The season is young but the competition in the first full week of April is fierce. Tuesday and Wednesday feature some huge section games including a handful of rivals going head-to-head. And on Monday, a number of top teams face-off in some exciting non-section games around the league.
Monday
Taylor Allderdice (0-1, 0-2) @ Erie McDowell (0-1, 0-1)
Gus Anderson Field, 6 pm
Monday's only section game is between two D-II Section II teams fighting for the first win of the year. McDowell's only game of the year has been a 9-5 home loss to the reigning D-II champions, Butler. But before the Trojans host Allderdice, McDowell had a trip to New York scheduled for Saturday against St. Joseph Collegiate (2-1) in NY's Section 6.
Hopefully for Allderdice, its first two games won't be any indication of how the rest of the year will play out. Two games in and Allderdice is still searching for that coveted first goal on the year. The Dragons were blanked by D-I giants Shady Side Academy last week, 15-0, and again in its section home opener against Erie Cathedral Prep, 14-0. McDowell has beaten Allderdice four times in the last five meetings including a 10-3 road win last season.
Upper St. Clair (1-0, 2-0) @ Hampton (1-0, 1-2)
Fridley Field, 7 pm
Last season, both Hampton and USC finished second in each of their sections and both were knocked out by the eventual champions. Hampton went on to lose in the D-II championship to Butler, 14-9, while the Panthers fell in the first round to the D-I champions Sewickley Academy, 12-2.
Despite starting the season with a losing record, both of Hampton's losses have been by a single goal to tough non-section opposition from the South Hills. On Friday at home the Talbots were defeated by Chartiers Valley, 9-8, and beaten by the same score to open the season at Bethel Park. But last week the Talbots triumphed in the section opener, routing Shaler in the snow, 15-1.
Undefeated USC on the other hand is out to prove why the Panthers are once again a legitimate D-I title contender. After a home opening win against Chartiers Valley, 10-3, USC followed the non-section victory with a section win over Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 8-5, at home.
USC downed Hampton at home last season, 8-3; one of only three losses the Talbots suffered all year. The Panthers have won three of the last four meetings against Hampton.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic (0-1, 1-2) @ Greensburg Central Catholic (1-0, 2-1)
Greensburgh Central Catholic Field, 7 pm
The battle for Central Catholic supremacy has certainly been an exciting one over the last few years. In two of the last four meetings between the Catholic schools, both games have been decided by only two goals which included a 10-8 road win for GCC last season.
The Centurions started its section campaign with a big victory at Latrobe, 15-5. And the day before, GCC survived a scare against nonsection opposition Indiana, 6-4. But the Centuries were only one quarter of good lacrosse away from an undefeated record and a colossal upset. GCC had a 5-4 lead at Shady Side Academy heading into the fourth but the Indians outscored the Centurions, 3-1, to sneak by with a 7-6 win.
Unfortunately for PCC, tough losses have been a reoccurring theme to start off the season. The Vikings hosted Pine Richland for its season home opener and lost a heart breaker in an overtime thriller, 12-11. Five days later, the Vikings were tripped up in its section opener on the road by Upper St. Clair, 8-5. But the PCC offense was absolutely on fire against Norwin last week, pummeling the Knights 20-4.
Fox Chapel (0-2, 2-2) @ Peters Township (0-0, 3-0)
Peters Township High School Stadium, 7:30 pm
Peters Township is off to a 3-0 start but for the first time all year the Indians will finally see some WPIAL competition. The Indians host Fox Chapel Monday night who haven't beaten Peters in five straight. And last year, the Foxes were beaten at home by the Indians, 12-2.
Peters has already picked up three big wins against three top teams from three different states. On Saturday, the Indians hosted Westerville South from Columbus, OH and held on for a thrilling 5-4 victory. And later that day, Peters pounded West Virginia's Fairmont Senior, 15-1. Cody Sheetz scored a hat-trick and Nico Summaria had five points with two goals and three assists. The Indians started the season with a trip to Philly to take on Parkland. Peters trailed 5-1 following the first quarter but stormed back and stunned the Trojans, 8-7. Fox Chapel is coming off a huge 16-3 road victory way out in Latrobe following back-to-back section losses. The Foxes section opener was a 9-7 home loss to Franklin Regional followed by a loss at Seneca Valley, 9-7, two days later. In its home opener against Shaler, Fox Chapel shined and earned a 10-4 win to start the season.
Trinity (0-1, 1-2) @ Chartiers Valley (1-0, 3-1)
Chartiers Valley Stadium, 7 pm
After a rocky start, Chartiers Valley is heating up. Since being dealt a 10-3 loss at USC to start the season, the Colts have gone 3-0 and most recently beat last season's D-II runner-up Hampton on the road, 9-8. The day before the big win over the Talbots, CV picked up its first section win of the year at Winchester Thurston, 5-3. And when the Colts traveled to North Hills for a nonsection game, both Kevin Gillen and Ryan McGoogan scored hat-tricks to give CV a 11-4 win.
Conversely, Trinity will be looking to rebound following a 19-1 thrashing from section rival Mt. Lebanon. Days before the blowout at home, the Hillers hosted Latrobe and recorded a solid 10-4 win. But Trinity's three consecutive home games to start the season opened with a tough loss to Canon-McMillon, 5-2.
The Colts have won the last two meetings against the Hillers including a 14-2 drumming last year at Trinity.
Shaler (0-1, 0-3) @ Norwin (0-0, 0-1)
Norwin Stadium, 7:30 pm
Shaler managed to record one shutout last year. That win came at home against Knight's young program, 12-0. This time around Shaler travels out to the Norwin where the Knights look to avenge last season's loss and pick up its first win on the year.
Norwin's Andrew Skundrich scored twice against Pittsburgh Central Catholic but the Vikings were too much to handle and left North Huntingdon with a 20-4 win.
Like the Knights, Shaler is still seeking win number one on the year. The Titans have been outscored 6 to 28 and have allowed ten goals or more in each of its first three games. Shaler most recently dropped its section opener at Hampton, 14-1, and lost road games at Baldwin, 14-2, and Fox Chapel, 10-3.
Winchester Thurston (0-1, 0-1) @ Vincentian Academy (0-1, 0-2)
Winchester Thurston's only game of the year has been a narrow loss at home to section foe Chartiers Valley, 5-3. Vincentian also lost a close call but the Royals were beaten in overtime at Seton LaSalle, 8-7. Vincentian's lone section game came against Cathedral Prep at home where the Erie-side blew by the Royals, 17-5. This is the first meeting ever between the two teams.
Indiana (0-1, 2-1) @ Latrobe (0-1, 0-3)
Rotary Park, 4 pm
Last season both sides went head-to-head on two separate occasions and split the season series. Latrobe lost to Indiana at home early in the year, 9-6, but the Wildcats avenged the loss with a 10-8 victory a few weeks later.
Latrobe has been outscored 41 to 12 and has yet to give up less than 10 goals in each of its first three games. The Wildcats lost its first section match of the year to Greensburg Central Catholic, 15-5, and has been beaten by Fox Chapel, 16-3, and at Trinity, 10-4.
Indiana recently hosted its section opener against North Hills but were defeated by the visiting Indians, 11-6. Indiana's two nonsection wins came against independent clubs Aquinas Academy, 7-3, and Knoch, 6-4.
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