Seneca's PIAA loss one of five for District 10's girls soccer teams
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Quantity defined the offense for the 2024 PIAA girls soccer match between Seneca and Bishop Guilfoyle.
The teams combined for nine goals at Altoona's Mansion Park, with the last one by the Marauders in overtime.
Quality, though, summarized the scoring for their Nov. 4 rematch at the Bobcats’ Bob Diffenbacher Field.
This time, one goal was enough for District 6’s champions. Their 1-0 win was the final for a Class 1A first-rounder between the state’s second- and third-ranked teams.
“You know I've told you before that we're a blue collar team," Seneca coach Yvonne Hammill said. "The effort was always there and we worked every minute until the end.
"It just wasn’t our night.”
The Bobcats (19-2) bowed out in a state first-rounder for the second straight year, while the Marauders (19-1) advanced to this weekend’s quarterfinals.
Couldn’t convert chances
The Bobcats’ latest loss to Guilfoyle was agonizing because they dominated in shots on goal and set plays throughout the first half. None was grander than their free kick chance late in the first half.
Not only was Seneca denied on that attempt, but the Marauders scored their goal less than a minute later.
Guilfoyle’s Delaney Lechner booted a low grounder from roughly 15 yards out that eluded goalkeeper Mallory Hammill with 3 minutes, 16 seconds left.
“It was tough not scoring (in that half),” Yvonne Hammill said. “There’s games where you can’t buy a goal and there’s games where you get your chances.
We got our chances, but we weren’t able to put them away.”
Seneca still managed quality shots in the second half, even though the Marauders tightened their defense as the minutes eroded. However, Guilfoyle goalie Abbie Rumfola made clean saves each time.
Dour night for district
The district’s other four girls soccer participants also saw their seasons end with state losses.
Class 2A
Burrell 2, Cathedral Prep 1: At Dollinger Field, each team scored during the early minutes of the second half. Anna Johnson, off a pass from C.C. Cacchione, accounted for the Ramblers’ goal.
However, that wasn’t enough to offset a first half score for Burrell, the second seed out of the WPIAL. The Bucs maintained their one-goal advantage the remainder of regulation.
Burrell advanced at 13-7-2. Prep, the district’s champion, was eliminated at 18-3-1.
Freeport 3, Fort LeBoeuf 1: At Freeport, the host Yellowjackets eliminated the Bison in a match between District 7’s titlists and District 10’s second seeds.
Freeport nudged its record to 19-1. LeBoeuf, in the final varsity match for Mercyhurst University recruit Jenna Popowski, ended 2025 play at 12-6-1.
Class 3A
Fox Chapel 2, Harbor Creek 0: At Pittsburgh, the WPIAL champions eliminated District 10’s lone tournament participant. The Foxes advanced at 20-1-1 with its shutout victory of the 16-7 Huskies.
Class 4A
Seneca Valley 2, McDowell 1: At Gus Anderson Field, the second seeds from District 7 clinched District 10’s winless night.
The Trojans (15-7) lost despite a goal that was missed by latecomers to the match. Olivia Murray scored 50 seconds after its opening whistle.
The Raiders, though, had ample times to recover. They finally did when Madeline Marcotte evened matters midway through the first half and Cassie Leonard got the game-winner with 23:58 left in regulation.
The Harmony team improved to 13-4-2.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10's girls soccer teams went winless in PIAA's first round
