Area coaches announce All-WPIAL soccer teams

Though high school soccer teams are still competing for the ultimate prize of winning a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championship, a look back on the season that was in the WPIAL across all classifications revealed just how talented the Beaver Valley was on the pitch. 

In total, 25 players from the Beaver Valley earned All-WPIAL honors for the 2021 season. 

Class 4A

Area teams: Moon girls

Players honored: 2 total players

The 4A WPIAL champion Moon Tigers, who rolled through the 2021 season under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Bill Pfeifer, landed just two players on the All-WPIAL 4A team. 

Junior midfielder Kayla Leseck and junior midfielder Hailey Longwell were the two representatives for the Tigers on the All-WPIAL team. The junior duo helped lead the Tigers on an impressive run this fall, capping off that run with a dominant win in the 4A title game. 

Class 3A 

Area teams: Blackhawk girls, West Allegheny boys, Moon boys

Players honored: 8 total players

In 3A, the Moon Tigers and the West Allegheny boys' soccer teams saw a combined five players honored as All-WPIAL players. West Allegheny seniors Johnny Dragisich, Keegan Amos, and Joseph Pustover, and junior Logan Mackey were honored by 3A coaches for their play on the field, leading the Indians to a berth in the WPIAL 3A championship game, and a deep run to the state semifinals. 

Blackhawk senior forward Ella Watterson earned All-WPIAL honors for the Cougars' girls team. 

The Moon boys saw senior Reilly Nickles and junior Ryan Kopay receive All-WPIAL recognition in 3A as the Tigers finished the season 16-3 on the season before falling in the WPIAL playoffs to the eventual champion Hampton Talbots. 

Class 2A 

Area teams: Ambridge boys, Beaver Girls, Quaker Valley boys and girls

Players honored: 9 total players 

The classification that features the area's best overall team in the Quaker Valley boys also features the second-most players honored with All-WPIAL accolades as Class 2A saw 9 total players in the Beaver Valley honored for their play on the pitch this fall. 

For the girls, Beaver senior midfielder Caroline Samchuck and Quaker Valley senior midfielder Chase Kriebel earned All-WPIAL honors. Samchuck helped lead the Bobcats to a 9-5 record while scoring three goals and adding one assist on the year. Kriebel played a central role in the Quakers' success in 2021. 

In boys soccer, Class 2A saw seven boys honored, led by WPIAL Class 2A Player of the Year Rowan Kriebel of Quaker Valley. Kriebel scored 40 goals and added 24 assists to help lead the Quakers to the 2A championship. 

Ambridge head coach Ben Fiore was named the WPIAL Class 2A Coach of the Year thanks to the Bridgers' 15-7 season that saw them go 9-3 in conference play, finish third in the WPIAL playoffs and reach the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. 

Along with Kriebel, players from 2A honored included Quaker Valley senior Keller Chamovitz, who scored an astonishing 50 goals on the season. Quakers' senior Ryan Edwards (16 goals, 49 assists), senior captain Wil Dunda (16 goals, 13 assists), and senior defender Blaise Burns (four goals, three assists) earned All-WPIAL honors. 

Ambridge junior Will Gruca earned All-WPIAL honors for the Bridgers as the driving force in Ambridge's impressive season, while senior midfielder Hayden Hohman also earned All-WPIAL honors for Ambridge. 

Class 1A 

Area teams: Freedom girls, OLSH boys and girls, Riverside boys and girls, Sewickley Academy boys, South Side girls

Players honored: 10 total players

Freedom senior midfielder Renae Mohrbacher and junior forward Julia Mohrbacher led the way on the Class 1A All-WPIAL girls' soccer team, while the siblings were joined by Riverside senior Megan Zelch, OLSH senior Megan McCoy, South Side junior Emily Bailey and OLSH sophomore Alexa Taylor. 

The Mohrbacher sisters helped lead the Bulldogs to the Class 2A semifinals and an appearance in the state quarterfinals, while Zelch helped lead the Panthers to a first-round win in the WPIAL playoffs. Taylor and McCoy played a central role in the Chargers reaching the playoffs, while Bailey led the Rams into the 2A playoffs.

For the boys, Sewickley Academy senior defender Josh Chico cracked the WPIAL Class 1A list for the Panthers, who reached the state finals this fall.

Riverside senior midfielder Noah Zelch and junior forward Evan Burry land on the Class 1A list as well after helping the Panthers finish third in the league and reach the semifinals of the WPIAL Class 1A playoffs.

OLSH junior midfielder Bryan Kiminski also earned All-WPIAL honors in Class 1A after helping the Chargers reach the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

Contact Joshua Carney at jcarney@gannett.com or 412-228-9178. Follow Joshua on Twitter: @ByJoshCarney