Seneca Valley Boys Soccer Team Advances in Playoffs With Victory Over Plum

With foggy conditions providing a Halloween-type setting, it was a treat instead of a trick for the boys soccer team on Monday for Round 1 of the WPIAL playoffs.

The Raiders defeated the Plum Mustangs, 5-1. 

Ryan Vilella, SV's leading scorer, was sidelined from the Section 3-AAA play with a leg injury. The matchup was scoreless until just after halftime when senior Josh Allman made a goal from 25 yards out to make it 1-0 with 34 minutes remaining in the game.

Two minutes later, Stephen McConahy was pulled down in the box, and Andreas Fatschel was able to convert on the penalty kick that followed. Junior Shane Rings scored for Plum to make it 2-1, but it was Seneca Valley's game the rest of the night. The Raiders scored five goals within 28 minutes to win the matchup.

Junior Brandon White found senior Robbie Wright, and the White-Wright combo made the score 3-1 for the Raiders. Senior outside mid Joey Gualtieri sent a ball from the corner that was too hard to handle for the Plum keeper, putting Seneca Valley in the lead 4-1. Allman scored again on a penalty kick after Mike Chowansky was fouled in the box.

With four goals at Monday's game, Allman now is one of SV's all-time leading playoff scorers.

The Raiders will play Kiski Area at 8 p.m. Thursday for the quarterfinals at North Allegheny High School. Kiski defeated North Allegheny, 2-1, earlier this week in a game that went 13 minutes into overtime.

Section 1-AAA champs Kiski (12-2-2) and Section 2 champs Seneca Valley (13-6-0) have common opponents in North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford and Butler. No. 6 seed Kiski is 4-1-1 against these foes. No. 3 seed SV is 6-1-0.