WPIAL Soccer: How Freeport girls broke through to semis
BUFFALO TWP — Getting past the WPIAL quarterfinal hurdle did not figure to be easy for Freeport girls soccer.
The Yellowjackets had seen their season end here the last three years, and in Saturday’s Class 2A game against North Catholic, Freeport needed some dramatics to avoid the same fate.
Enter Camryn Woods.
With her team trailing the Trojanettes 3-2 with time winding down in the second half, the junior forward scored on a free kick from 40 yards in the 66th minute.
Then in overtime, she booted in the game-winner with just 1:31 left, and the ‘Jackets celebrated a very physical 4-3 victory at Freeport Stadium.
“It was crazy,” Woods said. “This is one of the hardest games I’ve played in. That last shot, I knew it was my moment and I had to score.”
Woods took possession amid two North defenders on the left side of the field. After working herself free, she sidestepped and raced past another Trojanette, which left her 1-on-1 with goalie Jules Tralongo before putting her foot into the game’s final goal.
-
North Cathlic players react after losing the game against Freeport in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
North Cathlic head coach DJ Sharpless celebrates after a goal in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport midfielder Peyton Los (18) and North Cathlic senior Mikaela Canzian (8) compete for control of the ball in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
North Cathlic freshman Megan Heinback (16) loses the ball to Freeport defender Maggie Conger (30) in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport forward Camryn Woods (22) kicks the game winning shot during overtime in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
The Freeport soccer team celebrates after their overtime win against North Cathlic in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport pulls ahead of North Cathlic for an ovetime win, ending with a final score of 4-3 in a WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinal game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Freeport Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
“You expect big-time plays from big-time players,” Freeport coach Steve Kukic said. “That was an incredible effort by Camryn to get by three people.”
The ‘Jackets had defeated North twice in the regular season by scores of 4-0 and 2-0.
“We came in with a definite strategy and I think we executed it well,” North coach DJ Sharpless said. “We scored three goals against a really good team. Freeport has a lot of club-level players. Good luck to whoever has to play them now.”
That will be Quaker Valley, which defeated Central Valley 1-0 in another quarterfinal on Saturday. The No. 2 Yellowjackets and No. 3 Quakers will meet in a semifinal at a time, date and site to be determined.
Freeport (17-1) broke the ice Saturday with a goal from Elena Jenkins less than eight minutes into the game. North countered with an impressive individual effort from Simone Sharpless, who let a shot go from 20 yards to the left of the net. Too high for goalie Alyssa Alcorn, the ball smacked off the inside of the right post and into the net to tie the game in the 13th minute.
The teams traded goals once again, Peyton Los scoring for Freeport and Nina Bond for North Catholic. Bond, though, was not done. She scored her second goal in the 30th minute and the Trojanettes (13-6) led 3-2 at halftime.
“It’s not gonna be all unicorns and rainbows. There will be adversity and I give North Catholic a lot of credit,” Kukic said. “They played very well and we were a defeated team at halftime. But everyone kept their head in the game.
“North buried their chances, but we have to limit those opportunities.”
Tralongo made nine saves, four of them in overtime before Woods’ game-winner.
Alcorn stopped two shots for Freeport.
North Catholic was the No. 7 seed. No. 8 Burrell, another team from Freeport and North’s section, upset top-seeded South Park on Saturday, and will face Mount Pleasant in the other semifinal.
“Our section is very strong,” Sharpless said. “We have two teams in the semis and one of them is seeded eighth. If we were on the other side of the bracket, we could’ve played Freeport in the final. The WPIAL has to do a better job of seeding these teams.”
More in Sports
