Overtime Goal Sends Canon-McMillan Into WPIAL Semifinals

Senior Austin McColpin scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift No. 4 Canon-McMillan past No. 5 Pine-Richland, 2-1, in the WPIAL Quarterfinals Thursday night at Moon High School.

McColpin’s goal was his eighth of the season. McColpin also had a hat trick in Monday’s First Round game against Fox Chapel.

Pine-Richland jumped out to a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game on a goal by Nico Marsh. The Rams held onto the lead through halftime and for the first part of the second half.

The Big Macs finally broke through 13 minutes into the second half on a goal from junior Tommy Samosky. The goal was the seventh of the season for Samosky.

The game remained tied until McColpin’s goal in overtime to keep Canon-McMillan’s season alive.

The Big Macs improve to 16-2 and will play top-seed Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Semifinals on Monday. The game will be played at Mars at 8 p.m.

Boys Soccer Class 4A Quarterfinal Preview

With the first round in the books, the quarterfinals are set to begin tonight in CLass 4A boys soccer. The top three seeds who received a bye in the first round will be back in action and will all host. The one neutral site game being played is between the two teams that won their first round matchup.

No. 1 Seneca Valley Raiders (14-2-1) vs. No. 9 Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (7-11-1), 8 p.m.

Seneca Valley will be playing its first game since Oct. 16, a 3-1 win at Bethel Park. The Raiders enter the playoffs winning three out of their last four games, but have been the leaders of Section 1 for the majority of the season and won the section title. Seneca Valley lost in the quarterfinal round last year, a 2-1 defeat against Pine-Richland at Hampton…Mt. Lebanon came into the playoffs with a losing record but picked up a first round win on the road against Connellsville on Monday, 3-2. The Blue Devils first round win snapped a four-game losing streak entering the playoffs. Tonight will be Mt. Lebanon’s first WPIAL quarterfinal appearance since 2013. The Blue Devils lost to Upper St. Clair, 4-1, that year. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.

No. 2 Norwin Knights (15-2-1) vs. No. 7 Peters Township Indians (11-7), 8 p.m.

Norwin cruised to a Section 3 title this year without suffering a loss in section. The Knights last played a game on Oct. 16, defeating Penn Hills 12-1 in that contest. They have won eight of their last nine regular season games, including five shutouts. This is the Knights first quarterfinal appearance since 2010 when they defeated Canon-McMillan 1-0 at Baldwin…Peters Township is coming off a 1-0 win in the first round against two-time defending WPIAL champion, North Allegheny. The Indians scored early in that contest and was able to hold on for the win. Peters Township made it to the WPIAL Championship Game a year ago, defeating Butler, 4-1, at Moon in the quarterfinal round. This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

No. 3 Upper St. Clair Panthers (11-4-1) vs. Butler Golden Tornado (11-4-2), 8:15 p.m.

Upper St. Clair earned a first round bye by winning the Section 2 regular season title. The Panthers last game was on Oct. 16, a 4-0 win against Baldwin that clinched the section title outright. Upper St. Clair lost to North Allegheny, 1-0, at Moon in the quarterfinal round last year…Butler is coming off a convincing 3-0 win Latrobe. The Golden Tornado have not suffered a loss since Oct. 9. Butler lost to Peters Township, 4-1, at Moon in last year’s quaretrfinal round. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.

No. 4 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (15-2) vs. No. 5 Pine-Richland Rams (11-4-3) at Moon, 8 p.m.

Canon-McMillan was forced to play a first round game on Monday with there being a 13-team field, and they made the most of it with a 4-1 win against visiting Fox Chapel. The Big Macs enter tonight’s game on a seven-game win streak. Canon-McMillan defeated Franklin Regional in last year’s quarterfinal round, 3-1, at Gateway…Pine-Richland made easy work of its first round opponent, Plum, with a 5-2 win at home. The Rams have now won four of their last five games entering tonight’s game. Pine-Richland defeated Seneca Valley, 2-1, at Hampton in last year’s quarterfinal round. This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

For a complete look at the Class 4A bracket, click here.

