MONROEVILLE, Pa. – The Belle Vernon Leopards saw their remarkable season come to a close on Saturday when they were eliminated in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals. After a 1-1 draw through regulation and two 15‑minute overtime periods, North Catholic edged the Leopards 4-3 in the penalty shootout at Antimarino Stadium on the Gateway High School campus.
Season highlights
The Leopards finished the year with an impressive 19‑2‑2 record and captured the program’s first WPIAL championship. Though they dropped a single regular‑season game and placed second in the Section 5‑2A standings, Belle Vernon entered the district postseason as the 10th seed and upset higher‑ranked opponents, including a 2‑0 victory over the Trojans in the WPIAL semifinals on Nov. 3.
In the first round of the state postseason, Belle Vernon blanked District 5 champion Somerset 3‑0 on Nov. 11 before meeting North Catholic, who had previously avenged a district‑playoff loss.
Quarterfinal match recap
North Catholic opened the scoring early, with Dylan DeVroe finding the net at 16:52 of the first half after 17 shots on target for the visitors. Belle Vernon keeper Morgan Bunch made 16 saves, including a crucial stop on a blast from Matthew Liscinsky, but could not prevent the goal.
Midway through the second half, junior midfielder Chris Showman equalized for the Leopards. From a 22‑yard free kick, Showman sent a low shot inside the left post, beating Trojans keeper Logan Mueser and tying the game at 1‑1.
Both teams traded chances in the remaining regular‑time minutes, with Bunch preserving the draw by denying a header from Jackson Schlegel. The extra‑time periods produced no further goals, sending the contest to penalties.
Penalty shootout drama
Belle Vernon initially took a 3‑2 lead after Carter Stairs converted his spot‑kick and Bunch appeared to make a winning save on Evan Laubenthal. However, officials ruled Bunch had left his line early, allowing Laubenthal a second attempt, which he scored to force sudden death.
North Catholic’s Shane Schollaert then gave his side a one‑goal advantage. Belle Vernon’s Morgan Bunch could not stop the subsequent attempt by Jordan Jerome, and the Trojans advanced to the state semifinals.
Gavin Metzger and Chris Showman also took penalties for Belle Vernon, while North Catholic saw goals from Liscinsky and freshman Colin Pilla.
Coach’s perspective
Coach Tyler Caterino expressed disappointment but praised his seniors and the team’s resilience. “Our seniors have been part of this program for four years and their hard work has paid off,” he said. “We’ll use this loss as motivation for next season; we have a solid group returning.”
Caterino highlighted goalkeeper Morgan Bunch’s season, calling him “one of the best shot‑stoppers in the WPIAL” and noting his 16‑save performance in the quarterfinal.
Looking ahead
North Catholic will face District 10 champion Fairview (22‑0) on Nov. 17 in the state semifinals. Belle Vernon’s Leopards will return most of their starters, including Showman and Bunch, aiming to build on their historic season next year.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
