is one to watch for the Falcons, who have won 14 games in a row.

Class A

Quarterfinals

Springdale (18-1) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (16-3-1)

Noon Saturday, Andy Kuzneski Field, Indiana

District seeds: Springdale 7-1; Bishop Guilfoyle 6-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-3 Seton LaSalle (16-3-2)/9-1 Karns City (17-4) on Tuesday in semifinals (site/time TBD)

First round: Springdale 3, Conemaugh Township 2 (3-2 PKs); Bishop Guilfoyle 5, Seneca 4 (OT)

Corner kicks: Springdale won a PIAA Class A first-round game for the third year in a row with Tuesday’s shootout victory over District 5 champion Conemaugh Township at Fox Chapel. Junior Lacey Shondeck collected the winner in the fifth round of the shootout before senior Baileigh Haas made a save on the final Indians attempt to clinch the Dynamos’ 3-2 victory. Senior Briana Ross scored in the first half. It was her 41st goal of the season. Hurley, a senior, tallied Springdale’s second goal on a penalty shot right before halftime. It was her 16th tally in 2024. The Dynamos hope this year they are able to get over the hump after losing in the quarterfinals the past two seasons. In 2022, Springdale defeated District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep, 2-0, in the first round before being eliminated by section rival Greensburg Central Catholic. Last year, the Dynamos shut out District 10 champion Seneca, 4-0, before falling to rival Riverview, 3-1, at Plum. Springdale’s only loss this season came to Class 2A runner-up and PIAA qualifier Burrell. … Bishop Guilfoyle is making its second appearance in the PIAA playoffs in as many seasons. Last year, the Marauders defeated District 9 champion Karns City and WPIAL champion Freedom to reach the state semifinals before falling to Riverview, 4-1. The District 6 champion advanced to Saturday’s matchup against Springdale with a 5-4 overtime victory over District 10 champion Seneca on Tuesday at Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium. Junior Hailey DeGol scored two goals including the winner with 11 minutes, 18 seconds left in the first overtime. The goals were DeGol’s 16th and 17th of the season. Sophomore Emma Marasco leads BG in goals with 33. She scored twice against Seneca and assisted on DeGol’s overtime tally. She owns 57 goals in her first two varsity seasons.

Tags: Fox Chapel, Plum, Springdale