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

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.