Riley steps up, scores 2 in Charleroi win
Charleroi’s girls’ soccer team celebrates Saturday after defeating North Catholic 2-1 to advance to the WPIAL quarterfinals.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Charleroi’s Adrianna Gottheld fights to keep the ball inbounds against North Catholic’s Shannon Drew during the final minutes of Saturday’s game.
CANONSBURG – When a soccer team has one of the WPIAL’s leading scorers, it’s common to label them as one-dimensional, especially in Class A, but then again, Charleroi continues to defy logic.
Despite a roster that features three freshmen starters, the Cougars won their second consecutive Section 2-A title by receiving scoring from every player on the pitch to compliment senior midfielder Kyra Watkins.
It possesses depth that is rare for Class A. Second-seeded Charleroi needed clutch scoring Saturday afternoon and found it in one of the more unlikely spots.
Junior defender Morgan Riley scored two goals to help the Cougars overcome an early deficit, defeating No. 15 North Catholic, 2-1, in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Canon-McMillan’s Memorial Stadium.
Charleroi (15-1-2) advanced to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, where it will face seventh-seeded New Brighton (14-3), which defeated Avonworth, Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. The Trojans finish the season with a 7-10-1 record.
“All year long, we weren’t a one-dimension team,” Charleroi head coach Jim Rue said. “Kyra does her job in the middle and people know that, but I tell the kids that if you have a shot, take it. We’re a team that plays together and we can have a different hero every time because of that.”
Trailing 1-0, Rue moved an additional midfielder up to assist Watkins, taking pressure off the dynamic scorer to distribute the ball to the Cougars’ forwards and creating scoring chances, but it was a defender who tied the score.
Riley moved up to a midfield spot, received a pass and fired a rising shot from 30 yards that sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and into the back of the net in the 30th minute.
Despite entering the half tied, Rue was concerned with the lack of energy in the opening minutes. The Cougars were losing the battle at midfield and were being outmuscled for loose balls, but their defense held the Trojans to just three shots in the first half.
“Honestly, I think we were all pretty nervous,” Riley said. “We didn’t come out as strong as we thought we would. It took time for it to sink in that we need to play or we’re going to, so we wanted to step up our game and we picked it up.”
Riley helped give Charleroi the energy it needed. In the 11th minute of the second half, Watkins took a free kick from 20 yards wide of the net and her crossing shot went into the box, where Riley, who decided at the last second to move into the box, was there to head it in for the 2-1 lead.
From there, the Cougars locked down defensively, clearing every loose ball in their own end. North Catholic sophomore midfielder Emma Ivory came within inches of tying it with just over 18 minutes remaining, but Charleroi goalkeeper Sydney Toth jumped in the air and punched the ball over the net.
The Trojans had three corner kicks in the second half, but could only generate one shot on net. Charleroi’s 2-4-4 formation continued to control the midfield and Watkins, who finished the regular season with 43 goals, almost scored twice in the final three minutes before the Cougars held on for the win.
“They didn’t make any big adjustments,” North Catholic head coach Jon Miller said.
“They’re a good team and they have two or three players who can make a difference. That’s what happened. We’re the 15th seed and they’re the two, but it was one of those games that could have gone either way.”
After controlling possession in the opening minutes, the Trojans finally broke through when Ivory took a rising shot from 35 yards out that sailed into the top-left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.
The teams traded chances until Riley’s goal shifted momentum and the Cougars never looked back.
“You just pull on their experience,” Rue said. “At halftime, I said, ‘Look, one and done here; we’re section champions.’ We’re playing for pride. They knew the first half wasn’t the type of game we’re known for.
“I was pleased with how they came back from being down. That’s a good sign to see from the kids.”