Boys soccer playoffs: See which teams are championship contenders in District One, XI, XII and PCL
Playoff season has arrived! As usual, our area is well-represented by local teams with championship dreams and state playoff hopes. On Saturday evening, a champion emerged in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game, while on Monday night, the reigning champs defended the crowd in District One Class 1A boys soccer.
Follow the action for District One, District XI, District XII, PAISAA and Philadelphia Catholic League tournament scores, stats and recaps.
The best of the week: Check out these top performers before the district playoffs this week
District One
Class 4A
Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 6:
No. 2 Lower Merion vs. No. 1 Conestoga, 4 p.m. at Spring-Ford
Third-place game on Friday, Nov. 5:
No. 5 Abington 3, No. 19 Council Rock South 2: The Hatters claimed third-place in Class 4A, edging Council Rock South 3-2 on Friday. Both teams will advance to the PIAA state tournament, which opens on Tuesday. Abington will place District XI champion Emmaus, while CR South faces District 12 champion La Salle.
Fifth-place game on Friday, Nov. 5:
No. 7 North Penn 3, No. 6 Pennridge 2: Dan Lee came off the bench to score two goals in the second half as North Penn claimed fifth-place and a spot in the PIAA state tournament on Friday. It was the Rams who struck first, with Shane Velez netting a first-half goal to put the Rams up 1-0 at halftime. Alex Stewart tied the game for the Knights early in the second half, and Lee scored his first goal to put the Knights up 2-1. Lee's second goal would turn out to be the game-winner, as Velez struck again with a goal for the Rams. The loss unfortunately ended an exceptional season for the Rams, who finished with a 15-4-3 record. North Penn will take on the District 3 champion in the opening round of the PIAA state tournament on Tuesday.
Semifinal games on Tuesday, Nov. 2:
No. 2 Lower Merion 1, No. 19 Council Rock South 0: Simon Rosen’s goal with 14:57 remaining in regulation gave host Lower Merion a 1-0 win over Council Rock South Tuesday afternoon in PIAA District One Class 4A boys soccer semifinal. Rosen won a race to a loose ball in front half of the box and beat Golden Hawks’ keeper Kieran Barry.
The second-seeded Aces (19-1-1) had the better of the play for much of the afternoon, particularly in the second half, limiting South to just two shots.
The result denied South coach Alan Nichol his 200th career win.
Lower Merion will advance to Saturday’s district final against top-seeded Conestoga. The 19th-seeded Golden Hawks (14-6-1) will travel to Abington to play for third place on Friday. Both South and Lower Merion will move on to the state tournament, which begins Tuesday.
Barry did some quality work in net for the Golden Hawks, particularly after halftime when he made five of his six saves.
“We were just going to try to play our game,” he said. “we were going to try and be physical and keep the pace up but unfortunately we couldn’t get the chances we needed, or the shots. We just didn’t create anything today unfortunately.”
-Rick Woelfel
No. 1 Conestoga 3, No. 5 Abington 0
Playback games on Nov. 2:
No. 8 Pennridge 2, No. 5 Hatboro-Horsham 1
No. 7 North Penn 1, No. 6 Boyertown 0
Saturday’s quarterfinal games:
No. 5 Abington 2, No. 13 Hatboro-Horsham 0: Thiago Lage scored in overtime to send Abington to the District One Class 4A semifinals. Lage was also the reason the Ghosts’ were playing in overtime, as he scored the first goal of the game in the second half of the quarterfinal match. Tommy Harmon then tied things up for the Hatters, in a highly competitive game between the SOL Liberty rivals. The fifth-seeded Ghosts will face top-seeded Conestoga in Tuesday’s semifinal. The Hatters will start the playback tournament on Tuesday.
No. 19 Council Rock South 2, No. 6 Boyertown 0
No. 1 Conestoga 4, No. 8 Pennridge 0
No. 2 Lower Merion 2, No. 7 North Penn 0
Thursday’s second round games:
(8) Pennridge 3, (9) West Chester Rustin 0: Jake Saville scored all of his team’s goals as the eighth-seeded Rams shut out the visiting ninth seed Golden Knights Thursday night in a PIAA District One Class 4A second-round test.
