Burlington Twp. upsets Allentown

ALLENTOWN >> The Allentown High girls soccer team had a habit of cutting it close this season and it finally bit them in the state playoffs.

Madison Poole headed in Ryan Hodnett’s corner for a second straight game and eighth-seeded Burlington Township recorded one of the biggest upsets of the season with a 1-0 victory to knock the top-seeded Redbirds out in the Central Group III quarterfinals on Thursday.

Poole and Hodnett also connected on the goal that advanced the Falcons past Lawrence in the first round.

Erin Turpin made 12 saves to get the cleansheet.

Burlington Twp. (118) will play the semifinal at the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal game between fourth-seeded Nottingham and fifth-seeded Hopewell Valley.

Allentown (17-2) came up short in its attempt to win back-to-back state titles, but still put up an impressive 39-3 record over the last two seasons.

Kim Maurer’s Redbirds played without injured senior Alex Searing for the third straight game. Burlington Twp. (11-8) 0 1 - 1 Allentown (17-2) 0 0 - 0

Goals: Poole (BT); Assists: Hodnett (BT); Shots: 8 (BT). 12 (A); Saves: Turpin 12 (BT). Howell 7 (A). Robbinsville (7-9-1) 0 1 - 1

Gov. Livingston (17-4) 4 1 - 5 Goals: Kar. Diel (R). Donfield, Paprocki, Pires, Post, Sciacchitano (GL); Assists: Langsdorf (R). Penna, Post, Vreeland (GL); Shots: 5 (R). 16 (GL); Saves: Hopkins 12 (R). Foy 4 (GL).