South Fayette blanks Franklin Regional 4-0 in WPIAL opener
The No. 5 Lions advance to the quarterfinals where they will face No. 4 Mars this week.
By Samir Patterson ·
No. 5 South Fayette advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer quarterfinals after defeating No. 12 Franklin Regional 4-0 on Monday night. Abbey Spalla and Silvi Rossi each scored two goals during the shutout victory. The Lions improved their season record to 10-4-5 while the visiting Franklin Regional squad, which entered the game with an 8-7-2 record, dropped to a first-round loss.
The win capped a first-round slate that saw several top seeds advance across the WPIAL. In Class A, No. 1 Sewickley Academy routed No. 16 Beth-Center 12-0. Emma Eannarino recorded a hat trick during that match, including her 100th career goal. Claire Karsman also scored three times, while Madison Sundo added two goals. Olivia Stefanik, Emilia Carrabba, Sara Merryman, and Madeleine Milburn also found the back of the net for the Panthers.
Other first-round results included a 9-0 victory for No. 8 Carlynton over No. 9 Steel Valley. Belle D’Antonio contributed four goals and an assist in that Class A matchup. In the boys’ soccer division, No. 13 Ambridge pulled off an upset by defeating No. 4 Elizabeth Forward 4-3 in overtime. Aaron Scheib scored all four goals for Ambridge, including the tying goal with 2:15 remaining in regulation and the decisive strike in the extra period.
The quarterfinal slate is scheduled for Thursday. South Fayette will play No. 4 Mars, who defeated No. 13 West Allegheny 5-0 on Monday. Jade Breese recorded a hat trick in that Class 3A win. Mars enters the next round with a 14-1-1 record.
No. 1 Sewickley Academy faces No. 8 Carlynton in a Class A matchup. No. 5 Bentworth, which defeated No. 12 Aquinas Academy 5-0, will take on No. 4 Shady Side Academy. Shady Side Academy advanced after beating No. 13 Serra Catholic 11-0.
In Class 3A, No. 8 Hampton will face No. 1 Penn-Trafford. Hampton defeated No. 9 Moon 3-1, while Penn-Trafford, the top seed, defeated No. 16 Albert Gallatin 8-0. Ellie Lebe and Zoe Bell each recorded two goals and two assists for Penn-Trafford.
Quarterfinals across all WPIAL divisions are set for Thursday. The schedule pairs the remaining 16 teams from the first round based on their seeds and divisional standings.
