Five area high school soccer teams will compete in playoff games Monday.

On the boys side, Butler (19-1-1) faces Plum (18-2-1) at 7:30 p.m. at North Hills in a WPIAL Class AAA semifinal while the Freeport girls (17-1-0) face South Park (16-5-2) at 6 p.m. at Shaler in a Class AA semifinal.

The Slippery Rock girls play Mercyhurst Prep at 7 p.m. Monday at Wilmington in the District 10 playoffs and Grove City plays Harbor Creek at 7 p.m. at Erie's Veterans Stadium.

In girls District 9 playoff action, Karns City hosts Curwensville at 6:30 p.m.

The Seneca Valley girls volleyball team will play its WPIALClass AAAsecond-round playoff match against Pine-Richland at 6 p.m. Tuesday at North Hills high.

TAMPA, Fla. — Former major league pitcher Joe Niekro, Houston's career victories leader, died Friday following a brain aneurysm, Astros president Tal Smith said. He was 61.The two-time 20-game winner and father of San Francisco Giants first baseman Lance Niekro, won 221 games in his career — 144 with the Astros — but never became as well known as his Hall of Fame brother Phil.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Tiger Woods is skipping the Tour Championship next week for the first time in his career, saying Friday he was mentally and physically tired from a hectic stretch through the Ryder Cup.