Allderdice Boys Soccer Weekly Update

The Dragons closed out the regular season with a 13–5 record, earning *section champion status on paper despite WPIAL ineligibility preventing official recognition of this remarkable accomplishment.

Moving into the postseason, Allderdice faced city rival Obama Academy for the Pittsburgh District 8 Championship in front of a packed, high-energy crowd. The Dragons dominated early possession and created several dangerous chances but lost starting goalkeeper Harrison Fiscus to injury after a hard foul early in the match. Sophomore backup Ira Clemens stepped in admirably to keep the team steady.

Obama struck first with a quick counterattack just before halftime, taking a 1–0 lead against the run of play. Allderdice pressed relentlessly for an equalizer throughout the second half, controlling possession and testing the opposing keeper with repeated attacks. The Eagles dug in admirably with a stalwart defensive effort and some key saves, but the Dragons were not to be denied. Their persistence was finally rewarded in dramatic fashion—junior defender Mike Bishop scored the tying goal with under a minute remaining in regulation.

With momentum on their side, the Dragons entered double overtime determined to finish the job. Despite playing through injury, captains Ethan Voight-Cherna and Luke Peña led a composed, sustained spell of attacking pressure that culminated in a byline dribble and cross to junior forward Jonathan Ruff, who buried the header to secure the win, the city championship, and a return trip to the PIAA 3A state playoffs for the second straight year.

The victory brings Allderdice to 14–5 overall as they look ahead to next week’s PIAA Sub-Regional playoff, most likely on Thursday, October 30, on the road in DuBois—a two-hour trip as the Dragons stay hungry for more.

Follow the team and schedule here:

https://www.maxpreps.com/pa/pittsburgh/taylor-allderdice-dragons/soccer/
https://allderdicedragons.com/main/teamschedule/id/2653535/seasonId/4906575

Allderdice Boys Soccer – Weekly Update

The Dragons closed out the week with a 1–1 split, bringing their record to 4–4. While the record doesn’t fully reflect the team’s quality, it highlights the strength of schedule Allderdice has embraced — consistently seeking out the best opposition available to challenge the group and prepare for PIAA postseason play in October.

On the road at Greater Latrobe, last year’s section champions, Allderdice earned a hard-fought 1–0 victory. Senior captain Ethan Voight-Cherna scored the game’s only goal (his 4th of the season, along with 5 assists), assisted by Santiago Carrillo. Fellow captain Ethan Heffley anchored the back line, while junior goalkeeper Harrison Fiscus came up with a big late save to secure the shutout.

Later in the week, the Dragons traveled to face Franklin Regional, last year’s WPIAL finalist and currently ranked among the state’s top five. In front of a packed stadium, Allderdice delivered a solid performance but fell 2–0 after a few costly lapses. The team looks forward to the home rematch in a few weeks.

Beyond results, the program continues to build positive culture and unity, with the varsity squad showing resilience and the JV players gaining valuable experience each week.

Looking ahead, the Dragons return home to host Belle Vernon at Cupples Stadium on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Community support makes a difference — come out and help create the atmosphere that brings out the best in our players. Follow along on social media and at:
https://www.maxpreps.com/pa/pittsburgh/taylor-allderdice-dragons/soccer/

After a historically successful season for our program in 2024, Dice Boys Soccer looks to build on that momentum with a core group of starters returning and a young group of new varsity players hungry to prove themselves. Head Coach David Thyberg guided the team through a turbulent 2024 season in which the Dragons were unexpectedly excluded from the WPIAL 3A playoffs late in the fall due to contentious bureaucratic oversight. The media had dubbed us a legitimate WPIAL championship contender, and this was a real disappointment. Despite this challenge, the team progressed all the way to the Elite 8 quarterfinals stage of the PIAA state playoffs as champions of District 8. An overtime loss to eventual unbeaten finalists Moon was the end of the road, but it was a great season. We are always a strong underdog team with a point to prove. Battle-tested, skillful and possession based, the maturing Dragons have ambitions of competing in every game against highly ranked opponents from 2A, 3A and 4A, and pushing as deep into the PIAA Tournament as possible.

Day by day we get better and better. ROLL DICE.