Boys Soccer Class 4A First Round Preview

On Wednesday, the WPIAL released the 13-team bracket for the boys Class 4A soccer playoffs. Today, seeds 4 through 13 will face-off in the first round. The top three seeds will receive a bye into the quarterfinals. Those teams include No. 1 Seneca Valley, No. 2 Norwin, and No. 3 Upper St. Clair. All three teams were crowned as section champions at the end of the regular season.

In the first round, all higher seeds are hosting unless otherwise noted.

No. 4 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (14-2) vs. Fox Chapel Foxes (11-6-1), 8 p.m.

Canon-McMillan was a game behind Upper St. Clair for the Section 2 title and if it weren’t for five teams making the playoffs in the Section 1, the Big Macs would’ve received a first round bye. The Big Macs made an appearance in the Class 4A WPIAL semifinals last year but lost to North Allegheny and lost the consolation game to go to the state playoffs. The Big Macs enter the playoffs on a six-game win streak, with three of those wins coming of the shutout variety…Fox Chapel was the last team to make the playoffs, finishing in a tie with North Allegheny for the last playoff spot. The Foxes were waiting on pins and needles at the end of the season, but NA and Butler tying in the last regular season game allowed the Foxes to extend their season. Fox Chapel has made the playoffs every year dating all the way back until at least 2000. Fox Chapel has gone 6-1-1 down the stretch entering the playoffs. This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams.

No. 5 Pine-Richland Rams (10-4-3) vs. No. 12 Plum Mustangs (11-7), 8 p.m.

Pine-Richland was one of the five playoff teams from Section 1 that all recorded double-digit wins in the regular season. The Rams were a Class 4A semifinal team from a year ago before losing to Peters Township, 4-1. They won the consolation game to advance to the PIAA first round before losing to WPIAL champion North Allegheny, 5-0. The Rams have won three out of four games to end the regular season…Plum was the last team in Section 3 to qualify for the playoffs, narrowly finishing two points ahead of Penn-Trafford. The Mustangs are making their third straight playoff appearance, losing in the first round the prior two years. Plum has won four of five games entering the playoffs. This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams.

No. 6 Butler Golden Tornado (10-4-2) vs. No. 11 Latrobe Wildcats (11-6-1), 7 p.m.

Butler was in a win or tie scenario in its last game of the season in order to make the playoffs, and they were able to do the latter. The Golden Tornado tied North Allegheny to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in third place in Section 1. The Golden Tornado won their first round game a year ago against Penn-Trafford, 2-0. Butler finished the regular season going 3-1-1 in its final five games…Latrobe finished tied for third place in Section 3, but owned the tiebreaker against Plum to get the higher seed. The Wildcats are making their first playoff appearance since 2014. Latrobe finished the regular season 5-0-1 in its final six games. This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams.

No. 7 Peters Township Indians (10-7) vs. No. 10 North Allegheny Tigers (10-5-1), 8 p.m.

This game is easily the most anticipated matchup of the first round as it pits the two teams that faced off in the Class 4A WPIAL Championship Game at Highmark Stadium last year. North Allegheny won that contest, 2-1, but Peters Township returned the favor with a 3-1 win in the PIAA quarterfinals. The Indians advanced to the state semifinals last year. Both teams graduated double-digit numbers in seniors last year, putting them in this position. The Indians finished in third place in Section 2, going 5-2 in their final seven games of the regular season. The Tigers finished tied for fourth in Section 1, going 3-2-1 in their final six games of the regular season. This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams.

No. 8 Connellsville Falcons (14-4) vs. Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (6-11-1), 8 p.m.

