Hesitation Media: sports

Gotham beats Seattle 1-0 on an own goal without a shot on target and reaches the NWSL semifinals

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

HARRISON, N.J. Jordyn Bugg’s own goal in the opening minutes gave Gotham FC a 1-0 win over the Seattle Reign on Sunday, and the NWSL Shield winners reached the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs without recording a shot on goal.

Gotham (18-7-5) entered as the No. 1 seed after winning the Shield for the league’s best regular season record, and the club reached the semifinals for the fourth straight year. Seattle (14-5-11), the No. 8 seed, had taken the last playoff place on Decision Day. The numbers ran against the hosts for most of the afternoon. Seattle outshot Gotham 11-5, held an expected goals edge of 0.53 to 0.16, and put three shots on goal to Gotham’s none.

The only goal came from a Jaedyn Shaw corner kick in the opening minutes. Shaw drove the ball low toward the front post, and Bugg, attempting to clear, sliced it past her own goalkeeper, Claudia Dickey, and into the net. The official scoring summary credits the goal to the 4th minute.

Gotham’s match report calls Gotham the first team in league history to win a playoff game without a shot on goal. Ann-Katrin Berger made three saves to hold the lead, and Dickey finished without a credited save, on a day when the winning team’s attack produced five shots and none on target.

Jess Fishlock produced Seattle’s best first half chances in the final match of her career. She spotted Berger off her line and tried to chip her from near midfield, and Berger recovered to make the save. In the 36th minute Fishlock intercepted a Tierna Davidson pass and struck a shot that rolled just wide of the near post. In first half stoppage time, her flick from a Nérilia Mondésir corner put Sofia Huerta in at the edge of the area, and Huerta’s first time effort rose over the crossbar.

Seattle pressed harder after halftime. Mondésir shot from a tight angle at the near post in the 49th minute. Mia Fishel rolled Davidson with a turn and shot left-footed toward the top corner, and Berger denied her with a fingertip save. In the 51st minute Huerta picked out Fishlock near the top of the box, and Fishlock’s curled effort missed the top corner by inches. Seattle put the ball in the net in the 59th minute, Mondésir finishing after Fishlock latched onto a through ball from Maddie Mercado, but the goal was ruled out because Fishlock was offside when Mercado played the ball. Berger’s third save came in the 71st minute, a diving stop on Mercado after Fishlock had intercepted a pass and played her into the box. Substitute Sally Menti cut a shot back across goal in the 84th minute, beating Berger and missing the near post by inches.

Gotham’s closest chance at a second goal came in the 58th minute, when Davidson’s header from a corner kick took a deflection on its way through and Dickey scrambled to pull it away. The official stats line credits Dickey with no save in the match.

“If you look at the commitment and the work from absolutely everyone on that pitch to make sure that they were not scoring that goal to equalize, outstanding,” Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós said.

Fishlock, 39, came off in the 75th minute for Menti. Seattle’s match recap calls her the club’s last remaining player from its 2013 originals, and Sunday was the last match of her career. She finished her final season with four goals and an assist, per the same recap.

Up Next: Gotham hosts No. 4 seed Kansas City in the semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City, at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The league moved the match from Sports Illustrated Stadium after the pitch there was judged unfit following the quarterfinal. Seattle’s season is over.

Scoring summary: Gotham FC 1, Seattle Reign FC 0. Goal: Gotham, Bugg own goal 4. Halftime: Gotham 1, Seattle 0. Attendance: 11,328.

Michelle Cooper's penalty in extra time gives Kansas City a 1-0 win over Angel City in the NWSL quarterfinals

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Michelle Cooper converted a penalty kick in the 96th minute to give the Kansas City Current a 1-0 victory over Angel City FC after extra time on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NWSL playoffs. The fourth-seeded Current advanced to the semifinals for the third time in franchise history, and they will play at top-seeded Gotham FC next Sunday.

The match paired two of the league’s highest-scoring teams in the regular season, and it produced no goal for 95 minutes. Kansas City (16-5-9, 53 points in the regular season) was the only team in the league to finish the regular season unbeaten at home, and it extended that run into the playoffs. Angel City (15-7-8, 52 points) arrived unbeaten in 10 straight matches to close the regular season, in the club’s first postseason appearance since 2023.

The chances came in a steady line and went unconverted. Laney Rouse fired just high from distance in the sixth minute. Temwa Chawinga headed straight at Angelina Anderson in the 19th. Angel City’s best chance of the first half came in the 25th, when Ary Borges shot on target and Lorena leapt to tap the ball over the crossbar. Anderson saved on Cooper and on Chawinga before halftime, then saved on Croix Bethune in the 48th minute and again after a free kick in the 60th. Lo’eau LaBonta curled an effort just high in the 70th after a layback from Haley Hopkins, and Bethune curled a shot from the top of the box in the 80th that Anderson held. Anderson’s fifth save of regulation came on a well-struck effort from Vanessa DiBernardo. Emily Sams blocked a close-range Chawinga attempt in the 91st minute, and Maiara Niehues shot narrowly wide in second half stoppage time.

Kansas City finished with 20 shots to 12 for Angel City, and six shots on goal to two. The teams combined for 25 fouls, and Angel City drew three yellow cards to one for Kansas City.

Four minutes into extra time, a blocked Chawinga effort went out for a corner kick. Izzy Rodriguez sent the corner into the six-yard box, and Kayla Sharples went to the ground near the goal line after contact with Anderson. The referee awarded a penalty kick. Angel City’s match report described the award as a VAR call, and interim head coach Leif Smerud called the outcome harsh after the match. Cooper stepped up and scored past a diving Anderson into the left side of the goal. The goal was the first postseason goal of Cooper’s career.

Angel City pressed for the equalizer in what was left of extra time. Sveindis Jonsdottir shot narrowly wide from the right side of the box in the 106th minute, and Lorena saved on Niehues in the 115th to protect the lead. Lorena finished with two saves and the first postseason shutout of her career. Anderson finished with five saves and the one goal allowed, on the penalty she had conceded.

“It’s another example of finding different ways to win games,” Kansas City head coach Chris Armas said. “The players met the demands of such a tough, gritty game against a team that you can argue was the hottest in the league.”

