When the calendar gets to the end of October and the WPIAL playoff brackets are released, it seems every year the Shady Side Academy boys soccer team answers the bell.
The Bulldogs have been in the semifinals six out of the last 10 years, made the finals four times and won a championship in 2017 and ’18.
So, even though they finished third in Section 1-2A and entered this year’s playoffs as a double-digit seed, it would be foolish to count them out.
Shady Side Academy received the 10th seed and was matched up with No. 7 Mt. Pleasant in the WPIAL Class 2A first round. The match was set for Oct. 21 at Mt. Pleasant.
“We love the playoffs,” Bulldogs coach Ed Ellsworth said. “We’ve thrived in the playoffs over the last decade, so we’re excited.”
This year’s team, which Ellsworth said is a younger squad, was shaped in a positive way by playing a challenging section schedule.
The Bulldogs (10-4-1) continued what has become a long-standing rivalry with Deer Lakes, splitting the two meetings, but also had to deal with newcomers North Catholic and Burrell.
They swept Burrell but lost both meetings with North Catholic.
“There’s been some years where it was just us and Deer Lakes, so when Burrell came back into the fold, that was exciting, and adding North Catholic was a new challenge,” Ellsworth said. “When you’re thrown into the fire, so to speak, in the section it provides more information and preparation for the playoffs.”
The Bulldogs have been getting goals from a variety of players and needed to do so after graduating their entire front line from 2023.
Senior Mark Bence, a returning All-Section player, leads the team with 16 goals. Manek Gerhardy, a junior, has 13 goals. Senior Dane Thomas and junior Perkin Showalter have eight goals apiece and freshman Zach Powers has five goals and team-best 11 assists.
Thomas was a right back the first three years before moving into a more offensive role this season.
“Last year we graduated Amir Awais, who scored 40 goals, and you just don’t replace that with one player,” Ellsworth said. “Amirs don’t come around every year, so we’ve had to do it by committee and the boys have really responded and found ways to win.
“It’s been an adjustment. We talked to them about knowing their role, growing their role and expanding their role and that’s what this team has done.”
Shady Side Academy was very good with goal prevention in the latter part of the season. In the last 10 games, they yielded only five goals and posted six shutouts.
They’ll looked to carry over their sound defense into the playoffs and rely on the experiences of playing top teams in section play.
“The philosophy at Shady Side Academy is to drive possession and to pride ourselves on our rugged defending,” Ellsworth said. “We had a 1-0 lead at North Catholic and against Deer Lakes and let those slip away, but that’s part of being a young team. You mature from those experiences, and they harden you for the playoffs. I’m excited because the team has responded and grown from those experiences.”