WPIAL Class 4A girls soccer championship
5-North Allegheny (16-3-2) vs. 2-Seneca Valley (12-3-2)
6 p.m. Friday, Highmark Stadium
Coaches: Chuck Kelley, North Allegheny; Mark Perry, Seneca Valley
Players to watch: Emma Schupansky, North Allegheny; Maddie Marcotte, Seneca Valley
WPIAL titles: North Allegheny 3 (2022, 2020, 2019); Seneca Valley 5 (2018, 2014, 2013, 2009, 2007)
Playoff path: North Allegheny defeated No. 12 Armstrong, 7-0, in the first round; No. 4 Pine-Richland 2-1 (PKs) in the quarterfinals; and No. 1 Peters Township, 1-0, in the semifinals. Seneca Valley had a first-round bye then defeated No. 7 Upper St. Clair, 1-0 in overtime; and No. 3 Norwin, 1-0 in penalty kicks.
Throw-ins: These teams split their series in Section 3-4A this season. … North Allegheny is a riding a seven-game winning streak where it has allowed just two goals. The Tigers are chasing a fourth WPIAL title. They fell short in the semifinals last season. Averie Bierker, a Miami (Ohio) commit, scored the winning goal with 11:40 left in the semifinals to beat defending champ Peters Township. Jordan Beemer recorded the shutout. North Allegheny had three players earn all-WPIAL honors — seniors Ava Hutter and Emma Schupansky and junior Kieran Shannon. Hutter, a center back, is a La Salle commit. Schupansky, a midfielder, is a UMBC recruit. Shannon, a forward, has a team-high 15 goals this season. The Tigers average 3.1 goals per game and allow 0.5. … Seneca Valley, last year’s runner-up, is back in the WPIAL title and chasing its sixth district championship. The Raiders won Section 3 at 7-1. They outscored opponents 50-10 this season. Seneca Valley had five players selected to the all-WPIAL team — Bella Gianfrancesco, Cassie Leonard, Karly Majeski, Maddie Marcotte and Sydney Postler. Marcotte scored the winning goal in double overtime in the quarterfinals and had the winning score in the shootout in the semifinals. … Both teams have qualified for the PIAA tournament.