Norwin notebook: Knights girls soccer rebounds after early loss

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, September 25, 2021 | 11:01 AM

Norwin girls soccer coach Diane Metzger isn’t panicking. After all, it’s only one game.

The first-year coach knew Latrobe was talented and could be the team to beat in Section 3-4A when her Knights visited the Wildcats for the section opener.

Latrobe scored two first-half goals and held off Norwin in the second half to win 2-1.

Norwin played without injured starters Paloma Swankler and Alyssa Aquilio.

The result was stunning because Norwin had not lost to Latrobe in more than 25 years and had not lost a section opener in just as long.

“Latrobe was just as good as we expected — very strong in the midfield,” Metzger said. “Our team will respond and learn from it. Not the way that we had hoped to start, but we still had a lot of great play out of our team, especially in the second half.

“Our girls will continue to develop and adjust, and we look forward to a rematch later this season.”

Swankler returned and the Knights rebounded with a 1-0 victory over Fox Chapel. They then shut out Hempfield, 8-0, to improve to 3-1, 2-1.

In the Hempfield win, Swankler and Lindsay Reese had two goals apiece.

Norwin Hall of Fame

The Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame banquet will be Oct. 12 at Stratigos Banquet Centre in North Huntingdon.

Banquet reservations can be made by calling the Norwin High School athletic office at 724-861-3006.

Inductees from the 2020 and 2021 classes will be honored. The ‘20 class includes Jenna Gigliotti (cross country, track), Kathryn Painter (swimming), Kathy Marshalek Pawluk (track) and the 2008 and ‘09 girls track and field teams.

The ‘21 class has Maddie Wensel Coleman (softball), Drew Phipps (wrestling), Kristine Wexell Rupert (volleyball), Otto Trancraitor III (soccer), the 2005 boys volleyball team and the ’09 girls cross country team.

No panic

Norwin’s boys soccer team fell flat in its second game of the season — on its home turf, no less — when it lost to No. 2 Seneca Valley, 5-0.

But the third-ranked Knights quickly regained their form. Norwin won the next five games by a combined score of 23-1, including impressive 3-0 shutouts of Central Catholic and Allderdice.

The Knights were set to host rival Penn-Trafford last Thursday night.

On campus

Slippery Rock senior defenders Katy Ericson and Emily Arnold, both Norwin alums, have contributed to the Rock women’s soccer team’s 4-0-1 start. Slippery Rock has allowed just four goals in five games.

• Washington & Jefferson senior wide receiver Cameron O’Brien (Norwin) led the team with four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in a 28-3 win over Bethany. He also had three tackles.

• Western Michigan freshman quarterback Jack Salopek (Norwin) saw his first college action, in his return to the Pittsburgh area. In backup duty, Salopek completed 3 of 3 passes for 20 yards as the Broncos defeated Pitt, 44-41.

• Ohio senior goalkeeper Sam Wexell (Norwin) has started seven games for the Bobcats and has a 4-3 record with three shutouts. Her goals-against average of 1.14 ranked fourth in the Mid-American Conference.

• Saint Vincent junior Becca Miller (Norwin) had 11 kills in a 3-1 victory over Grove City.

• Penn State Altoona freshman Logan Divald (Norwin) tied Westminster’s Cal Cummins to earn a half-point for the Lions, who lost the first Hite Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event at Laurel Valley Golf Club, 4.5 to 2.5.

Freshman Nathan Graham (Norwin) made his college debut at the event.

When the Lions finished second in the Mountain Valley Collegiate Classic, Divald shot a second-round 73, the fifth-lowest score in program history, and finished eighth (153), while Graham took 14th (161).

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

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