It was the first postseason game for Pennridge (14-2-3) since its controversial loss to Neshaminy in last year’s district final.
Saville’s first goal came on a strike from the left wing in the 14th minute. His second came on counterattack in the 30th minute after Shane Velez played a long ball out of the back.
Saville completed his hat trick three minutes into the second half.
The senior said he and his teammates took the field with an added dose of emotional energy.
“When we stepped on the field we remembered our last time, last year,” he said. “So, we’re playing with all that built-up energy from last year.” The Rams will advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal. A win assures them of a spot in the state tournament. A loss drops them into the consolation bracket.
The Rams’ win looms even more impressive in light of the work of West Chester Rustin keeper Gavin Barker. Barker kept his team in the game in the first half with three remarkable saves and added four more after the halftime interlude. -Rick Woelfel
No. 13 Hatboro-Horsham 2, No. West Chester Henderson 1: The Hatters made their presence known early on against fourth-seeded West Chester Henderson in Thursday’s 4A second-round match. Jack Elwell scored an early goal to put the Hatters on top 1-0, while goalie Noah Schlosser shut out the high-powered Warriors for the first 72 minutes of play. Caleb Hudson scored in the second half, with an assist from Tommy Harmon, to give the Hatters’ a needed insurance goal. The 13th-seeded Hatters will visit their SOL Liberty rival, fifth-seeded Abington, in Saturday’s quarterfinal. The two split their regular season series, with the Hatters winning the most recent game 1-0.
No. 5 Abington 6, No. 12 Perkiomen Valley 0: It was all Ghosts, all the time, in Thursday’s second round Class 4A bout, as Perkiomen Valley’s defense pulled a disappearing act. Luke O’Donnell got the scoring started early in the first half, and goals from Pat Capone and Brady Hartman staked the Ghosts to a 3-0 halftime lead. Michael Lyou, Thiago Lage and Liam Hartman had a goal apiece in the second half to double the score. The fifth-seeded Ghosts will face their SOL Liberty rival, 13th-seeded Hatboro-Horsham, in Saturday’s quarterfinal. The teams split their regular season series.
No. 7 North Penn 3, No. 10 Haverford 2: With 27 seconds remaining in regulation, Jovani Gonzalez connected on a free kick from Nate Kim to send the Knights to the Class 4A quarterfinals. The Knights traded early goals with 10th-seeded Haverford, with Gio Gonzalez scoring for the Knights. Haverford scored the next two to take the lead, until Achilles Triantafyllos tied things up for the Knights. The seventh-seeded Knights will visit No. 2 Lower Merion on Saturday for their quarterfinal match.
No. 19 Council Rock South 3, No. 3 Downingtown West 2: Stepan Kovalev scored the game-winning goal on a corner kick with 18 minutes remaining as the 19th-seeded Golden Hawks stunned third-seeded Downingtown West in the second-round of the Class 4A playoffs. The Hawks made a statement early, with Ronan Harding scoring a goal just 11 seconds into the game. Downingtown then scored two consecutive goals to take a 2-1 lead, but Cooper Walters scored the equalizer four minutes before halftime. The Golden Hawks will head to sixth-seeded Boyertown for Saturday’s quarterfinal.
No. 1 Conestoga 5, No. 16 Central Bucks East 0: The Patriots held top-seeded Conestoga, ranked seventh in the nation- to a single goal in the first half, but the Pioneers found the back of the net four times in the second half of the Class 4A second rounder. The Patriots concluded their season with an 11-6-3 record.
No. 2 Lower Merion 6, No. 18 Souderton 0
No. 6 Boyertown 1, No. 22 Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
Tuesday’s first round games:
No. 16 Central Bucks East 2, No. 17 Kennett 0: Josh Daniels and Nicholas Knepp scored a goal apiece to lift CB East over Kennett in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs on Tuesday. The 16th-seeded Patriots will face top-seeded Conestoga in Thursday’s second round game.
No. 13 Hatboro-Horsham 2, No. 20 Harriton 0: Nathan Scavo scored what would be the eventual game-winner for Hatboro-Horsham, breaking a scoreless tie, in Tuesday’s Class 4A opener. Nick Katherine added an insurance goal for the Hatters, with a throw-in from Ryan Toporowski, who assisted on both scores. Noah Schlosser made four saves in goal for his 12th shutout of the season. The 13th-seeded Hatters will visit fourth-seeded West Chester Henderson for Thursday’s second-round game.
