Westmoreland, A-K Valley WPIAL soccer playoff capsule: Game for Nov. 3, 2022

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, November 2, 2022 | 5:11 PM

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WPIAL girls soccer playoffs

Class 3A

Third-place consolation

3-Plum (16-2) vs. 5-Latrobe (12-3-2)

6 p.m. Thursday, at Norwin High School, North Huntingdon

Winner plays: District 8/District 10 champion in first round of PIAA playoffs.

Loser plays: WPIAL champion, either Moon or Mars, in PIAA first round.

Players to watch: Ella Bulava, MF, Latrobe; Kaitlyn Killinger, F, Plum

Corner kicks: Plum and Latrobe, the top two teams from Section 3, hoped to see each other again in the WPIAL title game at Highmark Stadium, but the Mustangs and Wildcats will do battle one more time for the third-place spot to the PIAA tournament. Plum saw its streak of WPIAL finals appearances end at three with a 3-0 loss to Moon on Tuesday at Gateway. Latrobe fell to No. 1 Mars in the first game at Gateway as the Planets stretched their unbeaten streak to 80th games. Freshman Annalyse Bauer scored the Wildcats’ lone goal in the second half. The teams split their season series, with Plum winning the first meeting, 4-2, and Latrobe returning the favor, 1-0. It was the Mustangs’ lone loss of the regular season, and it snapped their 42-game win streak in section matches. Killinger, a Pitt commit, owns 84 career goals. Senior defender Kaley Simqu also is a Pitt commit, and senior Cam Collins has committed to St. Francis. Latrobe also owns a trio of Division I commits: junior Ella Bulava (Maryland), junior Regan Reilly (Bowling Green) and senior Sofia DeCerb (James Madison). Plum is making its third trip to states in four years. It was denied a fourth trip in 2020 when the PIAA took only the WPIAL champion because of covid logistics. Latrobe is making its first trip to the state playoffs. The Wildcats’ 6-1 win over Ringgold in the first round was the program’s first playoff victory. Latrobe coach Jamie Morrison was a standout at Jeannette and played at Penn State.

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: Latrobe, Plum