Pine-Richland senior finds scoring touch, leads boys soccer team into playoff contention

By: Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Being a senior, Finn Kichi knew this season at Pine-Richland was his final opportunity to prove what he can do on a soccer field.

What he's shown is that he can be a prolific finisher.

Kichi had 11 goals in Pine-Richland's first 10 games, which put him in the top 10 of the entire WPIAL through the first round of section play.

He spent most of the offseason working on his craft and that's certainly paid off.

"During the summer, I went to the field every day I was able to, and I think that helped me stay sharp," Kichi said. "I did a lot of shooting around from different places and worked on some tricks and techniques to use in games."

Kichi moved from the midfield to the striker role for this season, but it's not a spot that's unfamiliar to him. He has played striker for years in club soccer.

Arguably the biggest goal he's scored so far was the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over North Allegheny. It was the Tigers' only loss in the first half of Section 3-3A play.

An area he's taken advantage of is scoring on free kicks. He's successfully converted several times from just outside the box.

When he's not scoring from a set piece, Kichi credited his teammates with giving him good service from the outside and the midfield.

"My wingers Sammy Beuse, Jordan Crutchfield and Trent Ricchiuto have been putting in some nice balls into the box that I've been able to put in the back of the net," Kichi said. "We've also had some good through balls from the midfielders Ryan Cashman and Leonard Russell. Things like that have made it very easy for me to be in position to score some goals."

Kichi is hopeful to play in college and is still weighing his options.

He was an impact sub on the 2022 Pine-Richland team that won the WPIAL Class 3A title with a 1-0 upset win over Seneca Valley.

Before he leaves Pine-Richland, he'd love to get back to the playoffs after the team narrowly missed last season.

The Rams are tied for fourth at 2-3 with North Hills, but the Indians won the first meeting.

It'll be a fight to get in, being in a section with Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, Fox Chapel, North Hills and Butler, but that's something the Rams are used to.

They've been battling those teams for years.

"The section is one of the toughest in the WPIAL in terms of the strength of each opponent," Kichi said. "There isn't an opponent this year that's not able to give us a good game. Our result against North Allegheny shows that we can beat anybody if we put our minds to it. We were all playing as one and not as individuals when we beat North Allegheny. Going into the second half our team chemistry has become very good. We're all on the same page most of the time. If we can stay focused, we can contend for a top four spot."

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer