West Allegheny scored two goals in 55 seconds late in the first half then recorded a clean sheet in the final 40 minutes to edge Franklin Regional 2-1 in the WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship at Highmark Stadium Saturday.

The third-seeded Panthers controlled play during the first portion of the game and were rewarded with a goal as Fabrizzio Costa took a pretty feed from Thomas Bridges and drilled home a point-blank shot to make it 1-0 at the 19:51 mark of the first half.

The advantage stayed with FR until there were just under four minutes left in the half.

West Allegheny's Michael Johnson sent a cross in front to Harrison Murray who knocked it in to tie the game at 1-1 with 3:53 left. Then, 55 seconds later, Jonah Luffe found Johnson with a through ball and he scored to give the eighth-seeded Indians a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

Indians goalkeeper Zach Wallace kept the Panthers off the sheet the rest of the way.

West Allegheny (14-6-0) captured its first WPIAL title since 2013 while Franklin Regional (18-4-0) played in the finals for the fifth time in seven seasons but was unable to secure its third championship. Last season, the Panthers dropped a 3-1 decision to Moon Area.

The PIAA playoffs commence next week as the Indians will host York Suburban, the District 3 fourth seed, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Franklin Regional travels to play District 6 champion Hollidaysburg at 7 p.m.