“We knew [Kansas City] was a good team, but we came here with no fear,” Smerud said. “To lose on a penalty like that, seems harsh, and I feel for the players a lot, but I’m very proud of the team.”

Up Next: Kansas City plays at Gotham FC in the semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Icahn Stadium in New York. Angel City’s season is over. The club closed the regular season unbeaten in 10 straight matches and set club highs in goals, clean sheets and wins, and its second postseason appearance ended in the quarterfinal round.

Scoring summary: Kansas City, Cooper 96 (penalty kick). Halftime: 0-0. Regulation: 0-0. Attendance: 11,500, the listed capacity of CPKC Stadium.

Kiana Palacios scores and Mandy McGlynn makes four saves as Utah beats San Diego 1-0 for its first playoff win

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO. Kiana Palacios scored in the 30th minute and Mandy McGlynn made four saves as the No. 7 seed Utah Royals beat the No. 2 seed San Diego Wave 1-0 on Friday night at Snapdragon Stadium. The win was the first playoff victory in Utah’s history, in the club’s first playoff match, and it was the only road win of the NWSL quarterfinal round.

Utah (14-5-11 in the regular season) arrived winless in four matches and scoreless in its last three, and it played without midfielder Mina Tanaka, a team high scorer who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. San Diego (18-4-8) came in on a seven match unbeaten run and had won all six previous meetings between the clubs, including both matches this season. None of that held. Utah led a San Diego team for the first time in 2026 and never gave the lead back.

The goal came from the left side. Jameese Joseph, starting in Tanaka’s place, played the ball wide to Cloé Lacasse, who drove a low cross to Palacios at the penalty spot. Palacios took a touch with her right foot, turned, and fired with her left through the legs of defender Kristen McNabb into the right side of the net. It was the first playoff goal in club history.

“Cloé made a nice pass in the box, I saw it coming, took my touch and didn’t even think about it,” Palacios said.

San Diego had the chances to change the match before and after the goal. In the fifth minute Melanie Barcenas headed from the penalty spot and McGlynn got low to parry it away, and McGlynn then deflected a Lia Godfrey shot with an outstretched right hand. San Diego also forced a double stop on the Utah goal line from Kate Del Fava and Paige Cronin in the first half. Utah’s counter produced its own openings: Lacasse shot just high of the far post in the 13th minute, and goalkeeper Sandra Paños dived to turn away a Paige Cronin shot three minutes later, her only save of the night.

The second half followed the same pattern. Palacios curled a shot just wide of the far post in the 50th minute, and at the other end Miyabi slid to block a Kenza Dali chance inside the box. San Diego’s best opening came in the 77th minute, when a mis-hit Gia Corley cross drifted toward the top left corner and McGlynn readjusted and dived to reject it with her right hand. San Diego finished with 16 shots to Utah’s eight, five shots on goal to two, 63 percent of possession and 10 corner kicks to three, and scored on none of them. McGlynn’s four saves and the clean sheet closed out a defensive stand in which Utah also took four yellow cards, Palacios among them in the 59th minute.

“Unbelievable, it’s just everything you could hope for,” McGlynn said. “I’m like in shock, no words can describe this feeling.”

San Diego played without midfielder Kimmi Ascanio, unavailable with a thigh injury, and its season ends with a fourth consecutive playoff defeat. The Wave’s 58 points and No. 2 seed were built on the league’s second best regular season record, and it ended in one night, held scoreless at home by the lowest seed left in the bracket.

Up Next: Utah travels to face the No. 3 seed Washington Spirit in a semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. San Diego’s season is over.

Scoring summary: Utah, Palacios 30, Lacasse. Halftime: Utah 1, San Diego 0. Attendance: 12,638.

Trinity Rodman scores twice as Washington beats Portland 4-1 to reach a third straight NWSL semifinal

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON. Trinity Rodman scored twice and set up the opening goal as the Washington Spirit beat the Portland Thorns 4-1 on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Audi Field to reach the NWSL semifinals for the third straight season. Clara Luvanga added a goal and two assists for Washington, which led 3-0 at halftime, answered Portland’s only goal seven minutes after it went in, and closed out the largest playoff win in club history.

Washington (17-4-9) came in as the No. 3 seed after a 2-0 win over Chicago on Decision Day, and Portland (14-8-8) came in as the No. 6 seed off a 2-0 win over Houston. The bracket gave the winner No. 7 seed Utah, which had won at San Diego on Friday night. The championship match is at Audi Field on Nov. 21, so Washington’s semifinal is also at home, and a win there puts the Spirit in a title game in their own stadium.

The first goal came in the 6th minute. Rodman stripped Portland defender Carolyn Calzada of the ball deep in the Thorns’ end, drove into the penalty area and slipped a low pass through traffic to Mélissa Bethi, who beat goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. Washington held that lead for 28 minutes, and the game was settled in the 24 minutes either side of halftime.

It turned in the 34th and 35th minutes. Arnold hesitated over a back pass from defender Isabella Obaze, and Luvanga closed her down and scored to make it 2-0. A minute later Luvanga raced into the box and crossed for Rodman, who finished for her first goal and a 3-0 lead at the break. Portland’s best period followed the restart. In the 51st minute the ball came out to Jessie Fleming after a corner kick, Fleming sent it back into the box, and Pietra Tordin finished for her first career playoff goal. Seven minutes later Luvanga drove a low pass across the penalty area, and Rodman met it with her left foot to restore the three-goal lead at 4-1.

Rodman finished with two goals and an assist and played all 90 minutes. Luvanga had a goal and two assists before Ashley Hatch replaced her in the 67th minute. Between them they had a hand in all four Washington goals. The numbers behind the score are plain: Washington put five shots on target and scored on four of them. Portland put seven of its 11 shots on target and scored once. Sandy MacIver made six saves in goal for Washington. Arnold made one save for Portland. Jayden Perry was booked in the 47th minute for a tackle on Rodman and sent off in the 88th after a second yellow card on another foul against Rodman, leaving Portland with 10 players for the closing minutes.

“In this league anything can happen. It is difficult to win. Today we thought about Portland. After this we will think about our next opponent,” Washington coach Adrián González said.

