Still sweet for local teams in the finals
Site has moved, four aim for titles
The Moon girls soccer team went through the usual routine after defeating Mars in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Wednesday. They had a postgame celebration, followed by a team photo as the Tigers set their sights on a second consecutive state championship.
But there was one incredibly traditional piece missing from the frivolity. Actually, a lot of pieces.
There were no Hershey’s Kisses raining down on them.
“We wish it was there,” Moon senior forward Hailey Longwell said. “But we’ll take what we can get.”
Throwing Hershey’s Kisses was part of a semifinal celebration in some manner or fashion since 1997 when the boys finals moved to Hersheypark Stadium and the girls joined a year later. This year, however, will be the first time the PIAA finals will be at Eagle View Middle School, which is part of the Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg.
“It’s different, but I’m happy for the kids,” Moon coach Bill Pfeiffer said. “It’s a different team than last year.”
Moon (23-0-0) also has a different goal. Although the Tigers will be seeking their second consecutive state championship, they will be doing so in Class 3A after dropping down from Class 4A, where they won last year. Moon will play at 4 p.m. Friday against District 1 champion Upper Perkiomen (23-0-1), which is making its first state finals appearance. Moon also will be trying to finish the season undefeated after going 24-1-1 last year.
Since the PIAA first went to two classifications in 1996, only one team has won consecutive state championships in different classifications.
In 2015, District 3 Trinity won the Class 1A title with a 3-1 victory against Loyalsock Township. The next year, when the PIAA expanded the sport into four classifications from three, the Shamrocks moved up to Class 2A and beat Mercyhurst Prep, 4-1.
Ironically, Moon was the Class 3A champion that year and beat a Villa Joseph
Marie squad that won the Class 2A title in 2015.
Although winning consecutive championships in different classifications will be a challenge, it’s not the only one. Because of a snow squall on Tuesday, the PIAA pushed the semifinals back to Wednesday, which means the teams will have less than 48 hours recovery time before the championship match.
“We’ll probably change up our plans a little bit,” Pfeiffer said. “We’ll probably stay at home [Thursday] and go out Friday. Let them sleep in their own beds.”
While Moon rests, Upper Perkiomen will probably have nightmares trying to figure out how to solve the Tigers’ defense. Moon has only allowed two goals this season, one in a 3-1 win against Butler on Sept. 10, the other in a 4-1 state quarterfinal win against Plum. Tigers junior goalkeeper Serayah Leech has benefited from having a stellar group of backs in front of her, but she has been a stalwart last line of defense.
“Serayah Leech is amazing,” Pfeiffer said. “She came in, she worked hard to
get in better shape this year than she was last year. She put a little more time in and, athletically, there’s no question about what she can do.”
Class 4A boys
Seneca Valley may have to set navigation alerts on its driving app to make sure the bus doesn’t blow past the exit for Mechanicsburg and head to Hershey. That’s what happens when you make it into the state championship game for the third consecutive year.
Then again, they could recall the directions from their quarterfinal victory against Spring-Ford, which was played at Eagle View.
Seneca Valley (21-1-1) exacted a measure of revenge Wednesday when it knocked off defending state champion — and the team that ended their reign in 2021 — Conestoga in a 2-0 semifinal victory. The Raiders, as they have done throughout the season, spread the wealth as they got goals from Max Marcotte and Gavin Loya.
But the finals will present a different test as Seneca Valley will face District 1 champion Lower Merion (23-1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Aces have been posting zeros lately as the team enters the match riding a fivematch shutout streak. They have given up only eight goals and have 18 shutouts this season.
Class 1A boys
Winchester Thurston had never played in a state final before losing to Moravian Academy in 2019. Now the Bears are in the championship match for the third time in four years and seeking their second consecutive title. And Winchester Thurston (19-2-1) will take on a familiar foe as District 11 champion Moravian Academy will stand opposite when they take the pitch at 1 p.m. Friday.
Last year it was Oliver Daboo with the golden goal in overtime to give Winchester Thurston its first championship. He also scored the match-winner in the WPIAL final against Charleroi.
Class 1A girls
Freedom junior forward Shaye Bailey has been a oneperson wrecking crew in the postseason.
After her natural hat trick in a 3-0 win against Greensburg Central Catholic in the semifinals, she has now racked up 13 goals in three state playoff matches and, since being shut out in the Bulldogs’ postseason opener against Bishop Canevin, she has hit the back of the net 20 times in her last six matches to give her 49 this season.
Bailey will now have the opportunity to help Freedom (20-4-0) win its first state title when it takes on twotime defending state champion Southern Columbia (176-1) in the first match of the finals at 10 a.m. Friday.
Southern Columbia beat Freedom, 3-2, in overtime in the Bulldogs’ only other state finals appearance in 2018.