No. 18 Souderton 2, No. 15 Strath Haven 0: The Indians took a 1-0 lead into halftime, thanks to a Strath Haven own goal, and Tyson Bui added an insurance goal in the second half to secure Souderton’s first-round Class 4A victory. Goalie Aidan McClure recorded four saves to issue the shutout. The 18th-seeded Indians will face No. 2 Lower Merion in Thursday’s second-round match.
No. 19 Council Rock South 3, No. 14 Spring-Ford 0: Evan Kurtz put the Golden Hawks on the board in the first half, while Gavin Hagan and Frankie Rafferty added a goal apiece in the second half of Council Rock South’s Class 4A opening round win. Kieran Barry secured the shutout in net. The 19th-seeded Golden Hawks will head to No. 3 Downingtown West for Thursday’s second-round game.
No. 9 West Chester Rustin 3, No. 24 Owen J. Roberts 2
No. 12 Perkiomen Valley 6, No. 21 Methacton 5
No. 10 Haverford 4, No. 23 Norristown 0
No. 22 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1, No. 11 Downingtown East 0
Scoreboard: Boys Soccer Scores and Stats
District One field hockey: Defending 3A champs start defense of title
Class 3A
District One Class 3A Champions: Bishop Shanahan
Championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4:
No. 3 Bishop Shanahan 3, No. 1 Radnor 1
Friday’s semifinal games:
No. 3 Bishop Shanahan 1, No. 2 Lower Moreland 0
No. 1 Radnor 2, No. 4 Springfield Township 0
Wednesday’s quarterfinal games:
No. 1 Radnor 2, No. 8 Upper Moreland 0
No. 4 Springfield Township 5, No. 5 Holy Ghost 0
No. 2 Lower Moreland 2, No. 7 Penncrest 1
No. 3 Bishop Shanahan 3, No. 6 Upper Perkiomen 1
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Class 1A
District One Class 1A Champion: Faith Christian
Championship game on Monday, Nov. 1:
No. 1 Faith Christian 4, No. 2 Plumstead Christian 0: For the fifth time in sixth seasons, the Faith Christian boys soccer team are District One Class 1A champions. The top-seeded Lions and defending champions topped No. 2 Plumstead Christian 4-0 in Monday’s title game. Marcus Pringle scored late in the first half to break the scoreless tie, opening the floodgates for the LIons’ offense in the second half. Kerian Rea, Evan Buckman and Colin Moyer each scored a goal, with Bobby Elitz assisting on two. Goalkeeper JR Roberts secured the shutout for the Lions.
Friday’s semifinal games:
No. 1 Faith Christian 4, No. 4 Delaware County Christian
No. 2 Plumstead Christian 2, No. 3 Christian Academy 1
Tuesday’s quarterfinal games:
No. 4 Delaware County Christian 3, No. 5 Dock Mennonite 0
No. 3 Christian Academy 3, No. 6 Calvary Christian 2
District XI Class 2A
Championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4:
No. 1 Allentown Central Catholic 2, No. 2 Notre Dame- Green Pond 0
Semifinal games on Tuesday, Nov. 2:
No. 2 Notre Dame- Green Pond 8, No. 6 Palisades 1
No. 1 Allentown Central Catholic 6, No. 4 Jim Thorpe 0
Thursday’s quarterfinal:
No. 6 Palisades 5, No. 3 Nativity BVM 0
District XII
Class 2A
District XII Class 2A Champions: Lansdale Catholic
Class 3A
District XII Class 3A Champions: Archbishop Wood
Championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4:
Archbishop Wood 5, Franklin Towne 1
Class 4A
District XII Class 4A Champions: La Salle
Championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4:
La Salle 2, Abraham Lincoln 0: After an emotional week and a closely-contested championship match, reigning champion La Salle claimed the District XII Class 4A title and entry into the PIAA state tournament. Prior to the game, Abraham Lincoln players presented the Explorers with a commemorative soccer ball to honor the memory of Blake Barklage. Barklage, a La Salle senior and manager of the soccer team, suddenly and tragically passed away last week after the Explorers’ PCL championship.
