Seton LaSalle boys set to chase WPIAL championship

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, October 20, 2017 | 4:36 PM

The Seton LaSalle boys soccer team won its fifth consecutive section title this season, and seventh in the past eight years.

The Rebels now have their sights set on a higher goal — a WPIAL championship.

No. 3-seed Seton La Salle enters the WPIAL Class A playoffs with a 15-2-1 record, and plays No. 14 Avonworth (12-6) at 3 p.m. Saturday in a first-round matchup at Chartiers Valley.

“I don't think Avonworth deserved that low of a seed,” coach Ryan Kelly said. “They are a well-coached group, and we have a lot of respect for their program.”

The last time the two teams met, Seton LaSalle defeated the Antelopes, 1-0, in the WPIAL final two years ago.

“We were in the same section for a long time,” Kelly said, “and played seven times from 2013 to 2015.”

The Rebels, who started out 10-0 this season, are led offensively by senior forward Darryl Daniels (25 goals, 10 assists) and junior midfielder Kellen Krebs (20 goals, nine assists); complemented by senior midfielder Kaleb Krebs, who dished out 20 assists to go with his three goals.

Kellen Krebs connected for eight game-winning goals.

“Our team has fought adversity in the form of the injury bug all year, so I think our group as a whole has stepped up,” Kelly said. “Kellen Krebs has done a great job filling in for the big holes missing in our lineup when Darryl, (senior) Michael Allen, (sophomore) Ethan Gardner and company missed extended time.”

Seton LaSalle netted 71 goals while allowing only 11 this season. Senior goalkeeper Sam Reinhart registered 10 shutouts.

“Our defensive effort has gotten better as the season has gone on,” Kelly said. “Thankfully, we're finally healthy and ready to get the playoffs started. I'm looking forward to Saturday.”

The Rebels' defensive corps in front of Reinhart consists of juniors Kyle Killen and Chris Sigg, and sophomores John Pete and Domenic Viskovicz.

Rounding out the team's starting lineup are Daniels, Allen and sophomore Gabe Rosario at forward; and the Krebs brothers and Gardner at midfield.

Senior Cullen Vereb and Mark Mitchell, juniors Zach Wells and Hank Polley, sophomore Tyler Stack, plus freshmen Anthony Newman and Josue Ruiz are top reserves.

Avonworth, which jumped out to a 7-1 record this year, finished fourth in Section 3 with a 9-5 mark, behind Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (14-0), Springdale (10-3-1) and Riverview (9-4-1).

The Antelopes outscored the opposition by a 52-21 overall margin, posted 12 shutouts, and were shut out three times.

Seton-La Salle won the Section 4 championship with a 12-1-1 mark, ahead of Bentworth (10-4), Monessen (8-6) and Chartiers-Houston (8-6).

The Rebels have been a WPIAL finalist eight times in school history.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.