After quarterfinal loss, Plum boys soccer looks ahead toward productive offseason

By: Michael Love
Sunday, November 5, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The Plum and South Fayette boys soccer programs were no strangers to each other before meeting Oct. 25 in a WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal at Plum High School.

In the 2020 first round, the No. 13 Lions rose up and stunned the No. 4 Mustangs, 2-1, in overtime.

Last year, Plum returned the favor as the No. 2 seed scored a 2-1 quarterfinal win that was decided on penalty kicks.

The rubber match was just as close. The teams went back-and-forth looking for an advantage to take the lead. A rare officials ruling in the 56th minute when senior keeper Owen Zalewski was punting the ball away on a goal kick cost Plum.

The call was a handball on Zalewski just outside the 18-yard box just before he kicked the ball.

South Fayette’s Adam Thompson took the resulting free kick and fired it into the back of the Plum net.

That was the only goal in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss for the No. 1 Mustangs which ended a season rife with goals and expectations of reaching the title game at Highmark Stadium.

“I couldn’t be upset after the game because they did everything we asked of them in that game,” Plum coach Raf Kolankowski said.

“We played a good game and had our opportunities to win. It just wasn’t our night to score. Sometimes in sports, and soccer especially, when the ball doesn’t go into the net, you are going to pay for it.

South Fayette continued on in the bracket and upended No. 5 Montour, 2-1, in the semifinals Oct. 30 at North Allegheny to reach the championship game.

“South Fayette has been so competitive,” Kolankowski said.

“They are just a tough opponent with a good coach and great players. They play in a very tough section, so they were very prepared to enter the playoffs. In this bracket, this was a pretty tough matchup for the second round. They were really close to challenging for their section title. They came in with just two losses, and both were in overtime. When you get into the playoffs, you are going to play good teams in each round.”

Plum’s only other loss this season came in its season opener against Upper St. Clair. It was the second game of a rare single-day doubleheader at the Plum tournament.

But the Mustangs were able to rebound and go on a run through section and nonsection play. The defense gave up just nine goals in Plum’s 18 victories.

The Mustangs had battles with section foes Latrobe (2-1 and 3-2), Franklin Regional (1-0) and Penn-Trafford (2-0 and 2-1 in OT).

“I was proud of all of the guys for how they performed,” Kolankowski said.

“It was an awesome season. They had big goals and expectations because they felt the pieces were there to do big things. Everybody came together, and we played good soccer.”

Two days before preseason practices began, Kolankowski was in the middle of a tragic situation with the loss of lives and property in the Rustic Ridge house explosion.

But with his team and his players in mind, he forged on and helped get the team prepared.

For his efforts in leading the team to an 18-2 overall mark, a 14-0 section record, and a No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, Kolankowski was selected the 2023 Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association’s Class 3A Coach of the Year.

Senior Tristan Ralph, who led the team this season with 12 goals, is one of 14 players from the WPIAL to be selected to the all-state list by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association.

Ralph’s all-around play was taken into account when considered for the honor. He also recorded 13 assists.

He had a season-best hat trick in a 5-0 win over Gateway on Sept. 12 and tallied both goals in a 2-0 triumph at Penn Hills which wrapped up the perfect section slate.

Ralph also had a four-game streak where he tallied a pair of assists in each contest.

That streak included the 6-2 rout of rival Franklin Regional on Sept. 26.

Ralph also was selected the Class 3A Player of the Year and shared All-WPIAL honors with senior defender Tyler Yurisenec and junior defender Garrett Chandler.

Senior midfielder Travis Kodman added all-section honors, and Zalewski was an honorable-mention selection.

Senior Brady French finished second on the team with nine goals, while junior Gage Adinolfi added eight.

Kolankowski and the program overall will say goodbye to a group of 10 seniors.

“It’s been a really good class which has given so much to the program,” Kolankowski said.

“This class really came together. We had basically three starters coming back from last year. From Day 1, they kept getting better and better. There was no ‘I’ in any of them. It was all about the team and making sure we did all of the necessary things to reach our goals. That was the story of the whole season.”

Kolankowski said he has charged the returning players and those coming into the varsity and JV program to make the most of the offseason with workouts and conditioning or games with cup and travel teams.

“We have four starters coming back, and next year will be like this year,” he said.

“There will be some turnover, but the younger guys bought into what we are doing, and hopefully they can continue to progress and step up their games. That is the way it is from year to year.”

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: Plum