By: Michael Love
Sunday, October 20, 2019 | 5:20 PM

Monday’s games

Girls soccer

First round

Class AAAA

9-Fox Chapel (9-7-1) at 8-Upper St. Clair (11-5)

8:15 p.m. Monday at Upper St. Clair

Winner plays: 1-Norwin on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Peter Torres, Fox Chapel; Dave Gray, Upper St. Clair

Players to Watch: Lucy Ream, Jr., M/F, Fox Chapel; Marissa Krenn, Sr., D, Upper St. Clair

Corner kicks: Fox Chapel finished tied with Pine-Richland for fourth place (6-6) in Section 1. Foxes capped regular season with 6-0 win over Seton La Salle. Ream leads the team in goals, and Blair Echnat and Emma Wecht also are scoring threats. Fox Chapel returns to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. … Upper St. Clair owns the record for most WPIAL girls team titles with eight. The Panthers last won a WPIAL title in 2011. They finished third in Section 2 this year behind No. 2 Peters Township and No. 4 Moon. Krenn, a Fordham recruit, anchors the back line. USC handed Peters Township its only loss, 2-1 on Sept. 7.

Class AAA

15-Gateway (8-9-1) at 2-Plum (14-1-1)

8 p.m. Monday at Plum

Winner plays: Winner of 7-Hampton (11-5-1)/10-Elizabeth Forward (8-7)

Coaches: Kelly Bender, Gateway; Jamie Stewart, Plum

Players to Watch: Maddy Neundorfer, Sr., GK, Gateway; Kaitlyn Killinger, Fr., M/F, Plum

Corner kicks: Gateway finished tied for fourth with Franklin Regional in Section 1 and qualified on the final day of section play with a win over the Panthers. Neundorfer is a Duquesne commit. Sophomore forward Addy Green leads the team with seven goals. The Gators are in the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. … Plum finished as the co-champion of Section 3 with Oakland Catholic at 11-1. The Mustangs enter the playoffs riding a 12-game unbeaten streak (11-0-1). They tied Hampton 1-1 in the regular-season finale. Plum qualified for the playoffs for the eighth year in a row. Killinger leads the Mustangs with 16 goals and nine assists. … The game is a rematch of an early-season contest won by Plum, 2-1.

Class AAA

11-Ringgold (8-10) at 6-Kiski Area (12-4)

8 p.m. Monday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: Winner of 3-West Allegheny (13-2)/14-Franklin Regional (8-8) Thursday in quarterfinals.

Coaches: Olivia Wilkerson, Ringgold; Mike Spagnolo, Kiski Area

Players to Watch: Carly Lutz, Fr., D, Ringgold; Kaylee Elwood, Jr., M, Kiski Area

Corner kicks: Ringgold is back in the playoffs after missing the postseason by one game last season. Rams finished tied for third in Section 2 with Laurel Highlands. Lutz, freshman Katelyn Ferrence and sophomore Marina Alberto are scoring threats. Ringgold has played with heavy hearts because of the offseason death of team captain Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel. … Kiski Area won eight of nine to close the regular season. Cavaliers finished runner-up to Class AAA No. 1 seed Mars (14-0-1) in Section 1. Kiski is making its fifth straight playoff appearance. Senior Sidney Palla (17 goals), Elwood (13) and senior Reagan Frederick (10) led the team in scoring during the regular season.

Class AA

11-Quaker Valley (5-9-3) vs. 6-Deer Lakes (13-3-1)

6 p.m. Monday at Mars

Winner plays: 3-South Park on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Jamie Birmingham, Quaker Valley; Frank Accetta, Deer Lakes

Players to watch: Madeline Boulos, Soph., F, Deer Lakes; Sophie Besterman, Sr., M, Quaker Valley

Corner kicks: Game is a rematch of 2018 quarterfinal matchup won by Deer Lakes, 2-1. … Quakers finished fourth in Section 1. They finished regular season 0-2-3 and scored just twice in those games. QV owns a 2-0 victory over No. 2 seed North Catholic. … Deer Lakes finished tied with Freeport for second place (9-3) in Section 2-AA. Sisters Madeline and Abigail Boulos and Lily Litrun are scoring threats. Junior captain Nina Lafko is out for the season with a knee injury. Lancers outscored their opponents 65-24 in route to a 13-3-1 overall record.

