WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship breakdown: South Fayette vs. Moon

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, November 3, 2023 | 12:59 AM

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WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship

5-South Fayette (14-4-2) vs. 3-Moon (15-1-2)

1:15 p.m. Saturday, Highmark Stadium

Tickets: $10 (general admission)

Coaches: Nicholas Rosser, South Fayette; Bill Pfeifer, Moon

Players to watch: Abbigail Rosser, South Fayette; Serayah Leech, Moon

WPIAL titles: South Fayette 0; Moon 5 (2004, ‘16, ‘17, ‘21, ‘22)

Playoff path: South Fayette defeated No. No. 12 Penn-Trafford, 5-0, in the first round; No. 4 Thomas Jefferson, 3-0, in the quarterfinals; and No. 1 Mars 3-2 in penalty kicks in the semifinals after being scoreless through overtime.

Corner kicks: South Fayette dealt Moon its only loss in three years, ending a 48-game unbeaten streak, when Alex Delaney scored to seal a 1-0 victory Sept. 13. The teams tied 1-1 on Oct. 9. The Lions tied for second in Section 4 at 9-2-1 and are on a 12-0-1 run. The South Fayette defense has yet to allow a goal in the postseason. Senior midfielder Abbigail Rosser and freshman defender Abbey Spalla were picked to the All-WPIAL team. In the semifinals against Mars, Mia Deramo scored the winning goal in the seventh round of penalty kicks. Delaney and Anna Fraps also converted their penalties and Caitlyn Thompson stopped five Mars shooters. … Moon is a two-time defending WPIAL champion, winning in Class 4A in 2021 and 3A last year. The Tigers won Section 4 at 9-1-2 this season. Leech, a senior keeper, has allowed just two goals (both against South Fayette) and has posted 52 career shutouts, including 16 this season. She was selected earlier this week to play in the All-American game, where Pfeifer will coach. Pfeifer also hit a career milestone this season, surpassing 500 career wins. He was named the National Federation of State High School Associations coach of the year last winter. Moon had five players picked to the All-WPIAL team — senior midfielder Sydney Felton, senior defenders Gabrielle Larson and Marina Mollica, junior midfielder Lilly Snyder and Leech.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Moon, South Fayette