SV girls soccer falls to NA, sets sights on playoffs
JACKSON TWP — Describing the Seneca Valley girls soccer season thus far as simply good enough for second place in Section 1-4A doesn’t seem to do the Raiders justice.
SV closed the regular season with a 1-0 loss to North Allegheny at NexTier Stadium on Monday. The team’s only other defeat this fall came to the Tigers, the defending WPIAL champions and unbeaten section champions this year, 2-0 last month.
“Tonight’s game was a lot like that one,” said SV coach Mark Perry. “We made a mistake and they capitalized and we didn’t take advantage of their mistakes. That’s a credit to them.”
The Tigers (17-0, 14-0) scored the game’s lone goal in the 24th minute. SV goalie Mia Humphreys came out to challenge Abigail Stager, who was able to get a shot off just before her arrival.
Humphreys made the save, but the ball bounced right back to Stager, who side-stepped the goalkeeper 15 yards in front of the net and scored uncontested.
Humphreys denied the Tigers on their other nine shots on goal.
“The most Mia has been tested this season came in our two games against NA,” said Perry. “But she’s a top goalie and she’ll show up in the playoffs.”
The Raiders (13-1-1, 11-1-1) had a number of chances against NA goalie Natalie Rak. Senior forward Ayla Ward had a chance thwarted in the sixth minute by the keeper when the latter came off her line to retrieve the ball.
Following one of SV’s six corner kicks in the game, Kaliee George had a shot from within 10 yards saved by Rak shortly before halftime.
In the 48th minute, Ward separated herself enough from a defender and got a solid shot off from the right of the night, but Rak again was there for the stop. She made five saves in the game.
The Tigers have allowed just six goals in their last 15 contests.
“Natalie was a starter last year and so were three of our four defenders,” said NA coach Chuck Kelley. “There’s a lot of consistency with their play and we are pleased with the effort.”
The WPIAL playoff brackets will be released Wednesday, but the Class 4A tournament isn’t expected to begin until the last weekend of October.
“If we are lucky enough to win our first game, we’ll probably get NA, Upper St. Clair or Peters Township in the next round,” said Perry. “Those have been the top three ranked teams all season, but we’re not far behind. Our two losses are to the No. 1 team.”
Ward leads the Raiders with 25 goals, followed by Ashlee Libby (18) and Karly Majeski (10).
