CRANBERRY TWP — Making the most of opportunities is what lifts many high school soccer teams to postseason play.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic's boys team did so in the regular season, making history in the process.

The Trojans (15-2-1 overall) claimed the first section title in program history with a 13-0-1 record. The team will be making its first appearance in the WPIAL playoffs in over two decades.

“Before the season, I thought we'd be battling for the (Section 3-A) title,” said Trojans' coach Jordan Weigand, “but I'd be lying to you if I had said I thought we'd win it in this fashion.”

For senior defender Josh Rivetti, the success he and his teammates have met with this season has been extra special.

“My first season (at CWNC) was my sophomore year. We hardly won any games that year (2-14),” said Rivetti. “My junior year was rough, too. So to see everything come together the way it has this year, it feels great.”

Rivetti is one of four team captains — defenders Nick Milas, Danny Lynch and Braiden Wills being the others.

Freshman forward Joe Kearney has added much-needed punch to the lineup, leading the team with 21 goals and eight assists. Mike Drambel has added eight goals and Rivetti seven assists.

It is what happens in the Trojans' own end and in the midfield that has led to many of the goals. Nobody has seen that from a better vantage point than sophomore goalkeeper Nathan Paras, who has posted six shutouts this season.

“We're a tougher team this season,” said Paras, who started as a freshman last year. “And we control the ball a lot better. Those are the two biggest differences I've seen.”

In Weigand's first season at CWNC in 2014, the team allowed 89 goals in 16 games. With Paras in net last season, that number was sliced to 30 goals in 17 contests. He has allowed 16 goals this fall.

“He's tall (6-foot-2), you'd think he was a senior,” Weigand said of Paras. “He's a very good talent and a big part of the success we've had.

“We're a balanced team,” he added. “From goal out to the forwards, we're pretty solid.”

Section 3's other playoff teams this season include Aquinas Academy, Springdale and Eden Christian.

“I like to rate our section as one of the better ones in the WPIAL,” said Weigand.

The Trojans played Seton-LaSalle in a non-section game Sept. 4 and lost 2-1. The Rebels will enter the playoffs with a record of 17-1.

“That gave us a pretty good idea of where we stood,” Weigand said. “That's when we started thinking, 'Why not us?'”

While Weigand is focused on what his team can still accomplish this season, he has built a program that appears primed for a string of success.

The Trojans had no seniors on last year's 7-9-1 team. Rivetti is the lone senior on the varsity team this year.

“I was the head coach at Deer Lakes from 2011-13, took over a program that was down a bit and within three seasons, we saw some success there,” he said. “This is my third season at North Catholic. I want this to become a program that is traditionally good, not good for just one or two years. We have a lot of young kids coming in.”