Emma Bayer scores in Knoch’s return to WPIAL girls soccer playoffs, but Montour rolls to win
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Knoch’s Leah Yesconis (23) shows her emotions after losing to Montour 4-1 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Claire Tully (15) and Emma Bayer (22) show their emotions after losing to Montour 4-1 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s celebrates a goal against Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Koch’s Allie Cristallino (2) is introduced before playing Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s McKenna Jones (10) makes a save against Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Leah Yesconis (23) heads the ball against Montour Emily Rishell (1) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Emma Bayer (22) fights for the ball with Montour’s Mia Pessy (28) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Emma Bayer (22) scores a goal on Montour’s goalie Sydney Toulouse (44) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Bella Pelloni (14) takes the ball from Montour’s Uma Hand (36) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Avery Ortmann (11) fights for the ball with Montour’s Vanessa Apicella (25) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Avery Ortmann (11) heads the ball against Montour’s Vanessa Apicella (25) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Allie Cristaillino (2) shows her disappointment as Montour celebrates a goal in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Emma Bayer fights for the ball with Montour’s Emilia DeCola (30) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Brooke Emsurak, back, tries to take control of the ball from Montour’s Irelynn Hobbs (10) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Leah Yesconis (23) fights for the ball with Montour’s Emily Rishell (1) in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Claire Tully argues with the referee after Montour scored a goal in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch’s Racheal Karwoski (6) crashes into teammate Leah Yesconis (23) against Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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The harvest moon comes out before Knoch played Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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The harvest moon comes out before Knoch played Montour in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Montour High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
ROBINSON TWP, Allegheny County — Holding back tears, Emma Bayer said she felt like a babysitter at times this season.
The lone Knoch girls soccer senior relished her role as the elder stateswoman for the No. 14 Knights, whose season came to a close with a 4-1 loss at No. 3 Montour in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs Monday night. The Spartans (12-2-4) will face No. 6 Plum in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“It’s been an amazing experience to be able to take these girls under my wing,” Bayer said afterward. “I really think I pushed them to be the best that they could be. … I love these girls, and I really hope the best for them in their future here.”
Knoch’s first-year head coach Jaci Bowser relied on Bayer, who scored her side’s only goal on the night, over the course of the entire campaign.
“She’s been a leader from Day 1,” Bowser said. “And she’s someone that we constantly are looking up to for that effort and that will. I’ve seen so much from her in an aspect of she just never quits. No matter who we’re playing, she is running through the ball and she’s giving everything that she has, and that’s why she’s been a great captain for us this year.”
Bayer’s marker came late in the 65th minute, with the Knights (5-8-4) trailing by four.
“You can just tell that we wanted it still,” said Bayer, who earlier this season played through a broken nose she suffered on senior night.
Reaching the postseason was an accomplishment in itself, and something the Knights had on their mind from the start of the season. Bayer pointed out Knoch hadn’t competed in the playoffs since her freshman year. She was the only player on the roster to have experience on the stage entering Monday.
“I think it’s just a standard from here on out to try to make it to playoffs every single year,” Bowser said.
Bowser saw relentless effort from her bunch, “no matter who we played, no matter what the score was,” she said. “They never quit, and they showed up for each other each and every game. And that’s something that I always told them, ‘It doesn’t matter who we play. It matters who wants it more.’”
Early on, Knoch generated some chances, but a 26th-minute goal by the Spartans’ Uma Hann put the Knights behind for good. Working on capitalizing in those sorts of situations is something Bowser will have her team focusing on next season. She wants her future teams to be daunting matchups for opponents.
Bayer will be watching to see how the program grows following her departure.
“I’m excited to see them, because we don’t have many people coming up,” Bayer said. “So I really think that that’s made them realize they need to make a statement the next year or two to leave some history.”
