McKee sparks Fox Chapel in victory

“It was a really gutsy performance.”

Fox Chapel (5-0, 4-0) head coach Carlo Prati knew his girls soccer team had a tough task ahead of them on Monday night, going into Mars High School and facing off with a decorated opponent.

But, despite the tall task, he was glad his team got a tough test early in the season.

“We were looking forward to the test tonight. We were coming off some high-scoring games that the starters didn’t get much time in,” Prati said. “We haven’t played Mars in a while. We knew they were going to be pretty good, and they are always lights out at home. We were testing the water. I thought it was a really good game. It could’ve gone either way.”

It ended up going Fox Chapel’s way, as the Foxes claimed a 1-0 victory on the road in Class 3A Section 1 competition. Sophomore Emily McKee scored the game-winning goal in the second half.

The play began with a long, 25-yard shot from Cassie Classen, who saw her shot deflected off the crossbar. McKee was at the right place, tapping in the rebound.

Kicking off second-half play, Prati noticed weaknesses from Mars (5-1, 2-1) that his side could capitalize on.

“We noticed toward the end of the first half that they looked a little gassed,” he said. “We knew we had to run them, and we needed to make sure we weren’t getting beat over the back. They had a few dangerous moments.”

Other scores

• Beaver Area (4-0, 2-0) earned a massive upset, on the road, in Section 3 (2A) play, defeating the reigning 2A champions Avonworth (3-3-1, 2-1-0). Senior Sydney Chontos scored the lone goal, with an assist from Jocelyn Biela. Against an aggressive Antelopes offense, Cali Coups earned her fourth clean sheet in four games.

• North Catholic (7-0, 2-0), stayed perfect in Section 2 (2A) competition, taking down Burrell (3-1-1, 1-1-0) on the road, 3-1. Simone Sharpless scored twice for a brace, while Lauren Mealie tacked on another goal. Kathleen Virostek recorded two assists, while Mikaela Canzian added an assist. For Burrell, Maggie Nesko scored the Lady Bucs’ lone goal. Burrell goalkeeper Dana Barczykowski recorded 10 saves, and North Catholic goalkeeper Riley Marsico made eight saves.

• Senior defender Charlie Ozelski stepped up when the Pine-Richland Rams (4-1, 2-0) needed her most on Monday night, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 Section 3 (4A) win over North Allegheny (3-2, 1-1). Her goal occurred with about 10 minutes left in the match, avoiding overtime.

• South Fayette (4-2, 2-0) turned heads in a 19-0 final score against Albert Gallatin (1-3, 1-1). Four players recorded a hat-trick: Emily Sinton, Mia Deramo, Lyla Tarin and Lily Chiappetta. Gabby Beinecke added two goals, while five other players found the back of the net. Sinton recorded four assists.

• Central Valley (3-3, 1-2) earned its first Section 2 (2A) win of the season against Ambridge (4-3, 1-2), at Bridger Stadium, with a 6-0 final. Aubrey Grater scored five times, while Nina Guandolo tacked on the final goal. Warriors goalkeeper Julia Henderson earned her second clean sheet of the season.

• Penn-Trafford (4-2, 2-0) blanked Hempfield (1-4, 0-2), 7-0, in a home victory to remain perfect in Section 1 (4A) competition. Five players found the back of the net for the Lady Warriors, which included a hat trick from Alexis Brown. Other goal scorers were Tori Yurt, Lauryn Francis, Isabella Rager and Maliyah Graves. Lauryn Francis and Chloe Walton each had two assists.

• Mohawk (3-1, 1-1) took down reigning Class 1A WPIAL champion Freedom Area, 2-1, in a Section 1 (1A) win. Audrina Cox and Ellie Whippo found the back of the net in the upset against Freedom (2-4, 1-2).