Class AA

9-Waynesburg Central (10-6) vs. 8-Freeport (14-4)

6 p.m. Monday at Plum

Winner plays: 1-Hopewell on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Greg Basinger, Waynesburg Central; Brittni Grenninger, Freeport

Players to watch: Rhea Kijowski, Jr., F, Waynesburg Central; Sidney Shemanski, Sr., F, Freeport

Corner kicks: Freeport and Waynesburg met in the 2017 WPIAL Class AA semifinals, a game won by the Raiders, 7-0, en route to their first WPIAL title. … Kijowski, a West Virginia commit, leads Waynesburg in scoring. She scored the winner in overtime to defeat third-seeded South Park. Raiders won five of six to cap the regular season and finished third in Section 3 behind South Park and Yough. … Shemanski (34 goals) is Freeport’s leading scorer. The Yellowjackets and Deer Lakes tied for second place (9-3) in Section 2-AA. Freeport posted 10 regular-season shutouts.

Class AA

13-Mt. Pleasant (10-6) vs. 4-Burrell (16-0)

6 p.m. Monday at Kiski Area

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Yough (14-1-1)/12-Highlands (5-9) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Josh Pajak, Mt. Pleasant; Frank Nesko, Burrell

Players to watch: Megan Liberoni, Sr., F/M, Mt. Pleasant; Allie Vescio, Sr., F, Burrell

Corner kicks: Mt. Pleasant finished tied with Brownsville for fourth (6-6) in Section 3. The Vikings finished section play 1-4 after a 5-2 start. Liberoni and Mackenzie Leeder pace the offense. … Burrell outscored opponents 89-8 en route to its first section title since 2005. The Bucs made it to the WPIAL quarterfinals the past two seasons. Vescio (27 goals), Jordyn Kowalkowski (17), Megan Malits (13) and Danica Johnson (13) are scoring threats. Burrell is seeking its first WPIAL title.

Class AA

12-Highlands (5-9) at 5-Yough (14-1-1)

6 p.m. Monday at Penn-Trafford

Winner plays: Winner of 4-Burrell (16-0)/13-Mt. Pleasant (10-6) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: Jenna Plummer, Highlands; Dann Appolonia, Yough

Players to watch: Ariana Kovach, Sr., M/D, Highlands; Justine Appolonia, Sr., F, Yough

Corner kicks: The Golden Rams return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Highlands missed postseason last year by two points in Section 2-AA standings. Jess Cekada leads the team with 10 goals. Kovach has six goals. … Yough tied third seed South Park for the Section 3 title (10-1-1). Appolonia, a Youngstown State commit, is the program’s career goals leader.

Class A

13-Springdale (7-9) vs. 4-Seton LaSalle (12-5)

6 p.m. Monday at Seneca Valley

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Greensburg Central Catholic (11-3)/12-Carlynton (8-5-2) Thursday in quarterfinals

Coaches: T.J. Cherry, Seton LaSalle; Marc Bentley, Springdale

Players to watch: Ashley Farrell, Sr., D, Springdale; Gina Mastelle, Sr., GK, Seton La Salle

Corner kicks: Springdale is in the playoffs for the third straight season and 12th time in the past 13 years. They lost in the quarterfinals last year to eventual Class A champion Freedom. Springdale and Serra Catholic for fourth in Section 1 at 5-5. Miranda Shock leads the team with 15 goals. … Seton LaSalle outscored Section 4 opponents 37-3 en route to 12-0 record. Mastelle is a three-year starter in goal.

—Michael Love

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | 12:59 AM

With time running out in the regular season, several key matches will help unclog a couple of section logjams in WPIAL girls soccer on Wednesday.

In Section 4-AAA, Ambridge is in third place (5-4-1), just ahead of both Central Valley (5-5) and South Fayette (5-5).

On Wednesday, Ambridge hosts second-place Montour (7-2-1) while South Fayette hosts Chartiers Valley.

In Section 1-AA, four teams are separated by one game in the battle for third place.

With at least two playoff spots up for grabs, Beaver (4-5) is at Quaker Valley (5-5) while Steel Valley (4-6) hosts Avonworth (5-5).

Soccer section crown at stake

Another standout match on Wednesday in district girls soccer will decide a section championship in Class A.

Chartiers-Houston (8-1) visits Bentworth (9-0).

If the Bearcats win, they will close in on an outright section championship. If the visiting Bucs are victorious, the stage could be set for co-champions.

Bentworth won the earlier meeting between the two, 4-0.

Past vs. present in AA volleyball

Two of the top four teams in Section 2-AA collide in a battle of past champions.

North Catholic is in first place and the defending Class AA champion.

The Trojans visit Hopewell on Wednesday where the Vikings are fighting Avonworth and South Park for playoff positioning.