Up Next: Washington hosts Utah in the semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Audi Field, 12 p.m. ET on CBS. Portland’s season is over.

Scoring summary: Washington, Bethi 6, Rodman; Washington, Luvanga 34; Washington, Rodman 35, Luvanga; Portland, Tordin 51, Fleming; Washington, Rodman 58, Luvanga. Halftime: Washington 3, Portland 0. Attendance: 19,215, a sellout.

Louisville scores three times in the second half to beat Pitt 4-2 in the ACC opener

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE. Defender Mya Archibald scored her first goal of the season to tie the game in the first half, but Louisville scored three goals in the second half and beat Pitt 4-2 on Saturday, Sep. 12, at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Louisville (7-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC) scored first at 09:15. A Louisville throw-in was sent into the box, a scramble followed inside the 18-yard box, and the ball found Liza Suydam. Suydam sent a shot to the far post. Karina Peat assisted on the goal, Suydam’s fourth of the season.

Pitt (6-2-1, 0-1-0 ACC) tied the game at 19:58, working quickly in transition. Archibald dribbled up the right side without a defender in front of her and sent a long shot to the top corner, beating the Louisville keeper. Maci Tew assisted. The game was 1-1 at halftime.

Louisville took the lead back at 49:13 on a goal by Peat, assisted by Grace Maddox. The goal was Peat’s fifth of the season. Amelia Swinarski made it 3-1 at 62:19, assisted by AG Gibson, with her fifth goal of the season.

Pitt cut the score to 3-2 at 64:34 on an own goal. Adi Bianchin got deep into the final third and sent the ball across the net looking for Sofia Doheny. A Louisville defender stepped in front of the cross and sent the ball past her own keeper into the net.

Liz Eddy scored the last goal at 87:28, assisted by Brooklyn Lee. The goal was Eddy’s second of the season, and it closed the scoring at 4-2.

Louisville outshot Pitt 22-12, with 14 of its shots in the second half to four for Pitt, and took 10 corner kicks to three for Pitt. Each team put four shots on goal, and Louisville scored on all four of its shots on goal. Elli Johnson played 90 minutes in goal for Pitt, allowed four goals and made no saves. Brielle Baker played 90 minutes in goal for Louisville, allowed two goals and made three saves.

Pitt’s next game was at home against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Sep. 17, at 7 p.m. at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

Goals: Louisville, Suydam 09:15, Peat; Pitt, Archibald 19:58, Tew; Louisville, Peat 49:13, Maddox; Louisville, Swinarski 62:19, Gibson; Pitt, own goal 64:34, unassisted; Louisville, Eddy 87:28, Lee; halftime, Pitt 1, Louisville 1; attendance, 512.

Desiree Reed's goal in Raleigh gives Pitt its only ACC win of the season, 1-0 at NC State

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

RALEIGH. Raleigh native Desiree Reed scored at 66:46 as Pitt beat NC State 1-0 on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Dail Soccer Field. The win was Pitt’s first in ACC play this season, and it stood as Pitt’s only ACC win of the season. It evened the all-time series between the programs at six.

Pitt (7-5-2, 1-4-1 ACC) drew three corner kicks in the first 15 minutes and did not score. In the 22nd minute Sofia Doheny tried to head a cross from Lola Abraham into the net, but the shot lacked the power to make it past the NC State keeper. NC State (9-3-2, 2-3-1 ACC) put the ball in the net in the 27th minute after getting past the Pitt backline, and after video review the goal was ruled offsides.

The first half stayed scoreless on a second review. With eight minutes remaining in the half the referee signaled for a NC State penalty kick after Sophie Rourke collided with a NC State forward in the box. After review the penalty was waved off, and the teams went to halftime at 0-0.

Pitt scored the only goal in the 67th minute. Katie Ellermeyer played the ball down the left sideline to Mya Archibald. Archibald dribbled to the endline and sent the ball across the goal to Reed, who finished. The goal was Reed’s second of the season, and both Archibald and Ellermeyer were credited with assists.

NC State outshot Pitt 13-10 for the game. Pitt put seven shots on goal to four for NC State, and NC State took six corner kicks to four for Pitt. Pitt had taken two shots in the first two minutes of the second half, before the goal.

Elli Johnson played 90 minutes in goal for Pitt, allowed no goals and made four saves. The shutout was her third solo shutout of the season. Amor Leigh Martin Esteban played 90 minutes in goal for NC State, allowed one goal and made six saves.

Pitt’s next game was on the road at Notre Dame on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Goals: Pitt, Reed 66:46, Archibald and Ellermeyer. Halftime: Pitt 0, NC State 0. Attendance: 904.

Pitt trails twice and ties SMU 2-2 in the season finale in Dallas

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

DALLAS. Maci Tew and Lola Abraham each scored an equalizer as Pitt tied SMU 2-2 on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium in Dallas in the season finale. Pitt trailed twice and tied the game twice, the second time with 15 minutes and 29 seconds left in regulation.

SMU (6-7-5, 1-6-3 ACC) took the lead at 10:11. Julianne Richter scored, assisted by Brooke Bunton and Libby Jannereth. SMU played the ball behind the Pitt backline, and Richter slotted the shot past Elli Johnson, who had come off her line.

Pitt (7-8-3, 1-7-2 ACC) tied the game at 22:19. Abraham sent a cross into the box, and the SMU keeper deflected the ball out. The carom found Tew, who put it away. The goal was the third of the season for Tew, and the teams went into halftime tied 1-1. Pitt outshot SMU 9-5 in the first half.

SMU took the lead again at 63:21, on an unassisted goal by Bunton. The goal came from a scrum in the box after a corner kick. The corner was cleared at first to the top of the 18-yard box, and Bunton got a foot on the ball and slotted it past a diving Johnson. Pitt had drawn three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of the second half before SMU scored.

Abraham tied the game again at 74:31. Sage Stelzer found Abraham at the top of the box. Abraham got around her defender with her footwork and picked out the far corner. The goal was the third of the year for Abraham, assisted by Stelzer.

Pitt needed a win to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive and kept attacking after the second equalizer. Pitt generated a handful of dangerous chances in the closing minutes and did not score again. SMU outshot Pitt 14-13 for the game. Pitt took nine corner kicks to six for SMU.

