WPIAL girls soccer playoffs preview: Fox Chapel looks for a title in its first year in Class 4A
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Here is a breakdown of the WPIAL girls soccer tournament. Finals will be held Oct. 29-31 at F.N.B. Stadium.
Defending champion: North Allegheny
Top seeds: Mt. Lebanon is first, Peters Township second, North Allegheny third, Fox Chapel fourth
Winner will be: Fox Chapel. With the biennial realignment, Fox Chapel moved up in classification and suffered its only loss of the season in a 1-0 battle on opening night against North Allegheny. Fox Chapel has Pitt commit Emily McKee leading the offensive charge and a defense that has surrendered just three goals all season.
Team that could surprise: Norwin. That No. 6 seed will not lull people into a false sense of security. The Knights are one of the top teams in the WPIAL. Norwin has also been on a scoring binge, with 32 goals in its last five matches.
The scoop: Mt. Lebanon is the No. 1 seed and in the midst of an 18-year drought. There is no doubt the Blue Devils are battle tested after a grueling run through Section 2.
Taylor McCullough, an Ohio State recruit and Riveters SC player, leads the Peters Township offense, and the defense is anchored by senior Ava Hajnosz, one of the best backliners in the WPIAL.
North Allegheny is a sneaky team at No. 3 and knows something about coming from the bottom of the bracket to win it all. The Tigers were the No. 5 seed a year ago and have a veteran goalkeeper, Jordan Beemer, who in the net for the title game win a year ago.
Defending champion: Fox Chapel
Top seeds: Penn-Trafford is first, Shaler second, Montour third, Mars fourth
Winner will be: Penn-Trafford. Sophomore Ellie Lebe has been dynamic all season and has scored several critical goals down the stretch, including a game winner against Plum that locked up the Section 4 title.
Team that could surprise: South Fayette. It has been an up-and-down year for the Lions, but this is still a team that played in the WPIAL championship game a year ago and is the reigning state champion. Most of this team knows what it takes to win in the postseason, including junior Gabby Beinecke, a Virginia Tech commit who played with the Riveters this summer.
The scoop: Shaler has been an up-and-comer for the last few years and might finally have enough to make the leap to a championship. Titans juniors Naudia Zotter and Gabby Alcalde lead a unit that upset Franklin Regional in penalties a year ago and pushed Moon to the brink before losing in the quarterfinals. It’s also a team that benefited greatly from playing in a section with Fox Chapel and Mars last year.
Never sleep on a Blair Gerlach-coached team. Mars was one of the hottest teams coming down the stretch, with eight consecutive victories. They have only allowed five goals all season.
Montour is the No. 3 seed, but if the team needs a goal, it has junior Irelynn Hobbs, a Pitt commit who has been one of the best goalscorers in the WPIAL over the last three seasons.
Defending champion: Freeport
Top seeds: South Park is first, Freeport second, Avonworth third, Burrell fourth
Who will win: Freeport. This is still a team loaded with talent, led by senior Camryn Woods, who is committed to play at Ohio. The team also has senior defender Brinley Sullivan and junior Alyssa Cooper on the back line, as well as junior midfielder CeCe Schlegel keeping it all together in the middle third.
Team that could surprise: Deer Lakes. The Lancers already have a win against section rival Freeport and could face the Yellowjackets in the quarterfinals. Though the path is always difficult for a No. 7 seed, with a win against Freeport already on its resume, this could bolster the team if it can get past Mount Pleasant in its opener.
The scoop: It would be easy to go with the chalk here and take South Park, which is the only undefeated team in the classification. The team features a proven goalscorer in Arianna Beck and a seasoned goalkeeper in Gianna Cardillo. But last year, they were also undefeated and the top seed and lost to Burrell in the quarterfinals.
Speaking of the Bucs, this is a team that knows how to turn it on in the postseason, with WPIAL finals appearances in each of the last two years, as well as a state championship game appearance in 2025.
Defending champion: Bentworth
Top seeds: Sewickley Academy is first, Winchester Thurston second, Brownsville third, Shady Side Academy fourth
Who will win: Sewickley Academy. The Panthers have had some really good teams in the past but have not been able to hoist a championship trophy in 22 years. This year, the Panthers have last season’s title game loss driving them, as well as senior forward Emma Eannarino, a career 100-goal scorer, along with sophomore sniper Claire Karsman.
Team that could surprise: Brownsville. The Falcons always get pushed to the background, but sophomore Gloria Kovscek is a player who could make enough of a difference for the team to pull off a couple of upsets and win its first WPIAL title.
The scoop: It still feels strange not seeing Greensburg Central Catholic in the tournament after the Centurions folded their program for the year because of a lack of participation.
Bentworth is the reigning champion and could have a lot to say before it’s all said and done. This is still a veteran team that won with a young lineup last year. Winchester Thurston has never won a WPIAL girls soccer title.
First Published: October 23, 2026, 12:00 a.m.