With a second place finish in Section 3, Connellsville earned the right to host its first boys soccer playoff game in school history. Last year, the Falcons took top-seed North Allegheny to overtime before losing 1-0 in the WPIAL first round. Connellsville won nine of their last 10 games entering the playoffs…Mt. Lebanon is the lone team in the field to enter the playoffs with a losing record, but they were able to secure the final playoff spot in Section 2. The Blue Devils also lost in the first round last year, falling to Franklin Regional, 2-1. Mt. Lebanon enters tonight’s game on a four-game losing streak. This is the first meeting of the year between these two teams.

For a complete look at the Class 4A bracket, click here.

 

Canon-McMillan Boys Soccer Keeps Hopes Alive For Section Title

Down the final stretch of the regular season, the Canon-McMillan boys soccer team did all that they could to vie for a section title. The Big Macs won their final five section games, including a 2-0 win against usual powerhouse Peters Township on Thursday night.

At 13-2 overall and 10-2 in Section 2-4A, Canon-Mac is in wait-and-see mode as they try to catch Upper St. Clair, who is 9-4-1 overall and 9-1-1 in the section. The Panthers still have one more section game left as they will host Baldwin (6-8-1, 3-7-1) on Tuesday. A win and the Panthers are section champs and a loss will give the Big Macs the section crown.

On Thursday, the two South Hills rivals were deadlocked at 0-0 at halftime. That didn’t last long as junior Aiden Walsh found the back of the net 10 minutes into the second half for a 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later, sophomore Joseph Fonagy recorded his team-best 17th goal of the season for the insurance.

Junior Alex Hilbert got the shutout and win in net for the Big Macs.

Canon-Mac will close out the regular season with a non-section home game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. against Shaler.

Peters Township drops to 9-6 overall and 6-5 in the section, sitting in third place. The Indians will close out the regular season with a non-section road contest on Tuesday at Ringgold at 7:45 p.m.

Overtime Goal Clinches Playoff Spot For Mt. Lebanon Girls Soccer

With the regular season coming to an end, another playoff spot was solidified in Class 4A for girls soccer. On Wednesday night, Mt. Lebanon claimed that spot with a 2-1 win in overtime at Canon-McMillan.

The Blue Devils have come on strong as of late, going 6-0-1 in their last seven games, including five shutouts.

Senior Jane Chavez delivered the game-winning goal in overtime for Mt. Lebanon in its latest win. The win gave the Blue Devils revenge on the Big Macs, who won the first meeting, 5-0, back on Sept. 19.

With the win, Mt. Lebanon improves to 9-4-3 overall and 8-3-2 in Section 2-4A. The Blue Devils currently have sole possession of third place in the section. They will conclude their regular season on Monday when they travel to Upper St. Clair for a section game at 8 p.m.

Canon-McMillan drops to 9-6-1 overall and 6-6-1 in the section. The Big Macs will host Belle Vernon in a non-section game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Canon-McMillan Boys Soccer Stays in Hunt For Section Title

A win on Thursday night would have all but solidified the Upper St. Clair boys soccer team at least a share of the section title.

Canon-McMillan made sure to make things interesting down the home stretch, defeating the Panthers 4-1 at home. The loss gave the Big Macs a season split with the Panthers, who won the first contest, 3-2, back on Sept. 15.

The Big Macs spread the wealth with four different goal scorers in the game. Seniors Steven Dowling and Chris Viveros, junior Tommy Samosky, and sophomore Joey Fonagy all found the back of the net.

At 11-2 overall and 8-2 in Section 2-4A, Canon-McMillan sits a half-game behind Upper St. Clair. The Big Macs will travel to Mt. Lebanon for a section game on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.

Upper St. Clair drops to 8-4-1 overall and 8-1-1 in the section. The Panthers next scheduled opponent will also be at Mt. Lebanon, on Thursday at 7:45 p.m.

Alumni Update – Canon McMillan’s Courtney Finney

Courtney Finney anchored an outstanding Washington & Jefferson College defense in a pair of shutouts last week. She played all 90 minutes in the two wins.