Johnson played 90 minutes in goal for Pitt and made two saves, both in the second half. Aubrey Brown played 90 minutes in goal for SMU and made no saves. Pitt’s two shots on goal were its two goals.

Pitt finishes the year 7-8-3 overall and 1-7-2 in ACC play. SMU finishes 6-7-5 overall and 1-6-3 in ACC play.

Goals: SMU, Richter 10:11, Bunton and Jannereth. Pitt, Tew 22:19, Abraham. SMU, Bunton 63:21, unassisted. Pitt, Abraham 74:31, Stelzer. Halftime: Pitt 1, SMU 1. Attendance: 646.

No. 4 Wake Forest scores twice in 45 seconds to beat Pitt 2-1 in the home finale

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Sophie Rourke headed in a corner kick in the second half to give Pitt the lead, but Sammi Wiemann and Dempsey Brown scored less than a minute apart late in the game as No. 4 Wake Forest beat Pitt 2-1 on Friday, Oct. 30, at Ambrose Urbanic Field in Pitt’s home finale.

Neither team scored in the first half. Pitt (7-8-2, 1-7-1 ACC) took five shots in the first 45 minutes to three for Wake Forest. Talyn Guthrie took the first shot of the game for Pitt in the third minute and ended the half with four of Pitt’s five shots.

Pitt had the first chance of the second half. Katie Ellermeyer forced a turnover just outside the 18-yard box and found Sofia Doheny, who sent her shot wide of the goal. Pitt scored at 67:09. Maci Tew took a corner kick and Rourke headed it in. The goal was the first of Rourke’s Pitt career.

Wake Forest (13-2-1, 6-2-1 ACC) tied the game at 78:23. The Demon Deacons took a corner kick, Elli Johnson saved the first shot, and Wiemann finished the rebound. Kylie Maxwell was credited with the assist. Less than a minute later, at 79:08, Brown scored with Maxwell again credited with the assist, and Wake Forest led 2-1. Wake Forest allowed Pitt no opportunity to tie the score in the final 10 minutes.

Wake Forest outshot Pitt 16-11 for the game and led in shots on goal 6-2. Wake Forest took six corner kicks to five for Pitt. Johnson played 90 minutes in goal for Pitt and made four saves. Valentina Amaral played 90 minutes in goal for Wake Forest and made one save.

The loss closed Pitt’s home schedule for the season. Pitt’s next game was the regular season finale on the road at SMU on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Goals: Pitt, Rourke 67:09, Tew. Wake Forest, Wiemann 78:23, Maxwell. Wake Forest, Brown 79:08, Maxwell. Halftime: Pitt 0, Wake Forest 0. Attendance: 291.

Tew and Abraham score first-half goals as Pitt beats Youngstown State 2-1 in the season opener

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Freshman Maci Tew and junior Lola Abraham scored in the first half as Pitt beat Youngstown State 2-1 on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Ambrose Urbanic Field in the season opener for both teams. The win was Pitt’s 10th straight in a home opener.

Pitt (1-0-0) scored first at 15:17. Pitt drew a corner kick, and Tew took the corner herself. Her ball went just over the Youngstown State keeper’s hands and into the net. The goal was Tew’s first in college and the first Pitt goal of the 2026 season.

Youngstown State (0-1-0) tied the game at 21:19. A long ball went over the top of the Pitt backline, and Sara Felder, assisted by Makayla Thinger, poked the ball into the net. The goal was the 12th of Felder’s career.

Abraham put Pitt back in front at 37:14, and that score held through the second half. Celine Ottah played the ball into the 18-yard box to Adi Bianchin. Bianchin passed across the front of the goal, and Abraham finished. The goal was the third of Abraham’s career.

Neither team scored in the second half. Pitt outshot Youngstown State 13-6 for the game and took 15 corner kicks to three for Youngstown State. In the 72nd minute Pitt expected a penalty kick as Ottah battled for a ball in the box. A VAR review overturned the call, and play continued at 2-1.

Freshman Elli Johnson started in goal for Pitt and played 90 minutes. She faced two shots on goal and made one save, the first save of her college career. Kendall Sears played 90 minutes in goal for Youngstown State and made one save. Six Pitt players made their debuts in the game, and four of them, Johnson, Tew, Desiree Reed and Talyn Guthrie, were in the starting lineup.

Pitt is 13-1-2 all time in home openers. Pitt’s next game was at home against Texas on Sunday, Aug. 16, at noon at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

Goals: Pitt, Tew 15:17, unassisted. Youngstown State, Felder 21:19, Thinger. Pitt, Abraham 37:14, Bianchin and Ottah. Halftime: Pitt 2, Youngstown State 1. Attendance: 377.

Five players score as the Riveters beat FC Buffalo 5-0 in their USL W League opener

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Captain Piper Coffield headed in a corner kick in the 12th minute, and five different players scored as the Pittsburgh Riveters beat FC Buffalo 5-0 on Saturday, May 16, at F.N.B. Stadium in the USL W League season opener for both teams. Pittsburgh Soccer Now reported a sellout crowd of 5,088. The Riveters opened their second season as the defending Great Forest Division champions.

Buffalo recorded the first attempt of the match, a near-post header by Sarah Woods that missed wide. The Riveters (1-0-0) then scored on the first corner kick of the match. Ellen Molloy served the ball to the head of Coffield, who turned it home for the first goal of the season. The match was Coffield’s first since last July, after an ACL injury cost her the fall season. Her center back partner scored the fourth goal, and both starting center backs finished the night on the scoresheet.

Molloy doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. She corralled a long, diagonal ball from Brielle LaBerge and struck it on the half-volley with her left foot. LaBerge played provider again in the 38th minute, hitting another diagonal ball that found Shannon Studer alone on the right, and Studer touched the ball around Buffalo goalkeeper Jordan Senz to make it 3-0 at halftime.

Senz produced Buffalo’s best moment early in the second half. Lola Abraham won a penalty kick, and Senz saved Abraham’s attempt from the spot, then stopped Sabrina Bryan’s follow-up, which struck the crossbar. The fourth goal came in the 52nd minute, when Taylor Green met a low service from Bella Vozar off a free kick.

