Charleroi goal-scoring whiz McIntyre commits to Pitt
A boys soccer player who has had one of the most prolific seasons ever nationally has decided where he will play in college.
Charleroi senior forward Eben McIntyre recently gave a verbal commitment to Pitt. He said he chose the Panthers over a host of schools that included Penn State and St. John’s. McIntyre’s only official visit was to Pitt.
“It’s because of the culture that has been getting built there since coach [Jay] Vidovich got in charge of the program,” McIntyre said. “The coaching staff really wants them to succeed on the field and in life. They take a holistic approach to everything. They really want to tie everything together.”
McIntyre said he plans on graduating in December before enrolling at Pitt for the 2022 spring semester.
On Monday, McInytre’s goal propelled Charleroi to a 1-0 win against Keystone Oaks in a WPIAL Class 2A first-round playoff game. The No. 4-seeded Cougars (14-2-1) will host Elizabeth Forward (12-4) in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
McIntyre’s season goal total now stands at an absurd 70. It’s believed to be the second- most goals scored by a player in WPIAL history. According to the National Federation of High Schools ( NFHS) record book, only 11 players have scored more goals in a season nationally all time. Moon great Sean Shapert is third on the list. He scored 88 goals in 1983.
Shapert is the only WPIAL player with more career goals than McIntyre. Shapert had 213. McIntyre has 167. According to the NFHS record book, McIntyre’s total is 14th all time nationally.
There is a lot to like about McIntyre’s skillet, which has to make Pitt’s coaching staff, which includes assistant and Thomas Jefferson graduate Rich Costanzo, happy they will have him on their side for the 2022 season.
“They like the way I finish in front of the goal and that I’m skillful with the ball. And they like the way I read the field,” said McIntyre, who at 6 feet 3 has excellent size.
McIntyre is a big local recruit for the Panthers, who have four former WPIAL players on their roster this season. McIntyre was once club teammates with two of them. He played with Michael Sullivan (Deer Lakes) on a Century United team and with Luke Peperak
(Connellsville) on a Pittsburgh Riverhounds team.
Under Vidovich, Pitt has ascended to become one of the nation’s top programs in recent years. The Panthers reached the NCAA championship game last season, and this season are ranked No. 10 in the country.
Said McIntyre: “I don’t think there’s a kid in the country, if given the opportunity, that wouldn’t want to play for the Pitt program.”
McIntyre won’t be the first member of his family to play at Pitt. A great uncle, Marlon McIntyre, was a running back at Pitt in the early 1980s and was drafted by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.
Future Razorback
Moon’s Mia Cochran is one of the best distance runners ever from this area. So it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that she has elected to attend a college a long distance away from home.
Cochran has decided to run at Arkansas, an SEC power in cross country and track and field. The Arkansas women’s cross country team is ranked No. 15 in the country this season. N.C. State and Oregon were two of her other top schools.
A senior, Cochran has already had a prolific career at Moon. She’ll try to add to that Thursday by winning a third consecutive WPIAL Class 3A cross country title. She’s the two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champion. This past spring, Cochran made a big splash during track season when she claimed WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. She followed that up by placing third in the mile at the Nike Oudoor Nationals in Eugene, Ore.
While Arkansas isn’t a popular landing spot for WPIAL athletes, it’s not unheard of for a local standout to continue their career at the school. In fact, a former WPIAL star will be one of the headliners of the Arkansas men’s track and field team next spring. North Allegheny graduate Ayden Owens is a Razorback now after making previous stops at USC and Michigan.
Baseball commitments
Montour’s Ryan Gallagher (Clarion); Montour’s Mason Sike (St. Bonaventure).
Basketball commitment
Bethel Park’s Emma Dziezgowski (Wheeling).