Hopewell has six WPIAL girls volleyball titles this century, winning four straight crowns from 2002-05 to go along with title runs in ’07 and ’11.

 Shawn Annarelli

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | 11:19 AM

Lily Johns

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Soccer

Class: Junior

Lily Johns wasn’t supposed to lead Quaker Valley into the last season’s playoffs as the goaltender, but a series of injuries changed the team’s plans.

Her unexpected, but successful transition from midfielder to playing in net convinced coaches, and Johns, that she should continue put in work at goalie.

The move has paid off with a pair of shutouts in the team’s first two section games this season.

Why do you enjoy being a goalkeeper?

As weird as it sounds, I love the training sessions. One of the boys varsity coaches, JJ Veshio, has worked with me a lot on perfecting my technique, how to get to balls and all the basics since I’m still fairly new to it. I love working with him and all of our defenders, because they’re all so encouraging.

How confident are you after completing two shutouts to start section play?

It’s really encouraging. I don’t want to say I’m surprised and I don’t want to brag, because the team around me is amazing. We’re very strong defensively, and that has played the biggest factor in our shutouts. It’s a great feeling. There’s really no better feeling.

Who has returned at center and outside back that you know you can count on?

On the left outside is Grace Shaner, and she is a junior. On the right outside is Fiona Benge, and she’s a senior. Inside are Catherine Mueller and Juliana Helkowski, they are juniors. The four of us that are juniors have played together since rec league in kindergarten, and Fiona is also a really good friend. Our communication is always good, and we’re all really close.

What are your individual and team goals this season?

They kind of go together. We want to have a lot of home wins and home shutouts, and we want to go as far as we can in the WPIAL playoffs and hopefully state playoffs. Individually, again, shutouts. I want as many as I can get. I have high expectations for myself, so if I could even be all-section goalie that would be the cherry on top of everything.

Who is your favorite professional soccer player?

This is a really tough one. I have a lot of favorites on the men’s and women’s side. I’d have to go with one of the women and not just because she’s a goalkeeper. I’d say Hope Solo, because her story is incredible. I look up to her a lot.

By: Joe Sager
Friday, August 30, 2019 | 8:09 PM

PreviousNext

Quaker Valley’s girls soccer team can’t wait to open the regular season.

The preseason has been productive for the Quakers, but they know the real tests come when the matches count in the standings.

“It is definitely a new team this year. There are only a few of us who have started together,” senior Sophie Besterman said. “We’re definitely progressing, and things are getting better. The team chemistry always has been there since we’re all good friends, but, as the season progresses, we’ll get better each game.”

Quaker Valley returns a handful of starters from last year’s squad that finished 9-9 when it lost to Deer Lakes, 2-1, in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals. Senior Fiona Benge and junior Grace Shaner (outside backs) and junior goalkeeper Lily Johns are back on defense with juniors Maya Smith and Cami Womeldorf and Besterman (midfield) in the middle and up top.

“It’s a very competitive group. We are learning how to play as a group,” coach Jamie Birmingham said. “Everybody wants to play, and everybody has some experience but just not at the speed and intensity of the varsity level. So we’re focusing on catching up to the speed of our opponents and learning how to play as a unit.

“Every person has improved with their skills. It’s difficult to get everyone up to the speed of the varsity level without much time in the preseason. The only way to get up to speed is to play.”

The Quakers got their first tests in scrimmages against larger schools Moon and South Fayette.

“We really like playing those bigger schools,” Birmingham said. “Both teams pushed us hard.”

Gaining experience is important in the development of Quaker Valley’s younger players.

“It’s a great group to coach. They are intense and like to compete. They are there for each other, which is important, too.” Birmingham said. “All the spots are going to be competitive the next few years. I expect that young group to be pushing the varsity by midseason, which will be a good dynamic.”

The Quakers attended a team camp at Edinboro, which helped the squad heading into the fall.

“We’ve had a very intense and competitive preseason,” Birmingham said. “We have a lot of balance, so Quaker Valley is going to play like a team this year. It’s not going to be carried by any one or two players.”

The veteran players have been guiding the young players, too.

“We always support each other, and we want each other to get better,” Besterman said. “It’s hard not playing any varsity and then starting varsity. We help each other out whenever needed.”

Quaker Valley has seen some its hard work pay off and are excited for the process to continue.

“Everyone on our team is definitely really skilled and has potential,” Besterman said. “We definitely have a promising team. We’re just working on building and learning together. Each practice and game is a progression. All we can do is focus on getting better each day and go one step at a time.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.