Host Shipley School (Bryn Mawr, PA) defeated Mercersburg 2-1 in overtime in the first round of the PAISAA boys' soccer tournament October 31.

The Storm (seeded #9) took a 1-0 lead in the first half when Max Strauss '25 was fouled in the box and Gustavo Lisboa Santana '26 converted the penalty kick. Keegan Roddis '25 made several impressive saves to maintain the lead until the Gators (the #8 seed) converted a penalty kick of their own midway through the second half to force overtime. Mercersburg had opportunities to win the game during the overtime period but couldn't quite find the net. Shipley scored the game-winner off a free kick in the corner for the 2-1 margin.

Head coach Skyler Clark commented, "In the end it was a hard fought game that could have gone either way. I am proud of the way this team responded to a slow start at the beginning of the season. After starting the season 1-5 we managed to go seven straight games without giving up a loss. We could have dropped our heads and quit or turned on each other, but instead we believed in our team culture and showed up to practice ready to improve ourselves and one another almost every single day."

Shipley moves on to face #1 Kiski (Saltsburg, PA) in the quarterfinals while Mercersburg (6-6-2) will finish its season with a conference game at MAPL rival Hill School (Pottstown, PA) on Saturday, November 2 at 2:30 pm.