After a scoreless first half, Seth Michalak broke the tie with a goal that would end up as the game-winner. Hayden Grosso then hit the back of the net for an insurance goal. After the final whistle, the elated student section, dressed in orange to honor Barklage, poured onto the field to embrace the team.
PAISAA Tournament
First round: No. 7 George School 2, No. 10 Haverford 0: Emilio Pellegrini scored early in the first half, and that would be all the Cougars needed to defeat Haverford School in the opening round of the PAISAA tournament. Tyler Flowers assisted on the goal. CJ Jaikaria found the back of the net minutes later to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead that would end up as the final score. Dash Atwood secured the shutout in goal for the Cougars. The Cougars will face No. 2 Springside-Chestnut Hill in Tuesday’s quarterfinal game.
Philadelphia Catholic League
Philadelphia Catholic League Boys Soccer Champion: La Salle
Championship game on Saturday, Oct. 30:
No. 1 La Salle 3, No. 3 Father Judge 2: With seven minutes remaining and the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship game tied 2-2, Jake Barton buried a Seth Michalak pass to give La Salle the go-ahead goal. Barton also scored the Explorers’ first goal in the first half, but Judge would tie it before halftime. Sam McShane gave the Explorers the lead back in the second half, but John Wood scored his second goal of the game to tie it for Judge, until Barton’s hit the game-winner.
Wednesday's semifinal games:
No. 1 La Salle 2, No. 5 Roman 1 (OT): Tim Madden scored in overtime as the Explorers completed the comeback against Roman Catholic in Wednesday’s PCL semifinal match. Down 1-0 at halftime, the Explorers rallied in the second half, with Sean Jennings taking a corner kick from Seth Michalak and hitting the back of the net to send the game to overtime. Michalak assisted on the game-winning goal as well, lobbing a free kick to Madden. The top-seeded Explorers will face third-seeded Father Judge in Saturday’s PCL Championship.
No. 3 Father Judge 1, No. 7. Lansdale Catholic 0: The Crusaders’ quest for the PCL championship came to an end Wednesday evening at the hands of third-seeded Father Judge. Tied at halftime, Abou Cherif scored the lone goal to give Judge the win. The two teams had played each other in the regular season PCL opener, which also ended in a 1-0 Judge win. Lansdale Catholic ended the season on a five-game win streak, including wins against La Salle and Archbishop Wood in the PCL quarterfinal. No. 5 Roman at No. 1 La Salle College, 7:00 p.m.
Quarterfinal games on Oct. 22:
No. 7 Lansdale Catholic 3, No. 2 Archbishop Wood (OT): Eric Fernandez scored on a free kick in overtime to give Lansdale Catholic a 3-2 win against Archbishop Wood in Friday’s PCL quarterfinal match. The back-and-forth game was tied 1-1 at the half, after Gian Luca D’Alterio tied it for the Crusaders. Kam Schmidt scored in the second half, but Louie Daniele hit the equalizer for the Vikings to send it to overtime. The seventh-seeded Crusaders will take on No. 3 Father Judge in the semifinals on Wednesday.
No. 1 La Salle College 5, No. 9 Conwell-Egan 0: Sean Jennings and Seth Michalak scored two goals apiece as La Salle defeated Conwell-Egan 5-0 in the PCL quarterfinals. Tim Madden added a goal in the win. The No. 1 Explorers will take on fifth-seeded Roman Catholic in the semifinals on Tuesday.
No. 3 Father Judge 4, No. 6 Archbishop Ryan 3
No. 5 Roman 2, No. 4 St. Joseph's Prep 0
First round games:
No. 7 Lansdale Catholic 7, No. 10 Archbishop Carroll 2
No. 9 Conwell-Egan 2, No. 8 Devon Prep 1
Sports Editor Lyzz Stallings has been a part of high school sports coverage -- and beyond -- since 1998. For musings on prep sports, parenting, reality shows and 80s music, follow her on Twitter @LyzzStallings or text/call at 717-891-6251.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: District One Playoffs: Boys Soccer matchups and results