In Thursday’s 1-0 win at Penn State Altoona, the Presidents’ defense navigated 15 shots, including six on goal. W&J held Thiel College to just four shots, including two on goal, in Saturday’s 3-0 PAC-opening victory at Alexandre Stadium. Last week’s shutouts were the third and fourth of the season for W&J.

The Canon-McMillan graduate was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Defensive/Goalkeeper Player of the Week for her performance.

(photo courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College)

2017-18 WPIAL and PIAA Champions

Congratulations to all the student-athletes, coaches, and athletic departments on a successful year! Below is a review of all the teams that won WPIAL and PIAA championships this past year.

Scholar Athlete Award Winners

NAMESCHOOLSPORT
Caleb CekellaSeneca ValleySoccer
Luke MaryPeters TownshipBaseball
Greta LazzaraFox ChapelSoccer
Nina RouthMt. LebanonVolleyball

Canon-McMillan Baseball Makes PIAA Championship Game For First Time in 10 Years

On the 10 year anniversary of the Canon-McMillan baseball team that won the PIAA championship, the Big Macs are heading back to the title game after a 4-1 win against Council Rock North at Greene Twp. Park in Scotland, Pa. in the Class 6A PIAA semifinals on Tuesday.

Like he has all season long, senior Zach Rohaley was the work horse for the Big Macs, pitching six innings only allowing the one run on five hits and two strikeouts. Rohaley also left enough in the tank to make him eligible for the Championship Game on Friday. Junior Cam Weston came in and pitched the seventh inning to earn the save.

Council Rock jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but wouldn’t lead for long. In the third inning, junior Brandan Rea delivered a two-out, two-run single to score senior Brandon Kline and junior Cam Walker.

Weston delivered the knockout punch in the fourth, on a two-run triple scoring seniors Cory Didier and Ian Hess.

The win improves Canon-McMillan to 20-5. They will go for the state championship on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Medlar Field on the campus of Penn State University against District 1 champion, Bensalem.

Canon-McMillan Downs North Allegheny Again; Advances to PIAA Semifinals

The North Allegheny baseball team fell to the Canon-McMillan Big Macs on Thursday afternoon, 6 -3, in the PIAA quarterfinals at Seton Hill University. The Big Macs scored four runs in the first inning and staved off a North Allegheny comeback bid to advance to the state semifinals next week.

In the opening frame, the Big Macs surged ahead on an RBI double by Ian Hess, a two-run double by Cam Weston and a squeeze bunt RBI by Zachary Rohaley for a 4-0 lead.

North Allegheny trimmed the score to 4-2 in the fourth inning courtesy of an RBI single from C.J. Weller and an RBI groundout by Brett Heckert.

Canon-McMillan tacked on a pair of important insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Hess drove in Brandon Kline on a sacrifice fly and Weston followed with an RBI single for a 6-2 lead.

The Tigers got a run back in the top of the sixth inning as Caiden Wood scored Brett Loughnerwith a sacrifice fly to centerfield to cut the score to 6-3, Canon-McMillan.

In the top of the seventh, North Allegheny threatened again as Joey Colella led off the inning with a walk and Justin Hamm reached on a single two outs later. With the game tying run at the plate in the form of power hitting Colin Cain, the Big Macs brought in Kline in relief who struck out Cain to end the ballgame.

Big Macs starter Cam Weston earned the win with six innings of work, allowing only two hits, three runs (two earned) with five walks and four strikeouts. Hess recorded two outs in the seventh and Kline picked up his first save of the year.

For North Allegheny, Cain took the loss with five innings on the bump. Cain surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Anthony Hattrup pitched one scoreless inning of relief.

North Allegheny’s season ends with a 14-12 record. Canon-McMillan improves to 19-5 on the campaign and will play in the PIAA semifinals on Monday.