Tragedy forces postponement of Strath Haven playoff game
Strath Haven School District officials postponed Monday’s District 1 Class 3A girls soccer semifinal with Nazareth Academy following the death of one of the district’s high school students.
Dr. Lisa A. Palmer, the superintendent for the Wallingford Swarthmore School District, announced the tragic news in a message on the district’s website.
“It is with great sadness that I share that one of our high school students has died,” Palmer wrote. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with her family and friends.
“We have established support centers in our High School and Middle School that are fully staffed with school counselors, school psychologists, and members of our crisis intervention team. Our school teams were available to meet with students and staff individually and in groups today and will remain available in the coming days and weeks. If you feel your child or you are in need of additional assistance, please contact the school office, the principal, or one of our counselors.”
The message included a link to a resource guide.
“At this time, the cause of death has not been made public, Palmer wrote. “Further, we do not have funeral information, but if the parents provide that information to us, we will share it with the school community.”
The soccer team announced the change on its Twitter page around 4:30 Monday, but did not give a reason for the change.
The game was moved to 7 p.m. Tuesday at George L King Field.
“We needed a day,” Strath Haven athletic director Patrick Clancy said when reached by phone Monday night.
Both teams are coming into the game hot. Thirdseeded Nazareth Academy
(15-3-1) has won six in a row, including a 1-0 victory over Villa Marie Academy in the quarterfinals. Second-seeded Strath Haven
(13-3-2) is 6-0-1 in its last seven games and posted three straight shutouts, including a 3-0 triumph over Central League rival Springfield in the quarterfinals.
The winner of the Strath Haven-Nazareth Academy game qualifies for the PIAA tournament and advances to Wednesday’s district final at Phoenixville (5 p.m.) against top-seeded Villa Joseph Marie, a 3-0 winner over fourth-seeded Pottsgrove Monday.
Villa Joseph Marie, the defending PIAA Class 3A champion, is going for its ninth straight district title. The Jems have won all three Class 3A titles since the PIAA went to four classifications and five consecutive Class 2A titles before that. VJM has won 10 PIAA titles and been to the final 16 times.