Preparation, passion lead Norwin to title-game victory

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, November 5, 2023 | 5:43 PM

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Late Saturday night at Highmark Stadium, with the twinkle of the Pittsburgh skyline reflecting off the Monongahela River, Rick Zappone wasn’t sure if going to penalty kicks favored his Norwin team or North Allegheny more.

After all, both teams were exhausted, drained by unrelenting yet superior soccer that still left them itching to come out of their corners for more.

Zappone did know one thing: He was willing to take his chances with his boys.

It’s a good time to roll with these Knights, who turned a chip on their shoulder into a “ship” in their trophy case with a memorable championship win over North Allegheny.

“We’re the eighth seed and you look at all of the challenges we have been through,” said Zappone, a senior defender. “We have heart and wanted it more. That showed in overtime. All the time we put in all year, the three-hour training sessions in the summer. It all paid off.”

Norwin (15-5-1) pulled its third straight upset in the Class 4A bracket and, in the process, claimed its first WPIAL boys soccer championship with a 2-1 victory (5-3 penalty kicks) over No. 2 North Allegheny.

Junior Daniel Maddock scored late in regulation, off a corner-kick assist from junior George Bunovich, heading in the equalizer to make it 1-1 in the 73rd minute.

“When that second goal went in, that’s when everything changed,” North Allegheny coach Manny Montero said.

From there, it was a tapestry of build-ups ruined by highlight saves in an all-time-caliber matchup of senior goalkeepers in Norwin’s Anthony Scalise and Dante Accamando of North Allegheny.

The Beadling travel teammates combined for 18 saves, 10 by Accomando.

Scalise missed five games with a groin injury but came back for the Seneca Valley game and has returned to top form.

The teams played two 15-minute overtime periods brushed by close calls before soccer’s ultimate finale, the 1-on-1 guessing game, the shootout, finally decided a winner.

Seniors Owen Christopher and Alex Brown, Maddock, and freshman Chase Molinaro scored in the shootout before Bunovich popped in the winner after Scalise batted away the Tigers’ third attempt, sending the Norwin crowd into a frenzy that shook the press box and denied North Allegheny its first title since 2017 (10th overall).

Norwin defeated No. 1 seed Seneca Valley last Saturday, 3-2, with a 4-2 win in PKs. A 2-1 win over No. 5 Fox Chapel followed in the semis.

The Knights hadn’t played for a title since 2018 when they lost to Seneca Valley. They hadn’t been to the finals before then since 1989.

The third time was the charm.

“Coach Carter (Breen) told us the energy in the locker room was dead (in the 2018 final), so we wanted pick it up this time,” Christopher said. “We really wanted to get this win.”

Bunovich said he was ready when it was his turn to lock eyes with Accamando.

“(Scalise’s save) hyped everyone up,” he said. “It’s the best feeling when your keeper makes a great save.”

Norwin practiced penalty kicks last week in case the title match stretched beyond two overtimes.

“We went over it all week,” Scalise said. “I saw on film which way he was going to go.”

North Allegheny played well enough to win, challenging each Knights’ highlight with one of its own.

Luke Brady made it 1-0 in the 12th minute, and the Tigers defended like they had a double back line — and Accamando.

“Norwin was lingering, lingering, lingering,” Montero said. “The more you let them linger, the more dangerous they are.”

Scalise said the Knights began to visualize this title run on a bus ride home Oct. 10, with three games left in the regular season.

“I remember we were coming home from Mt. Lebanon, and we came through the (Fort Pitt) tunnel and looked to our right and there was Highmark with the lights on,” Scalise said. “We all went crazy. From that time, things picked up for us. It’s been our dream to get there.”

A Westmoreland County boys soccer team had not won a WPIAL title since Greensburg Central Catholic in 2020.

The Knights are the first county team to win in the largest classification.

Norwin also gives Section 2 a shot in the arm.

Viewed by some as the weaker section, with the northern powers in Section 1, Norwin gave credence to the argument that Section 2 might be catching up.

Since the WPIAL added a fourth classification in 2016, six Section 1 teams won titles: Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley (2), and North Allegheny (2).

Only Canon-McMillan, the champion in 2019, was from Section 2.

Norwin will open the PIAA playoffs Tuesday night at home against Warwick (18-1-1), the fourth-place team from District 3.

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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