CLARION — As the final second ticked off the clock at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium, members of the Karns City girls soccer team poured onto the field in jubilant celebration.

The Gremlins had done something that no girls soccer team at the school has done in 10 years.

Win a PIAA Class A playoff match.

Karns City did it this time with stunning precision, building a 3-0 lead against the third-place team out of the WPIAL, Shady Side Academy, and hung on for a 3-2 win in the first round of the state playoffs on a soggy Tuesday night.

“It’s huge,” said Karns City coach Tracy Dailey. “These ladies truly deserve it. They put numerous hours into this. They’ve done something that hasn’t been done too many times in this program.”

As junior Megan McCartney, who scored two goals and added an assist, said: “We know how it feels to win District 9. We don’t know how it feels to do this.”

Until now.

Karns City will play Greensburg Central Catholic in the PIAA Class A quarterfinals Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

This was the Gremlins’ third state playoff win. They downed Shady Side Academy in 2005 and beat Warrior Run in 1996.

“Winning District 9 was a big step, but that’s expected,” Dailey said. “This isn’t expected of us.”

Karns City dominated play for most of the match. McCartney put the Gremlins up 1-0 on a penalty kick and then set up Haley Scherer for a goal late in the first half for a 2-0 lead.

McCartney wasted little time in scoring again, finding the back of the net four minutes into the second half for a 3-0 Karns City advantage.

But Shady Side Academy had a rally in it.

The Indians scored a pair of goals in a five-minute stretch in the middle of the second half, the first from Krystyna Rytel and the second from Gabrielle White.

Karns City was reeling and had 19 minutes to kill.

The Gremlins refocused and were able to keep Shady Side Academy from any good scoring chances the rest of the match.

“We knew when we went up by three goals that they were going to come out booking it,” McCartney said. “They scored two goals and we were a little on edge. It was a little scary. We just needed to keep our cool and don’t die.”

Karns City survived.

Dailey pointed to spirited practices on Saturday and Monday as an impetus to the win Tuesday.

“We practiced so well Saturday and Monday — I knew they were ready,” Dailey said. “I wish we could have played Saturday because we were so relentless with one another.”

McCartney said she was more happy to win for the seniors than for herself.

The seniors have four District 9 titles, but had yet to win a state playoff game.

“(The seniors) really wanted it,” McCartney said. “And I just wanted to help give it to them.”

Boys Soccer

Sewickley Academy 5, Karns City 0

For 50 minutes, Karns City and Sewickley Academy played even.

Then, during a 10-minute stretch, things went awry for the Gremlins.

Sewickley Academy scored three goals during that span and the Panthers got a hat trick from Matt Teitelbaum on the way to the victory.

“Offensively, we couldn’t get much going in the first half,” said Karns City boys soccer coach Jim Grenninger. “I thought defensively, we held them at bay.”

Sewickley Academy, the WPIAL champion, had just one shot on goal in the first half.

Karns City was held without a shot on goal in the first 40 minutes and mustered just two in the match.

“At halftime I thought we were doing great,” Grenninger said. “Then, 1-0, I thought we still had a chance. At 2-0 — our offensive capability just wasn’t happening.”

The Panthers excelled at limiting opportunities for the Gremlins’ big scoring threats, namely Spenser Myers.

Myers came into the match with 54 goals and 18 assists this season, but was held to one shot on goal.

“(Sewickley Academy’s) quickness showed,” Grenninger said. “Their experience of playing in the WPIAL showed.”

Still, it was a season of milestones for Karns City.

The Gremlins won back-to-back District 9 titles for the first time in program history and Myers reached 100 career goals.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking,” Grenninger said. “You know it’s going to happen eventually, that loss. But it was a great season by the guys.”