A-K Valley PIAA soccer preview capsules: Games for Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022

By: Michael Love
Monday, November 7, 2022 | 6:18 PM

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Boys

Class 3A

First round

Plum (19-2-1) vs. Cathedral Prep (16-1-1)

6 p.m. Tuesday, Hagerty Family Events Center, Erie

Winner plays: Winner of Moon (20-0-1)/Palmyra (18-3-1) in PIAA quarterfinals Saturday (site, time TBD)

District seeds: Plum 7-3, Cathedral Prep 10-1

Coaches: Raf Kolankowski, Plum, Sam Tojaga, Cathedral Prep

Players to watch: Lucas Pittman, MF, Plum; Noah Handzel, F, Cathedral Prep

Throw-ins: Plum defeated Montour, 2-1, in the WPIAL third-place consolation game to advance to the PIAA tournament. Lucas Pittman and Aldi Flowers scored for the Mustangs, and Tristan Ralph had two assists. They are making their first PIAA playoff appearance since 2005. … Handzel scored three goals and had an assist, as Cathedral Prep captured its 34th District 10 title last week with a 10-0 win over Meadville. Dylan Danch and Max Johnson added two goals apiece to spot the Ramblers to an 8-0 halftime lead. Cathedral Prep also won its regional title with a 10-1 win over Corry behind two goals each by Cam Dunbar and Pau Barea Solves. The Ramblers’ lone loss came to Lake Catholic on Oct. 1, 2-1. They have outscored opponents 97-9 this season.

Class 2A

Harbor Creek (14-5-1) at Deer Lakes (20-2)

6 p.m. Tuesday, Lancers Stadium, West Deer

Winner plays: Winner of Juniata (11-9)/Lancaster Catholic (14-5-2) in PIAA quarterfinals Saturday (site, time TBD)

District seeds: Harbor Creek 10-2, Deer Lakes 7-1

Coaches: John Parente, Harbor Creek; Aaron Smith, Deer Lakes

Players to watch: Brandon Konieczki, F, Harbor Creek; Ryan Hanes, MF, Deer Lakes

Throw-ins: Harbor Creek finished second in District 10 after dropping a 2-0 decision to Mercyhurst Prep last Wednesday in the championship game. Konieczki scored with 34 seconds left in double overtime to give Harbor Creek a win over Fairview in the District 10 semifinals. The Huskies have allowed just 20 goals this season. … Deer Lakes captured its second WPIAL title in three years last Friday with a 1-0 win over Beaver at Highmark Stadium. Jacob Orseno finished off a deflection from fellow freshman Peyton Kushon for the winning tally. Hanes leads Deer Lakes with 31 goals and 18 assists this season. Kushon has 17 goals and five assists.

Girls

Class 3A

First round

Plum (17-2) vs. Warren (9-9)

6 p.m. Tuesday, War Memorial Field, Warren

Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Moon (20-0)/7-4 Latrobe in quarterfinals Saturday (site and time TBD)

District seeds: Plum 7-3; Warren 10-1

Coaches: Jamie Stewart, Plum; Jeremy Bickling, Warren

Players to watch: Ava Weleski, M/F, Plum; Georgie Bickling, F, Warren

Throw-ins: Plum, coming off a 3-0 loss to Moon in the WPIAL semifinals, regained a measure of momentum two days later with a 2-1 victory over section rival Latrobe in last Thursday’s third-place consolation at Norwin. Falling behind 1-0, the Mustangs rallied in the second half on goals from senior Annabel Arhin and junior Ava Weleski. Plum outshot Latrobe, 18-7. Ahrin is back in the lineup after missing games earlier in the playoffs because of injury. Both teams had qualified for the PIAA playoffs by reaching the WPIAL semifinals. The Mustangs enter the PIAA playoffs for the third time in four years. It would be four straight years, but PIAA covid logistics in 2020 limited the state qualifiers to just the district champions. Last year, Plum made it to the state semifinals with wins over District 6 champion Hollidaysburg and District 3 champ Mechanicsburg before falling to Mars, 1-0. Senior Kaitlyn Killinger, a Pitt commit, leads the Mustangs with 21 goals this season. She has four playoff goals, while Weleski owns three and senior Cam Rogers two. … Warren has not played a game since Oct. 19 when it defeated Bradford in the regular season finale. The two other District 10 Class 3A teams — Oil City and Meadville — opted out of the district playoffs. The Lady Dragons swept both teams in the regular season. The City League Class 3A representative also opted out of a subregional game with Warren. The Lady Dragons are led by freshman Meea Irwin with 28 goals. Senior Georgie Bickling owns 19 goals and 21 assists. Bickling is the program’s all-time leader in goals and assists with 86 and 100, respectively. Warren played Mars in the PIAA playoffs in 2019 and 2020, and the Planets won by scores of 8-0 and 6-1.

Class A

First round

Springdale (16-4) vs. Mercyhurst Prep (14-5-1)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, at Mercyhurst University’s Vorscheck Athletic Complex, Erie

Winner plays: Winner of 5-1 Windber (19-0)/7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic (13-4)

District seeds: Springdale 7-2; Mercyhurst Prep 10-1

Coaches: Marc Bentley, Springdale; Jamie Borowicz, Mercyhurst Prep

Players to watch: Grace Gent, F, Springdale; Marisa Schnars, M, Mercyhurst Prep

Throw-ins: Springdale refocuses its postseason efforts after suffering a 3-0 loss to Freedom in Friday’s WPIAL Class A title game at Highmark Stadium. The Dynamos scored 10 goals in the WPIAL tournament. Senior Grace Gent led the way with five goals, and sophomores Briana Ross and Molley Hurley scored two goals apiece. Fellow sophomore Carissa Walsh also scored a goal against Waynesburg. Springdale has its focus on Mercyhurst Prep, but a win could set up a rematch in the quarterfinals with section rival Greensburg Central Catholic. The Dynamos are in the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2011. That year, WPIAL runner-up Springdale beat District 5’s Conemaugh Township, Shady Side Academy and GCC in the first three rounds of states before falling to District 4 runner-up Warrior Run, 3-1, in the championship game at Hersheypark Stadium. The Dynamos made the PIAA semifinals in 2010 and lost in the 2009 state title game. … Mercyhurst Prep defeated Seneca, 3-0, on Nov. 1 to capture the District 10 championship. The Lakers have won eight games in a row and have outscored opponents in 34-3 during the run. Schnars leads the team with 23 goals, and she has eight assists. She had a goal and two assists in the District 10 title game and owns two hat tricks among six multi-goal games. Sophomore Molly Taylor also is an offensive threat with 13 goals and a team-best 20 assists. Mercyhurst Prep is in the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2019 when it was in Class 2A. The Lakers won the Class 2A state title in 2017 and also brought home PIAA gold in 2010.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Plum, Springdale