Westmoreland WPIAL girls soccer playoff capsules

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 5:51 PM

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Class AAAA

First round

No. 2 Penn-Trafford (13-3-1)vs. No. 15 Penn Hills (6-10)

8 p.m. Monday at Penn-Trafford

Winner plays: No. 7 Fox Chapel (12-5-1)/No. 10 Butler (10-7) winner Thursday

Free kicks: Penn-Trafford enters the postseason as section champions for the first time in four years. The Warriors bested rival Norwin for the Section 4 title. Goalkeeper Megan Giesey posted eight shutouts this season, and the Warriors averaged more than four goals led by forwards Hannah Nguyen (Duquesne) and Lauren Stovar (Army). … Penn Hills earned a trip to the playoffs for the second consecutive year by placing fourth in Section 3. The Indians rebounded from a 3-7 start.

No. 4 Norwin (14-1-1) vs. No. 13 Canon-McMillan (7-7-2)

8 p.m. Monday at Norwin

On the air:Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 5 Mt. Lebanon (9-6-1)/No. 12 Kiski (9-6) winner Thursday

Free kicks: The first-round match is a rematch of last year's Class AAAA title game, which Norwin won 3-1, and PIAA quarterfinal, which Canon-McMillan won 3-1. Norwin placed second in Section 4, ending a four-year reign as section champs. The Knights had shutouts in 12 of 16 games. … Canon-McMillan placed fourth in Section 2 and comes into the postseason on a four-game losing streak. The Big Macs won their first five matches of the year and went 2-7-2 over their last 11.

Class AAA

First round

No. 8 Belle Vernon (12-4-1) vs. No. 9 Ambridge (12-4-2)

6 p.m. Monday at Peters Township

On the air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 1 Moon (18-0)/No. 16 Oakland Catholic (6-11) winner Thursday

Free kicks: First-year coach Tom Cameron guided Belle Vernon to a second-place finish in Section 2. The Leopards finished strong, going 8-1-1 over their past 10 matches. Belle Vernon also was the No. 8 seed in last year's playoffs, falling to Thomas Jefferson in the first round. … Ambridge placed third in Section 4 and finished the season by winning three consecutive matches. The Bridgers made a run to the semifinals last year as the No. 12 seed.

No. 7 Franklin Regional (10-5-1) vs. No. 10 Mt. Pleasant (9-7-1)

6 p.m. Monday at Norwin

On the air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 2 Mars (13-1)/No. 15 Laurel Highlands (8-7-1) winner Thursday

Free kicks: Franklin Regional defeated the Vikings, 3-2, on Sept. 27 in a nonsection match. In a season marred by injuries to key players, including midfielder Lydia Jackson and goalkeeper Tiffany Jolayemi, Franklin Regional shared second place in Section 1 with Hampton. The Panthers were upset by Ambridge in the first round last year. … Mt. Pleasant placed third in Section 2 and scored three consecutive section victories to secure a playoff berth. The Vikings' offense runs through forward Ally Bloom, a Seton Hill recruit.

Class A

First round

No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic (11-3) vs. No. 14 Eden Christian (8-8-2)

6 p.m. Monday at Fox Chapel

On the air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

Winner plays: No. 6 Vincentian Academy (11-4)/ No. 11 Bishop Canevin (9-5-1) winner Thursday

Free kicks: Greensburg Central Catholic, which shared the Section 1 title with Shady Side Academy, stretched its WPIAL-record section winning streak to 89 this season before losing two section games in a row (Serra Catholic and Shady Side Academy). The previous record belonged to Mars at 86 games. The Centurions have won four of the last six Class A titles. … Eden Christian placed fourth in Section 4 and made the playoffs for the first time since joining the WPIAL in 2013. The Warriors had a record of 9-55-3 over the four years prior to this season.

—Jerin Steele

Tags: Ambridge, Belle Vernon, Canon-McMillan, Eden Christian, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford