Welcome to the second night of the first round in the PIAA soccer and girls volleyball playoffs.
The Seneca Valley boys soccer program began this decade dominating Class 4A on the state level.
The Raiders defeated Neshaminy in the 2020 PIAA finals, lost to Conestoga in the 2021 state championship match, and then returned to the top by raising gold after shutting out Lower Merion in the 2022 title match.
However, over the last three years, no WPIAL team has reached the PIAA Class 4A boys soccer finals.
Fresh off another WPIAL championship, Seneca Valley hopes to begin that march in the state playoffs Wednesday when it hosts Conestoga Valley at 5 p.m.
The Raiders are 17-1 this season and have won 13 consecutive matches since suffering their lone loss of the campaign to North Allegheny in mid-September.
In the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, Seneca Valley won three one-goal matches, all in regulation.
The Raiders won by scores of 2-1 over Pine-Richland in the quarterfinals and Fox Chapel in the semifinals, then blanked North Allegheny in the title match, 1-0, on a first-half goal by Zach White.
They host a Conestoga Valley team that is 13-4-2 and is the fourth-place team out of District 3.
The Buckskins were the No. 7 seed in the District 3 tournament and reached the semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Lower Dauphin in double overtime.
WPIAL 4A runner up North Allegheny will battle City League representative Allderdice at 6 p.m. at Cupples Stadium on the South Side.
The Tigers are 12-4-3 and were unbeaten in six games before losing to Seneca Valley in the WPIAL finals.
The Dragons are 11-6-3 and are coming off wins over State College, 2-1, and Erie McDowell, 2-1, via penalty kicks to qualify for the PIAA playoffs.
There are four WPIAL teams set to open up the PIAA Class 2A boys soccer playoffs Wednesday.
The only team with a home game is District 7 winner Belle Vernon.
The Leopards are 18-1-2 as they prepare to host District 5 champ Somerset (14-2-4) at 6 p.m.
The other three WPIAL reps hit the road for the opening round.
WPIAL runner-up Quaker Valley (13-6-2) visits District 9 champion Brookville (12-6-1) at 6 p.m.
WPIAL third-place North Catholic (18-2-2) travels east to face District 6 winner Westmont-Hilltop (17-1-3) at 6 p.m.
WPIAL fourth-place Ambridge (15-6-2) heads north to square off with District 10 champ Fairview (20-0) at 6 p.m.
When the PIAA expanded soccer from three classes to four classes in 2016, the WPIAL had early success in the newly formed Class 4A.
Canon-McMillan defeated Central Bucks South 1-0 in overtime to win the inaugural 4A championship in 2016.
A year later, Norwin claimed 4A gold with a whitewash win over Neshaminy, 1-0.
Since 2018, however, only one WPIAL team has won a 4A state crown, and that happened five years ago when Moon defeated Conestoga, 2-0, to capture the 2021 PIAA title.
Two District 7 teams hope to change that this fall.
WPIAL champion Mt. Lebanon will be home to the fourth-place team from District 3 in Mechanicsburg at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The Blue Devils are 16-1-2 and are unbeaten in their last 11 matches since falling to Canon-McMillan in late September.
Mt. Lebanon registered its fifth shutout in its last seven contests in the WPIAL title match with a shootout win over North Allegheny, 1-0.
The Wildcats are 15-5 and coming off a loss to District 3 runner-up Lower Dauphin in the semifinals, 3-2 in penalty kicks.
WPIAL runner-up North Allegheny heads north to…
