Norwin will get another shot to finally solve pesky Plum.
After a 4-0 first-round win over Woodland Hills on Tuesday night, the sixth-seeded Knights (11-5-3) will play their section rivals — Plum (14-2-2) is the No. 3 seed — for a third time this season in Saturday’s WPIAL Class 4A boys soccer quarterfinals at Plum.
The start time has not been announced.
Plum, which had a first-round bye, won the first matchup against the Knights, 1-0, before the teams settled on a 0-0 draw in the rematch.
Norwin had to get to the rubber match before it could talk about Plum again.
Ian Natale and Danny Metzger each scored two goals as the Knights finished more chances in the second half and eased to a 4-0 victory at Norwin Knights Stadium.
“It feels amazing,” said Natale, who had his second brace of the season. “When we played Plum last time, we wished it could have gone to PKs. We are very confident.”
What’s it going to take to beat Plum?
“A goal,” Natale said.
Playing their final home game in this iteration of Knights Stadium, which will undergo a $25 million makeover beginning next month, the Knights locked down another opponent with their eighth straight shutout. They have not allowed a goal since Sept. 22 against Fox Chapel.
“We put so much effort into how we prepare offensively,” said Metzger, who experienced his first two-goal game. “We wanted to come out fast early tonight.”
Norwin jumped on the board in the 19th minute.
Natale took a long cross in front of the net and headed in the finish for a 1-0 lead.
It took some time for the offense to continue, but the Knights found rhythm after intermission with three second-half goals.
The win for Norwin was much more pleasing than what happened in the first round last year. No. 12 seed North Hills upset the Knights, 3-2, in a stunner as Norwin let in an own goal in the closing seconds.
“It’s a new group and new season,” Norwin coach Scott Schuchert said. “The goal is to be the last team standing. The first step is the first hurdle. We wanted to try to dominate early. Later in the game, I think we wore them down.”
As opportunities mounted but fizzled out, Norwin finally bumped in another goal after halftime as Natale redirected a shot past goalie Tommy Ketcham in the 56th minute.
Ketcham made seven saves.
Seconds after the score, Woodland Hills finally managed its first shot, but it was saved by Reed Hoyle.
The Wolverines (7-8), who have 19 players on the roster, were appearing in their first playoff game since 2019.
“They were tough and kept coming at us,” Schuchert said.
Norwin went deep into its bench, playing 19. The Knights outshot the Wolverines, 15-2.
“I loved the energy the bench gave us,” Schuchert said.
Metzger was in the right spot to fire in the third goal in the 63rd minute, then went one-on-one with a defender and scored again in the 67th to make it 4-0.
The second came off a set piece.
Obaara Owolabi and Tanner Johnson had assists in the win.
“If you would have told me our goal scorers tonight would be Ian Natale and Danny Metzger, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Schuchert said. “Goals in the playoffs are hard to come by. They come on moments of brilliance or really good soccer.”
Schuchert said his team will need to play flawlessly to have a chance against Plum.
“We’ll need a complete team game,” he said. “The back line has to be steady, and we need Reed to come up big. All phases have to play well for us to be destined to win.
“There is a lot of excitement with seeing Plum again, not nervousness.”