WPIAL soccer playoffs: Butler girls falls in Class 4A first round to Upper St. Clair
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Butler's captain Kaitlyn McGuire (13) pumps up the team before the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper st. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Friends and family traveled to Upper St. Clair High School to support Butler's in the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Ava Soley (8) helps deflect a shot on goal with Ashton Huff (17) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Jess Calhoun (3) takes the ball past Upper St. Clair's Natalia Disora (17) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler head coach Dan Buzzard gives directions before the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Cecelia Wolford (12) fights for the ball against Upper St. Clair's Chloe Bird (4) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's goalkeeper Ashton Huff (17) protects the net during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Cecelia Wolford (12) fights for the ball against Upper St. Clair's Chloe Bird (4) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Jess Calhoun (3) fights for possession of the ball against Upper St. Clair's Chloe Bird (4) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Ava Soley (8) looks to take the ball down field during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's captain Kaitlyn McGuire (13) celebrates with her team after scoring a goal off a penalty kick in the first half of the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's captain Kaitlyn McGuire (13) approaches the ball to score a goal off a penalty kick in the first half of the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game against Upper St. Clair on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Lydia Mohney (20) jumps to head the ball against Upper St. Clair's Meredith Huzjak (8) during the WPIAL Class 4A first round girls soccer game Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair won 3-1. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
UPPER ST. CLAIR — A tilted field in Upper St. Clair’s favor, especially in the first half, proved too much for Butler’s girls soccer team Monday night.
The No. 7 Panthers received goals from Chloe Bird and Analise Castrodale in the first half of a 3-1 victory over the visiting Golden Tornado in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round playoff game.
Play was even for the first few minutes, but the Panthers began to assert themselves on the offensive end. They earned three corner kicks in a span of four-and-a-half minutes and forced Butler goalie Kaylen Yaracs to make five saves, two of them diving stops.
USC’s persistence paid off in the 17th minute when Bird’s penalty kick was tucked just inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.
The 10th-seeded Butler responded just three minutes later when Kaitlyn McGuire got the Tornado on the board with her own penalty kick.
“She’s been taking PKs for us all year,” Butler coach Dan Buzzard said. “She has the confidence to do it, and I can’t remember a time when she didn’t score.
“But when a team is getting the scoring opportunities that they (the Panthers) were getting, all it takes is one mistake to give up another goal, and that’s what happened.”
The go-ahead score came in the 32nd minute when Castrodale booted a shot from 25 yards to the right of Yaracs, who was unable to stop the ball despite another dive.
USC coach Zach Hamilton saw his team’s 2-1 lead at halftime as the product of a collective effort against a sound opponent.
“We also played them last year in a playoff here and won 2-0,” he said. “I think Butler was better than they were a year ago. They are organized and very competitive.”
The Tornado’s chances increased in the second half, forcing USC goalie Cam Friday to make five of her seven saves in the final 40 minutes. Lucia Leyland and Sydney Patterson both had clear shots at Butler’s second goal, but were denied.
By then, however, the Panthers held a 3-1 lead thanks to Meredith Huzjak’s goal on a header following a cross from Natalia Disora in the 45th minute.
“We’re not top-heavy with goals this year,” Hamilton said. “It’s more equal with a lot of players. The three girls who scored tonight have each contributed goals when needed.”
Yaracs made six saves. As was Buzzard’s plan entering the game, Ashton Huff played the second half and stopped two shots.
USC held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Butler finishes the season with a record of 9-9.
“We have just three or four players on the team who saw a lot of varsity time last year,” Buzzard said. “We were able to hang with a number of really good teams this season and gave the best effort we could tonight. I’m proud of the girls.”
The No. 7 Panthers (10-5-2) will visit No. 2 Seneca Valley (12-2-2) for a quarterfinal Thursday.
