Quaker Valley is hoping seven is a lucky number this time
Tri-State Sports & News Service
When it comes to WPIAL teams winning PIAA boys soccer championships, Quaker Valley has no peers.
Friday, the Quakers will try to add another title to their collection.
Quaker Valley will meet Lancaster Mennonite in the PIAA Class 2A final at 1:30 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium. Quaker Valley (22-2) beat Oley Valley, 2-0, in Tuesday’s semifinals, while Lancaster Mennonite (26-1) defeated two-time defending champion Lewisburg, 2-0.
No WPIAL team has appeared in more PIAA title games or won more titles than Quaker Valley. The Quakers are making their 12th appearance and have claimed six titles. Despite the success, there has been a drought. The Quakers previously won a title in 2000 and came up short in their most recent attempts, falling in the final in 2005 and again last season when they lost to Lewisburg, 1-0.
Quaker Valley coach Andrew Marshall hopes the elusive seventh title will come Friday.
“It’s the goal that everyone who plays tries to accomplish,” Marshall said. “We have it within our grasp and we’re really excited about that. That’s the standard we want to set every year. It’s a process of focusing on the hard work and it’s a grind to get here, and it’s what the boys have done.”
Quaker Valley has rebounded after losing to Shady Side Academy in the WPIAL championship. The Quakers have been a second-half team the past two games, getting two secondhalf goals from Landon Grant to defeat Beaver, 2-1, in the quarterfinals, and then getting goals after the break from Grant and Franky Fernandez to defeat Oley Valley. Grant leads the team with 36 goals.
“I think that comes down to two things,” Marshall said of the second-half surges. “Players are always learning as the game goes on. Also, the fitness. They work incredibly hard. They put in the work when no one is looking.”
Lancaster Mennonite is the District 3 champion. The Blazers are making their fourth title appearance and are looking to win their second title. Matt Lynch has scored a team-high 38 goals, including five in three PIAA games.
Class 1A
Seven of the eight teams playing in the championships have gotten to this point before.
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic is the exception.
The Trojans (23-1) continued their meteoric rise by defeating Brockway, 1-0, in overtime in the semifinals. Up until last season, the Trojans had never even made the postseason. This season they’ve won their first WPIAL title and will now play defending champion Camp Hill (24-1) in the PIAA final at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
North Catholic is outstanding defensively. The Trojans have not given up a goal in seven postseason games and have allowed only six goals the entire season.
“They have played so well together,” North Catholic coach Aaron Kelly said. “They’re physical and they’re good in the air. They’re an awesome back line. We hope to keep the goals out of the net against Camp Hill, which will be a test for sure.”
Will it ever. District 3 champion Camp Hill has scored 14 goals in the PIAA playoffs, more than any other team. Jake Coniglio had a first-half hat trick in a 6-0 rout of Masterman in the semifinals. Camp Hill’s only loss was to Class 3A finalist Lower Dauphin. The Lions are in the final for the fourth time and hope to claim their second title. They defeated Sewickley Academy, 3-1, in last year’s final.
Of course, North Catholic also has a lot of offensive firepower. Joe Kearney’s 55 goals lead all WPIAL players. Kearney has been held without a goal each of the past two games, but it hasn’t mattered because Ryan Augustine played the role of hero in both wins. Augustine scored with 2:30 remaining in a 1-0 quarterfinal win against Mercer and then netted the overtime winner against Brockway.