Bryan closed the scoring in the 83rd minute, on Vozar’s second assist of the night. Bryan had entered the match at halftime. LaBerge and Vozar finished with two assists each. Bailey Herfurth played all 90 minutes in goal for the Riveters and kept the clean sheet, the second of her time with the club.

Eight players made their Riveters debuts, and six of them started: Green, LaBerge, Molloy, Studer, Abraham and Emme Butera. The club named Butera its player of the match for her work in holding midfield across the full 90 minutes. FC Buffalo (0-1-0) had contended for the division until the final week of the 2025 season, and its opener ended with the penalty save as its high point. Soccer Now’s post match notes put the Riveters’ all-time home record at 5-0-1 after the win.

The Riveters are home again on Saturday, May 23, against Flower City 1872 at F.N.B. Stadium, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

Goals: Pittsburgh, Coffield 12, Molloy. Pittsburgh, Molloy 23, LaBerge. Pittsburgh, Studer 38, LaBerge. Pittsburgh, Green 52, Vozar. Pittsburgh, Bryan 83, Vozar. Halftime: Pittsburgh 3, FC Buffalo 0. Attendance: 5,088, a sellout, reported by Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

Goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth scores in stoppage time as the Riveters draw Flower City 1872 3-3

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth came forward for a last corner kick and scored in stoppage time as the Pittsburgh Riveters drew Flower City 1872 3-3 on Saturday, May 23, at F.N.B. Stadium. The draw was the only match in which the Riveters dropped points at home all season, and it came after Flower City had taken the lead in the 81st minute, the first time the Riveters had trailed in 2026.

Lola Abraham scored first for the Riveters (1-0-0) in the 14th minute. Flower City cleared the first corner kick of the match, the ball reached Abraham, and she settled it and drove toward goal before scoring with a bouncing shot from 20 yards into the bottom left corner. It was Abraham’s first goal for the club. Flower City (1-0-0) tied the match in the 37th minute. Olivia Pilato took a corner kick and Amelia Breton elevated in the box to head the ball off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.

The lead changed hands twice more before halftime. In the 44th minute, Ellen Molloy curled a free kick high into the box, Shannon Studer headed the ball diagonally toward goal, and Taylor Green turned it over the line for her second goal in two games. Flower City answered in first half stoppage time, when Sam Cipolla struck a shot from the corner of the box across goal and into the top left corner, and the teams went to halftime tied 2-2.

Flower City goalkeeper Lindsay Parker kept the second half scoreless into its final ten minutes. Her best save came in the 40th minute, when she got the slightest of touches to push a Molloy shot from distance onto the crossbar, and the club recap credits her with five saves in the match. Herfurth recorded one save for the Riveters, and neither team scored until the 81st minute, when an awkwardly bouncing ball troubled the Riveters’ back line and Andrea Wilson ran through the play and volleyed the ball into the goal.

The Riveters sent all 11 players forward for a last corner kick in the final minute of stoppage time. Emme Butera curled the ball in, Flower City did not fully clear it, and the ball rolled to Herfurth, who was waiting to the right of the penalty spot. The West Virginia University goalkeeper swung her right foot through the ball and scored. The club recap reports that she told reporters afterward the goal was the first she had ever scored.

“I just looked over at the bench, saw the clock, and thought, ‘Why not?’” Herfurth said.

“The bounce on their third goal was incredibly unlucky, but that response at the death shows the character of this group,” head coach Scott Gibson said.

The draw left both teams at 1-0-1, even on points at the top of the Great Forest Division. The Riveters play their first road match of the season on Thursday, May 28, against Steel City FC at Founders Field in Indiana Township, with kickoff at 6 p.m.

Goals: Pittsburgh, Abraham 14. Flower City, Breton 37, Pilato. Pittsburgh, Green 44, Studer. Flower City, Cipolla 45+1. Flower City, Wilson 81. Pittsburgh, Herfurth 90+. Halftime: Pittsburgh 2, Flower City 2. Attendance: 4,032 tickets distributed, reported by Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

Minnesota Aurora scores in second half stoppage time to beat the Riveters 2-1 in the Central Conference final

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Gracie Dunaway redirected a low cross from Flavie Dubé at the top of the 6-yard box in second half stoppage time as Minnesota Aurora FC beat the Pittsburgh Riveters 2-1 on Sunday, July 5, at F.N.B. Stadium in the USL W League Central Conference Final. The goal ended the Riveters’ season one round short of the national semifinals and gave top seeded Aurora its second straight conference title.

The Riveters (10-1-1) reached the final by beating Racing Louisville 5-0 on Friday in the first playoff win in club history. Aurora (14-0-0) beat Union FC Macomb 2-0 in the other semifinal and arrived having won every match it had played this season.

Aurora scored in the 18th minute. Dubé worked a give-and-go in the box with Jeanette Fieldsend, who played the ball back to her, and Dubé finished from close range for a 1-0 lead.

The Riveters nearly tied the match minutes later. Ellen Molloy took a pass from Bella Vozar inside the box, and her shot struck the crossbar. Molloy tied it in the 37th minute with a direct free kick from just inside 30 yards on the right, struck left-footed into the top left corner, between the goalkeeper’s hand and the crossbar. The goal was only the second Aurora had allowed all season. Molloy finished her season with four goals and three assists.

“It’s an incredibly tough pill to swallow when you battle that hard for 90-plus minutes and it gets decided by a fraction of a second at the very end,” Riveters head coach Scott Gibson said.

The second half produced chances at both ends and no goals. Sabrina Bryan forced an early save from Aurora goalkeeper Taylor Fox after Anna Korney played her into the box. Taylor Green struck the side netting from a corner kick. In the 79th minute, Riveters goalkeeper Lexi Grundler went low to stop a headed shot by Skye Leach. Grundler made four saves in the match. No save total for Fox was published.

Two minutes of stoppage time were displayed with the match at 1-1 and extra time ahead. Dubé then carried the ball down the right side and played a low ball to the top of the 6-yard box, where Dunaway redirected it home. The Riveters pushed forward once more, and the Aurora defense cleared to end the match.

