ERIE — Altoona coach Marc Frye thought the comeback was on once his team scored a goal.

The Lady Lions just ran out of time to overcome the two-goal deficit.

Altoona was re-energized with a late goal by sophomore standout Ava Frye, but McDowell scored again to beat the Lady Lions 3-1 in a PIAA Class 4A girls soccer subregional on Saturday at McDowell High School.

“When we made it 2-1, I felt we were coming back but then Ava got a yellow card and that was a big blow to our team that she had to sit for five of the final seven minutes of the game,” Marc Frye said. “We started to turn the momentum with that goal, but that was a big call.”

Marc Frye spent the five minutes coaching and consoling his daughter, Ava, who was visibly upset about the call. When her five minutes were up, she was locked in and ready to make a play. She came off the bench and started taking control of the ball, but the clock ran out before the Lions could complete the comeback.

“McDowell played with a sweeper today and she did a good job taking away time and space and the through balls,” Marc Frye said. “This match let us know what to work on for next year. We’ll be back.”

McDowell (15-6-0) earned some payback after two straight losses to Altoona in the PIAA subregional round and will play WPIAL powerhouse Seneca Valley at home on Tuesday. Altoona beat the Trojans in a shootout in Erie in 2023 before beating McDowell in Altoona last fall, 6-2.

The two teams battled throughout the first half with possession being nearly even. McDowell grabbed the momentum before halftime as freshman Allie Zack found Grace Faulkner in the 31st minute. Faulkner had just enough of a touch to get it through the keeper’s hands for a 1-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, Faulkner found freshman Haley Rosswog, who fought through a scramble of defenders to make it 2-0.

Altoona upped the pressure in the second half and with 14 minutes, 14 seconds left, sophomore star Ava Frye scored an unassisted goal to get her team back in the match.

The Lady Lions pushed everyone up, which left an opportunity for the talented combo of Zack and Faulkner. Zack took a pass down the sideline, made a touch and got behind standout defender Zaelinh Nguyen-Moore, who had made it tough on Zack the entire match. Faulkner initially went to the middle of the field to force the keeper into a decision, but she noticed the keeper was going to the side to stop Zack so Faulkner went to the opposite post. Zack had a perfect pass to Faulkner to make it 3-1.

“It was a solid season and I’m proud of the season that we had and the work that we did,” said Marc Frye. “I would have liked to seen us play a little cleaner. I thought we possessed the ball well this season and connected our feet but tip your cap to McDowell. They played more aggressive and won their share of 50-50 balls.”

SCORE BY HALVES

Altoona 0 1 – 1

McDowell 2 1 – 3

First half: M–Faulkner (Zack), 8:46; M–Rosswog (Faulkner), 5:46

Second half: A–Frye, 14:14; M–Faulkner (Zack), 4:42

Records: McDowell (15-6-0); Altoona (14-3-2).