Boys Soccer Class 4A Semifinal Preview
The semifinal round was set last Thursday, and the top four teams entering the WPIAL playoffs all survived to be the final four.
Both of tonight’s games will be played at a neutral site for the right to go to the Championship Game at Highmark Stadium.
No. 1 Seneca Valley Raiders (15-2-1) vs. No. 4 Canon-McMIllan Big Macs (16-2) At Mars, 8 p.m.
Top-seed Seneca Valley didn’t show any rust after receiving a bye in the first round. The Raiders made easy work against No. 9 Mt. Lebanon with a 7-0 win in the WPIAL Quarterfinals. Senior Jackson Wotus and junior Ben Francis led the team with two goals each. The Raiders last made the semifinals in 2016 when they defeated Upper St. Clair, 1-0…Canon-McMillan have already won two playoff games this year and are coming off a 2-1 overtime win in the quarterfinals against Pine-Richland at Moon High School. Senior Austin McColpin sent the Big Macs home happy with his overtime goal. After trailing 1-0, junior Tommy Samosky tied the game up, forcing it into overtime. Canon-McMillan is hoping for a different result than last year’s semifinal when they lost 9-0 to North Allegheny. This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
No. 2 Norwin Knights (16-2-1) vs. No. 3 Upper St. Clair Panthers (12-4-1) At North Allegheny, 8 p.m.
Norwin won its first playoff game since 2010 in the WPIAL Quarterfinals, a 2-1 win against No. 7 Peters Township. Seniors Carter Breen and Jake Nebinski scored both goals for the Knights. Nebinski’s was a penalty kick that sealed the win. Norwin has now won nine of its last 10 games…Upper St. Clair also received a bye in the first round, and looked fresh in its quarterfinal round win against Butler, 4-1. The Panthers had four difference goal scorers in the game. This was the fourth straight win for Upper St. Clair. This is the second WPIAL semifinal appearance in three years for the Panthers. They lost 1-0 to Seneca Valley in 2016. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
For a complete look at the Class 4A bracket, click here.