The Riveters finished 10-1-1, with 38 goals scored and 7 allowed. They won the Great Forest Division for the second straight year and reached the final eight of the playoffs, and for the second straight season Aurora ended their run, after a 2-0 loss in the opening round in 2025. Aurora lost its national semifinal at Salmon Bay FC in a shootout after a 1-1 match on July 11, and Salmon Bay went on to win the league championship.

Goals: Minnesota, Dubé 18, Fieldsend. Pittsburgh, Molloy 37. Minnesota, Dunaway, second half stoppage time, Dubé. Halftime: Pittsburgh 1, Minnesota Aurora 1.

Anna Korney, 16, scores twice as the Riveters beat Racing Louisville 5-0 for their first playoff win

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Sixteen-year-old Anna Korney scored twice as the Pittsburgh Riveters beat Racing Louisville FC 5-0 on Friday, July 3, at F.N.B. Stadium in the USL W League Central Conference semifinal. The win was the first playoff victory in club history. The Riveters (10-0-1), the No. 2 seed, had lost their only previous playoff match, in 2025, and Racing Louisville (6-2-2) was the No. 3 seed in its first meeting with the club.

Korney struck the underside of the crossbar in the ninth minute, and in the 21st minute she had the Riveters in front. Sabrina Bryan played her into the left side of the box, and Korney placed her shot in the bottom right corner for the first postseason goal in team history. Korney could have had a second before halftime. She got free on the left and circled the goalkeeper, and Louisville defender Juliet Strange cleared the ball off the line.

The second goal came at 45+1 minutes and belonged to the left back. Brielle LaBerge found Ellen Molloy in midfield and kept running. Molloy returned the ball, LaBerge went between two defenders into the box and finished in the same right corner as the opener. The goal was the first of the season for LaBerge.

“It means everything,” head coach Scott Gibson told Pittsburgh Soccer Now, on winning the club’s first postseason match. “We prepared better for this one, in terms of squad depth. The type of player we wanted to bring in. It showed tonight with another five-star performance.”

Korney hit the post two minutes into the second half, and in the 51st minute she scored again. Bella Vozar played her into the right side of the box, and Korney hit a hard shot that got under the goalkeeper. The goals took Korney to four for the season, in her first multi-goal game for the club. A minute later Tanum Nelson worked into the left side of the box and fed Bryan in front of the goal, and Bryan finished softly into the open part of the net for her fifth goal of the season. Four Riveters efforts struck the woodwork in the match.

Lexi Grundler made six saves and kept her sixth clean sheet in six starts for the club. Her best save came in the 69th minute, when she leaped to push a shot by Avery Krupp over the bar. Racing Louisville replaced goalkeeper Sophia Reeder with Adelle Finerty in the 71st minute, and neither account of the match states a save total for the Louisville goalkeepers. The Riveters played without Lola Abraham, who led the team with six assists in the regular season and appeared in neither the lineup nor the substitutes.

The fifth goal came from two substitutes in the 79th minute. Gabby Beinecke, who had entered in the 71st minute, played the ball in from the left side, and Lilly Bane, who had entered in the 61st, made a near-post run and turned it in.

The Riveters host top-seeded Minnesota Aurora FC in the Central Conference final on Sunday, July 5, at F.N.B. Stadium, with kickoff at 7 p.m. Aurora beat the Riveters 2-0 in the opening round of the 2025 playoffs.

Goals: Pittsburgh, Korney 21, Bryan; Pittsburgh, LaBerge 45+1, Molloy; Pittsburgh, Korney 51, Vozar; Pittsburgh, Bryan 52, Nelson; Pittsburgh, Bane 79, Beinecke. Halftime: Pittsburgh 2, Racing Louisville 0.

Tylenda and substitute Anna Korney score as the Riveters beat Steel City FC 2-0 in the first Pittsburgh derby

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CHESWICK. Alexis Tylenda scored in the 19th minute and Anna Korney, a substitute, added a second in the 70th as the Pittsburgh Riveters beat Steel City FC 2-0 on Thursday, May 28, at Founders Field in the first Pittsburgh derby of the USL W League season. The match was the Riveters’ first on the road in 2026, and the win kept them unbeaten at 2-0-1 and moved them to seven points, four ahead of Steel City (1-1-0) in the Great Forest Division.

Steel City had the first clear chance, in the ninth minute. Maya Matesa timed a run between the Riveters defense to get in on goal, and Bailey Herfurth closed down the angle and made the close-range save. The Riveters (2-0-1) scored 10 minutes later. Kennedy Neighbors won the ball in front of the center circle and played a ball through on the ground to Tylenda, who took a touch into the box and shot low around Steel City goalkeeper Ruby Morgan. The goal was the first of the season for Tylenda, one of the club’s top scorers a year ago, and the club named her its player of the match.

“I thought Alexis Tylenda and Kennedy Neighbors were outstanding as strikers,” Riveters coach Scott Gibson told Pittsburgh Soccer Now. “First ten minutes we came out, put them under a lot of pressure.”

Morgan kept the margin at one goal through halftime. She saved from Lola Abraham and from Tylenda again in the first half, and the Riveters led 1-0 at the break. Tanum Nelson, the club’s leading scorer in 2025, made her first appearance of the season and nearly doubled the lead three minutes into the second half, when Morgan pushed her turning shot off the crossbar.

The second goal came from the bench. Korney, 16, entered in the 60th minute in her first appearance of the season and scored 10 minutes later from the left side of the box, lifting her shot into the top, near corner. She had also scored at Founders Field last season, when she became the youngest player to score for the club, at 15. “It was really exciting; I was glad that I could help the team in any way,” Korney told Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

Herfurth made three saves and kept her second clean sheet of the season. Morgan finished with 10 stops for Steel City (1-1-0), whose captain Emily Graeca anchored a defense that held the Riveters to the two goals. Tylenda was cautioned in the second half. Steel City’s next match is also at Cleveland, on Sunday, May 31.

The Riveters travel to Cleveland Force on Wednesday, June 3, at Krenzler Field, with kickoff at 7 p.m. It is the middle match of a three-game road swing.

Goals: Pittsburgh, Tylenda 19, Neighbors. Pittsburgh, Korney 70. Halftime: Steel City 0, Pittsburgh 1.

