PIAA boys soccer playoff capsule: Game for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, November 4, 2024 | 5:03 PM

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PIAA boys soccer playoffs

Class 3A

First round

Franklin Regional (14-4-2) at Bellefonte (15-3-3)

5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bellefonte High School, Bellefonte

District place: Franklin Regional 7-2; Bellefonte 6-1

Winner plays: Winner of 3-1 Conrad Weiser (21-1)/7-3 Mars (16-2-4) Saturday in quarterfinals

Corner kicks: Franklin Regional is back in the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2021 and will make the two-plus-hour trek up Route 22 to play its opener. The WPIAL runner-up Panthers are coming off a 3-1 loss to undefeated Moon in the district final. Joey Bayne scored his ninth goal of the season in the game at Highmark Stadium. Moon scored twice in the second half to win its seventh WPIAL title. The Panthers will get Jovan Sankoorikal back for the state opener. He sat out two games for receiving a red card in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Sankoorikal and Danny Christafano are All-WPIAL players. Franklin Regional made the PIAA semifinals in 2018 and ‘19. … Bellefonte held off Hollidaysburg, 3-2, to win the District 6 championship. Andy Gerasenko had two goals before Conelle Stabinger booted home the game-winner with 39 seconds remaining in regulation. Eli Davis made 15 saves in the win, which clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs. Gerasenko and Bayne are also football kickers. The Raiders last made the state tournament in 2018 and lost in the first round to Franklin Regional, 5-0, at Norwin. Bellefonte is located about 10 miles north of State College.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional