A-K Valley girls soccer playoff preview capsules for Saturday’s 1st-round games

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | 9:03 PM

Girls soccer

First round

Class 3A

No. 7 Kiski Area (13-4) vs. No. 10 Plum (12-6)

3 p.m. Saturday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Oakland Catholic (14-1)/No. 15 Gateway (7-9-2) on Wednesday

Coaches: Melisa O’Toole, Kiski Area; Caitlin Schuchert, Plum

Players to watch: Reagan Frederick, Kiski Area; Gina Proviano, Plum

Corner kicks: These teams both dropped to Class AAA after reaching the Class 4A playoffs last season. Kiski Area tied for second in Section 1 with Hampton behind top-seeded Mars. The Cavaliers advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals last season before falling to Norwin. Led by Frederick, Kiski Area scored 61 goals this season. Plum tied Trinity for second place in Section 3. The Mustangs posted nine shutouts this season, including seven in a row early in the season. They lost to North Allegheny in the 2017 first round.

Class 2A

No. 7 Burrell (12-2-2) vs. No. 10 Yough (11-5)

1 p.m. Saturday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: No. 2 Hopewell (13-1-1) on Wednesday

Coaches: Gregg Dale, Burrell; Dann Appolonia, Yough

Players to watch: Jordyn Kowalkowski, Burrell; Justine Appolonia, Yough

Corner kicks: This is a rematch of a quarterfinal game from last season, which Yough won 3-2 in overtime on a Justine Appolonia goal. Burrell finished second in Section 2, losing only to third-seeded Deer Lakes during the regular season. Kowalkowski, Skylar Dale and Cara Fiore lead a Burrell offense that scored 85 goals, averaging more than five per game. Yough, a WPIAL semifinalist last season, finished fourth in a loaded Section 3. The Cougars were the only team to beat No. 1 South Park in section play and closed the season on a five-game winning streak, outscoring teams 27-1.

No. 8 Freeport (10-6-2) vs. North Catholic (9-5-1)

3 p.m. Saturday at Mars

Winner plays: No. 1 South Park (16-2)

Coaches: Brittni Grenninger, Freeport; Christyn Bobak, North Catholic

Players to watch: Sidney Shemanski, Freeport; Tori Michalski, North Catholic

Corner kicks: Freeport advanced to the WPIAL semifinals each of the past two seasons, including a Class AA runner-up finish in 2016. After splitting their first 10 games, the Yellowjackets closed the regular season on a 5-1-2 run to finish third in Section 2. Shemanski leads a proficient Freeport offense that also gets significant contributions from Emma Check and Abby Bastaja. North Catholic advanced to the PIAA playoffs last season as the third-place team in Class A before rising to Class AA this season. The Trojans finished third in Section 1. After a late-season stretch of three losses in four games, North Catholic posted a win and a draw heading into the playoffs.

No. 12 Apollo-Ridge (6-6-1) vs. No. 5 Avonworth (11-5-2)

1 p.m. Saturday at Mars

Winner plays: No. 4 Waynesburg (13-5)

Coaches: Matt Ross, Apollo-Ridge; J.C. Mahan, Avonworth

Players to watch: Madison Galinac, Apollo-Ridge; Ava Wert, Avonworth

Corner kicks: Apollo-Ridge won its last two games to finish fourth in Section 2 and earn a WPIAL playoff spot. The Vikings are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and are seeking the first postseason win in school history. Galinac, an experienced goalkeeper, posted shutouts in four of A-R’s victories. Avonworth is making its fourth consecutive postseason appearance. The Antelopes advanced to the quarterfinals each of the last two seasons. The second-place team from Section 1, Avonworth closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak, with four shutouts.

Class A

No. 9 Springdale (10-6) vs. No. 8 Chartiers-Houston (10-8)

1 p.m. Saturday at North Allegheny

Winner plays: Winner of No. 1 Freedom (16-1)/No. 16 Eden Christian (5-7)

Coaches: Jerry Concannon, Springdale; John Liebold, Chartiers-Houston

Players to watch: Jaden Domaratz, Springdale; Alyssa Daugherty, Chartiers-Houston

Corner kicks: Springdale is making its second consecutive playoff appearance after dropping down from Class AA over the winter. The Dynamos lost in the Class AA first round to Avonworth last season. After a 1-3 start, Springdale won nine of its final 12 games, including an impressive victory over defending state champion Shady Side Academy. The team is seeking its first WPIAL title since 2009. Chartiers-Houston is making its third consecutive playoff appearance but posted its first winning season since 2014. The Bucs finished behind Bentworth in Section 2. They went 5-4 in both the first half and second half of the season.

— Doug Gulasy

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Burrell, Chartiers-Houston, Freeport, Kiski School, Plum, Springdale, Yough