Sewickley Academy beats Winchester Thurston 2-0 for its first WPIAL Class 1A title since 2004

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Sarah Merryman scored in the third minute and Claire Karsman, who set that goal up, scored in the 59th as Sewickley Academy beat Winchester Thurston 2-0 on Friday, Nov. 6, at F.N.B. Stadium to win the WPIAL Class 1A girls soccer championship. The title is Sewickley Academy’s fifth and its first since 2004.

Sewickley Academy (18-0-0) scored first in the third minute. Karsman, a sophomore midfielder, drove down the right wing and crossed the ball into the 6-yard box, and sophomore striker Sarah Merryman forced it past Winchester Thurston keeper Sky Hollins. The goal was Merryman’s sixth of the season. The final matched the top two seeds and two Section 1 rivals. Sewickley Academy had won the regular season meeting 6-2 on Sep. 28, and each team had allowed one goal in its three playoff games.

“We talked heading into this about getting that first goal on the board,” Sewickley Academy coach Gary Weber said. “Our back line has been solid all year and the backs have been spectacular.”

Sewickley Academy scored again in the 59th minute. Karsman carried the ball to the endline, kept it in as she was pushed around in the box, turned back inside and shot into the top left corner past Hollins. No assist was credited on the goal.

“I was getting pushed around down in the box but saved the ball from going out,” Karsman said. “Once I turned, I saw the goal and just shot it. When I saw it go in, I was so relieved because we needed another goal.”

Winchester Thurston (18-2-0) came closest in the 30th minute, when Karsman cleared the ball off the Sewickley goal line twice in one sequence from a Bears corner kick. Hollins kept the margin at one goal with a sliding save on an open Karsman at point blank range in the 45th minute. Sewickley Academy had a goal from a corner kick waved off for an offensive foul in the 11th minute, and after the second goal, Maeve Cooper chipped a shot off the crossbar in the 63rd minute.

Freshman Courtney Weinreich recorded the shutout for Sewickley Academy, her third clean sheet of the playoffs. She saved on Kimi Smuckler in the 24th and 48th minutes and made back-to-back saves on Keller and Iris Jarrin in the 70th. “It was a tough night to play in goal,” Weber said. “Courtney played a great game and remained calm throughout.”

The title closes a two year run for Sewickley Academy, which lost the 2025 final 1-0 to Bentworth on a late goal and beat Bentworth 4-1 in this year’s semifinal. Winchester Thurston lost the 2024 final and is still looking for its first championship. Sewickley Academy (19-0-0) hosts District 5 runner-up Conemaugh Township in the PIAA Class 1A first round on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at Avonworth High School. Winchester Thurston (18-3-0) plays at District 5 champion McConnellsburg on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Goals: Sewickley Academy, Merryman 3, Karsman. Sewickley Academy, Karsman 59, unassisted. Halftime: Sewickley Academy 1, Winchester Thurston 0.

Schlegel scores in the second overtime as Freeport beats Burrell 2-1 for a second straight WPIAL Class 2A title

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Junior Cecilia Schlegel scored in the 108th minute as Freeport beat Burrell 2-1 in the second overtime on Thursday, Nov. 5, at F.N.B. Stadium to win the WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship. The title is Freeport’s second straight. Both championship wins have come against Burrell in the final.

Freeport (16-2-1) scored first in the 14th minute. Maggie Conger crossed the ball into the box, and freshman Gia Conglose scored from 12 yards, her shot going in off the fingertips of Burrell keeper Leah Waldsmith. Freeport led 1-0 at halftime. The unofficial halftime count in the game reports had Freeport ahead 9-2 in shots and 5-1 in shots on goal.

“We’re probably the most talented team in AA, but Burrell is right behind us. You’ve got to have that fight, and you’ve got to have that team chemistry and togetherness. The way they support each other is just huge,” Freeport coach Steve Kukic said.

Burrell (16-1-4) tied the game in the 78th minute. Eva Wilson took a corner kick, the ball bounded around inside the box, and Allie McMahon put it in, with an assist credited to Peyton Coury. The goal came with 2:46 left in regulation, and the game went to overtime tied 1-1.

The first overtime ended scoreless. With 2:21 left in the second overtime and a shootout next if nobody scored, Elena Jenkins played the ball into the middle of the box. Schlegel turned and shot as she fell, beating Waldsmith to the upper corner. The goal was Schlegel’s 24th of the season.

“She was ready to press forward and play me exactly at my feet, and I was ready to turn and shoot,” Schlegel said.

Waldsmith kept Burrell in the game until the end. She stopped Schlegel from 25 yards in the first half, saved a low Schlegel drive in the 69th minute, and in the 107th minute she saved on Conger, one minute before the winning goal. Freeport keeper Sophia Crawford saved on Chase Coury in the 53rd minute. Peyton Coury blocked a Schlegel attempt from six yards in the 103rd minute.

Freeport (17-2-1) opens the PIAA Class 2A tournament at home against District 9 champion Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. Burrell (16-2-4) also advances to the state tournament and plays at District 5 champion Bedford on Wednesday night. Burrell has reached the final three straight years and has lost to Freeport in the last two.

Goals: Freeport, Conglose 14, Conger. Burrell, McMahon 78, P. Coury. Freeport, Schlegel 108, E. Jenkins. Halftime: Freeport 1, Burrell 0. Regulation: Freeport 1, Burrell 1.

Elena Jenkins scores in her first game of the season as Freeport beats Avonworth 6-1 to reach the Class 2A final

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

FOX CHAPEL. Junior Elena Jenkins scored in her first game of the season as Freeport beat Avonworth 6-1 on Monday, Nov. 2, at Fox Chapel’s James M. Burk Athletic Facility to reach the WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship game for the second straight year.

Jenkins had missed Freeport’s first 18 games with a broken collarbone suffered in the preseason. She did not start. She entered midway through the first half and scored on her first shot on goal, and Freeport (15-2-1) led 1-0 at halftime. Avonworth (12-3-6), the Section 3 champion, had not allowed a goal in its first two playoff games, shutouts of Keystone Oaks and North Catholic.

