Mt. Lebanon boys soccer coach Bill Perz will be involved in his second WPIAL championship match when his Blue Devils take on Canon-McMillan at 8 p.m. Thursday at Highmark Stadium.
The first time Perz competed for a title as a Blue Devil, he was wearing the uniform as a player back in 2002. Now, he gets to experience it again from a fresh angle.
“This is a totally different end of the spectrum,” said Perz.
To make things more familiar, Mt. Lebanon (15-4-1) is taking on a familiar foe in the Big Macs (14-3-1). The Class 4A Section 2 rivals have met twice already, with the Blue Devils sweeping regular-season games by scores of 3-1 and 4-3.
“There aren’t too many secrets,” Perz said. “Each team knows the other guys’ personnel pretty well. This is going to be a game where you have to go out and win it.”
The Blue Devils lost three consecutive games to close out the regular season. Once the playoffs began, they picked up a come-from-behind victory against Butler before edging defending champion Seneca Valley, 2-1, in the semifinals.
Guisseppe Croce has been clutch in the postseason.
With Mt. Lebanon trailing Butler, 1-0, with less than two minutes remaining, Croce scored two goals less than a minute apart to propel his team into the next round. Against Seneca Valley, he scored another two goals to give him four in two playoff contests.
“He’s really stepping up in key moments for us,” said Perz. “He’s working really well in tandem with Danny Simboro, who gets a lot of attention because of his ability.”
The Big Macs have won eight of their past nine. The only blemish in that run was the second section match against Mt. Lebanon.
The biggest scorer in the game hails from Canon-McMillan. Junior Joey Fonagy netted 25 goals in the regular season. He found the net again against Plum in the semifinals off of a corner kick.
Both programs have won district titles in recent years. The Big Macs won it in 2015 and 2012. Mt. Lebanon hoisted the trophy in 2009.
Class 4A girls
Norwin is in the final again for the fourth time in the past five years. The Knights face North Allegheny at 6 p.m. Thursday at Highmark Stadium. Each team features talented players that will compete nearby in college. Norwin has Pitt recruit Katelyn Kauffman. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 triumph against Seneca Valley in the semifinals. That victory avenged Norwin’s only loss and it has now defeated every team it has faced.
For North Allegheny, Duquesne recruit Emma Bundy has been solid all season, pairing well with Ava Ruppersberger and Sarah Schupansky to give the Tigers numerous scoring options.
In a game featuring plenty of firepower, a standout goal keeper might come in handy. Madison Vukas made a couple of huge saves in a shootout against Peters Township in the semifinals. She got a hand on a shot by Bucknell recruit Hannah Stuck, one of the top players in the WPIAL, forcing the ball to go over the net.
First Published: October 30, 2019, 2:13 a.m.
