Big battles ahead for top teams in PA playoffs
LC, La Salle and Upper Merion all have big first-round battles on the horizon
The following is a capsule look at the PIAA Playoffs, which begin Tuesday.
Girls Soccer Class-3A
(12-1) LANSDALE CATHOLIC VS. (33) LOWER DAUPHIN » District 12 champion Lansdale Catholic will face District 3 third-place finisher Lower Dauphin in the first round of the Class-3A state playoffs Tuesday at the South Philadelphia Super Site at 5 p.m.
After coming up short in the Philadelphia Catholic title game against Archbishop Ryan, Lansdale Catholic responded with a dominant 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Public League champs — The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush — in the District 12-3A championship to secure its state playoff berth for the second time in three years.
Senior Kate Henesey scored the first two goals in the District 12 championship win and will be a key player in the Crusaders state playoff run.
Lower Dauphin lost in the District 3 semifinals in a game that went to penalty kicks tied, 0-0. The No. 4 seed in the district tournament lost in PKs, 4-3.
Lower Dauphin allowed just one goal in its three district playoff games.
The winner will face the winner of (11-1) Blue Mountain and (4-1) Sellinsgrove in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Class-4A
(1-2) SPRING-FORD VS. (11-2)
EMMAUS » District 1 runner-up Spring-Ford will face District 11 runner-up Emmaus in the fist round of the Class-4A state playoffs Tuesday at Upper Perkiomen High School at 7 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of (3-1) Conestoga and (1-5) Council Rock South in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Boys Soccer Class-4A
(12-1) LA SALLE COLLEGE VS. (1-4) CENTRAL BUCKS
WEST » District 12 champion La Salle will face District 1 fourth-place finisher Central Bucks West in the first round of the Class4A
state playoffs Tuesday at Northeast High School in Philadelphia at 7 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of (4-1) Williamsport and (3-2) Cumberland Valley in the quarterfinals Saturday. (3-1) HEMPFIELD VS. (1-5)
PERKIOMEN VALLEY » District 3 champion Hempfield and District 1 fifthplace finisher Perkiomen Valley will meet in the first round of the Class4A state playoffs Tuesday at Hersheypark Stadium at 5:30 p.m.
The winner advances to the quarterfinals Saturday, when it will face the winner of (1-2) Council Rock North and (12-2) Northeast.
Class-2A
(3-1) LANCASTER MENNONITE VS. (12-2) LANSDALE
CATHOLIC » District 3 champion Lancaster Mennonite will face District 12 runner-up Lansdale Catholic in the first round of the Class-2A state playoffs Tuesday at Landis Field at Central Dauphin Middle School at 5:30 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of (11-1) Notre Dame GP and (2-2) El Meyers in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Field Hockey Class-3A
(3-1) PENN MANOR VS. (1-6) CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH » District 3 champion Penn Manor will face District 1 sixth-place finisher Central Bucks South in the first round of the Class3A state playoffs Tuesday at Warwick High School at 7 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of (2-1) Delaware Valley and (1-3) Central Bucks East in the quarterfinals Saturday. (2-1) DELAWARE VALLEY VS. (1-3) CENTRAL BUCKS EAST » District 2 champion Delaware Valley will face District 1 third-place finisher Central Bucks East in the first round of the Class3A state playoffs Tuesday at Wyoming Seminary School’s Nesbitt Field at 5 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of (3-1) Penn Manor and (1-6) Central Bucks South in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Class-2A
(1-2) MOUNT ST. JOSEPH VS. (3-5) MANHEIM CENTRAL » District 1 runnerup Mount St. Joesph will face District 3 fifth-place finisher in the first round of the Class-2A state playoffs Tuesday at Methacton High School at 6 p.m.
The Mount is coming off a 5-1 loss in the District 1 title game against Villa Maria. That game was also played at Methacton.
The winner will face the Upper Merion’s Gretchen Bahmueller sends the ball back to Pennsbury in recent action.
winner of (3-1) Donegal and (1-5) Merion Mercy in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Class-A
(1-1) GWYNEDD MERCY VS.
(3-3) GREENWOOD » District 1/12 Regional champion Gwynedd Mercy Academy will face District 3 thirdplace finisher Greenwood in the first round of the Class-A state playoffs Tuesday at Council Rock North High School at 6 p.m.
GMA won the District 1 and District 1/12 Regional championship last year before losing in the state tournament to Greenwood, 3-1.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals Saturday, when it will face the winner of (11-1) Moravian Academy and (4-2) Mifflinburg.
Girls Volleyball Class-4A
(12-1) ARCHBISHOP CARROLL VS. (1-4) PENNSBURY » District 12 champion Archbishop Carroll will face the District 1 fourth-place finisher Pennsbury in the first round of the Class4A state playoffs Tuesday at Bishop McDevitt High School in Wyncote at 3:45 p.m.
The winner of this match will face the winner of (1-1) Bishop Shanahan and (11-2) Nazareth in the quarterfinals Saturday. (1-2) UPPER MERION VS. (32) EXETER TOWNSHIP » District 1 runner-up Upper Merion will face District 3 runner-up Exeter Township in the first round of the Class-4A state playoffs Tuesday at Lower Merion High School at 7:30 p.m.
The Vikings are coming off their second loss of the season — a 3-0 defeat in the district championship game against Bishop Shanahan.
Outside hitters senior Emma Andraka and junior Tori Wright, who each have 1,000 kills and rank second and third in kills in Upper Merion history, respectively, will try to lead the Vikings to a win in their first state playoff match since 2014.
The winner of this match will face the winner
of (11-1) Parkland and (1-3) Perkiomen Valley in the quarterfinals Saturday. (11-1) PARKLAND VS. (1-3)
PERKIOMEN VALLEY » District 11 champion Parkland will face District 1 thirdplace finisher Perkiomen Valley in the first round of the Class-4A state playoffs Tuesday at Whitehall High School at 6:30 p.m.
The winner of this match will face the winner of (1-2) Upper Merion and (3-2) Exeter Township in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Class-3A
(1-1) POPE JOHN PAUL II VS. (12-3) CARDINAL O’HARA » Pope John Paul II, the District 1 champion, will face Cardinal O’Hara, the third-place finisher in District 12, in the first round of the Class-3A state playoffs Tuesday at Methacton High School at 6 p.m.
The Golden Panthers won the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship with a win over previously unbeaten Upper Merion before winning the District 1-4A title. PJP entered the district playoffs as the No. 3 seed and beat No. 6 Sun Valley, 3-0, No. 2 Mount St. Joseph, 3-2, and No. 1 Merion Mercy, 3-0.
The winner of this match will face the winner of (2-1) Greater Nanticoke and (3-2) West York in the quarterfinals Saturday.