Avonworth’s three losses all came in a 0-3-2 start against a non-section schedule built to test it, and it had not lost since. Under coach JC Mahan the Antelopes have won multiple WPIAL titles, and they reached the semifinal on the two shutouts.

Freeport scored five times in the second half. Norah Chverchko scored for Avonworth, and the game stood at 2-1 before Freeport scored four goals in the final 22 minutes. Maggie Conger scored two of the second half goals, and Brinley Sullivan, Makenna Woodside and Ella McConville scored one each.

Junior Cecilia Schlegel scored no goal and set up three of the six. Conger added an assist to her two goals, and Tess Hanak and Sophia Conger had one assist each. Freeport’s six goals came from five players, and through three playoff games the Yellowjackets have outscored their opponents 13-1. Freeport remained without the injured Camryn Woods.

Freeport (16-2-1) advanced to the championship game against No. 4 Burrell at F.N.B. Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. Burrell had beaten top seeded South Park 4-2 in the first semifinal at Fox Chapel. The final is a rematch of the 2025 championship game, which Freeport won 1-0 on a goal by Jenkins, and it is the ninth meeting between the Section 2 rivals in three seasons. Avonworth (12-4-6) played at South Park in the third place consolation game on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and lost 3-1. South Park took the district’s third and last PIAA berth, and Avonworth’s season ended there.

Goals: First half, Freeport, Jenkins; second half, Avonworth, Chverchko; Freeport, Conger 2, Sullivan, Woodside, McConville. Halftime: Freeport 1, Avonworth 0.

Powell's goal in the 64th minute lifts Mars past Shaler 2-1 for its ninth WPIAL Class 3A title

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Sophomore Mackenzie Powell scored in the 64th minute as Mars beat Shaler 2-1 on Saturday, Nov. 7, at F.N.B. Stadium to win the WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship. Mars trailed in the first half, tied the game before halftime, and took the lead for good on Powell’s goal. The title is Mars’s ninth in program history and its first since 2021.

Shaler (15-3) scored first in the 18th minute. Deliah Arrigo took a corner kick, and junior Etta Warner finished at the far post to give the Titans a 1-0 lead. Shaler was playing in its first WPIAL final in 40 years and was looking for its first championship.

Mars (16-1-1) tied the game late in the first half. Junior Jade Breese converted a penalty kick, and the teams went to halftime tied 1-1. “I’m confident in taking them in big games, so I put it hard and left,” Breese said.

“People have a way of pitching that as a favorite against an underdog, and it’s like, ‘Going into this game, we were the underdog.’ We were the lower seed, they won the section, we didn’t,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said.

The game stayed tied until the 64th minute. Powell pressed, won the ball back and carried it into the box, where she beat Shaler keeper Livia Ryan. The goal came with under 16 minutes left in regulation.

“We have all been looking up to the Mars girls program since I even started playing soccer,” Powell said. “And just to be able to watch how great this program has grown, and then being able to contribute something ourselves, as players, it just feels amazing.”

Shaler had a dangerous free kick in the 61st minute, three minutes before Powell scored, after a foul on the edge of the box. The two teams had split their regular season meetings, Shaler winning in September and Mars winning in October. Mars had also come back from a goal down to beat South Fayette 2-1 in the quarterfinal, the same score by which it won the title.

Mars (17-1-1) opens the PIAA Class 3A tournament at home against District 3 fourth-place finisher Northern on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m. at the Mars Athletic Complex. Shaler (15-4) also advances to the state tournament and plays at District 6 champion Hollidaysburg on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Goals: Shaler, Warner 18, Arrigo; Mars, Breese, penalty kick, first half; Mars, Powell 64; Halftime: Mars 1, Shaler 1.

Mt. Lebanon beats North Allegheny 5-4 in a shootout for its 10th WPIAL Class 4A title after 110 scoreless minutes

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH. Senior Emma Curren converted a penalty kick she had to take twice as Mt. Lebanon beat North Allegheny in a shootout, 5-4, after 110 scoreless minutes on Saturday, Nov. 7, at F.N.B. Stadium to win the WPIAL Class 4A girls soccer championship. The title is Mt. Lebanon’s 10th, the most of any WPIAL girls soccer program, and its first since 2008.

Mt. Lebanon (15-1-2) came in as the No. 1 seed, unbeaten in its last 10 games. North Allegheny (17-2-1) was the reigning champion, playing in the final for the sixth time in eight years, and had allowed 10 goals all season. The game was scoreless at halftime and scoreless after regulation, and neither defense gave up a goal in the two overtimes.

“These are wonderful kids first, and wonderful soccer players second,” Mt. Lebanon coach Seth Young said.

North Allegheny had chances to end it before the shootout. In the 33rd minute, Bella Montgomery crossed to Amari Ruffus at the near post and her tip went just wide. Rosalia Varlotta put a chance from distance off the frame. With five minutes left in regulation, Kieran Shannon’s free kick did not connect, and Mt. Lebanon’s junior keeper, Makenna Tappe, made a save late to keep the game scoreless. In overtime, North Allegheny keeper Jordan Beemer saved on two Mt. Lebanon corner kicks, and Varlotta sent another chance just wide of the near post.

Each team scored four times in the shootout. Mia Barsotti, Varlotta, Taryn DeWitt and Sahara Catlos converted for North Allegheny. Ava Silva, Scarlett Pryor, Savannah Peer and Becca Braunsdorf converted for Mt. Lebanon. Tappe saved one North Allegheny kick, the only attempt in the shootout that did not go in and counted. Curren took the last kick for Mt. Lebanon. Beemer stopped her first attempt in the middle of the net, but the officials ruled Beemer had left her line early. Curren took the kick again and converted it, and the shootout ended 5-4.

“It feels great [to end the drought],” Tappe said. “Our coaches kept telling us to keep going when we got to overtime. We all knew what we were going to do; we just had to work together.”

Mt. Lebanon (16-1-2) hosts Mechanicsburg in the PIAA Class 4A first round on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. North Allegheny (17-3-1) also advances to the state tournament and plays at District 10 champion McDowell on Wednesday. The championship is Young’s first at Mt. Lebanon.

Shootout: Mt. Lebanon 5, North Allegheny 4. Halftime: Mt. Lebanon 0, North Allegheny 0.