High school state finals set in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey

Another high school soccer season will come to a close this weekend in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania with several teams from the Philadelphia region in the running to lift a trophy.

Two of the perennial powers in boys soccer in the region — Salesianum School in Delaware and Washington Township in New Jersey — will aim for another addition to their trophy cases.

Salesianum is seeking the program’s 16th state title dating back to 1989 on Saturday night at Smyrna High School, where they’ll take on Appoquinimink for the third straight year. The Sallies — ranked ninth in the most recent United Soccer Coaches national poll — have won the state championship the last eight years and in 14 of the last 16 seasons. Caravel Academy aims to repeat as state champions in the Division 2 final against Friends.

Washington Township hasn’t had near that level of success statewide that Salesianum has had but a win over Morris Knolls on Saturday morning at Kean University would give the Minutemen a third state title in five years. Glassboro, meanwhile, will try to finish the job it was unable to complete last season after falling short in the school’s first state final since 1969.

Three of the four girls finals at Kean University will feature schools from South Jersey. Eastern and Moorestown are both seeking titles for the first time since both programs won back-to-back titles in the early 2000s (Eastern won in 2005-2006, Moorestown 2004-2005) while Audubon is appearing in a state final for the first time after denying Shore a sixth straight trip to the final.

In Pennsylvania, Hersheypark Stadium will host a number of finals featuring teams from Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Class 4A final features one of the tournament’s biggest surprises in Radnor, which has found success after playing its way back into the state tournament following a district quarterfinal loss to Spring-Ford. The Raiders will take on Wilson in search of the school’s first state title since they won Class 2A in 2004. Wilson last made the final in 2012, losing to Upper St. Clair in the Class 3A final that year.

Strath Haven plays for the Class 3A title against West Allegheny on Friday night for the first time since the program shared its fifth state title with Cathedral Prep in 2001.

The girls games in Hershey will have a Bucks County flavor to them. The Class 4A final on Saturday afternoon features two schools 10 miles apart, Pennridge and Souderton, that have never won a state title (Pennridge was a runner up in 2011). Another Bucks County school, Villa Joseph Marie, will look to win a Class 3A title after finishing second the last two seasons. The Jems have won four state titles, most recently a 2A title in 2014, but have lost in the final five times.

Two pseudo state titles in Pennsylvania were awarded on Wednesday night at Immaculata University. Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy beat The Hill School 3-1 to repeat as champions in the boys final and Episcopal Academy edged the Baldwin School 4-3 in the girls final for the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association.

Schedule

Delaware - Smyrna High School

Boys
Division 1 final - Salesianum vs Appoquinimink, November 17, 5 p.m.
Division 2 final - Caravel vs Friends, November 17, 7 p.m.

Girls
Girls soccer is a spring sport in Delaware

New Jersey - Kean University

Boys
Group 4 final - Washington Township vs Morris Knolls, November 17, 10 a.m.
Group 1 final - Glassboro vs New Providence, November 17, 12:30 p.m.

Girls
Group 4 final - Eastern vs Bridgewater-Raritan, November 18, 10 a.m.
Group 3 final - Moorestown vs Northern Highlands, November 18, 5:30 p.m.
Group 1 final - Audubon vs Glen Ridge, November 18, 12:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania - Hersheypark Stadium

Boys
Class 4A final - Wilson vs Radnor, November 17, 6:30 p.m.
Class 3A final - Strath Haven vs West Allegheny, November 16, 6:30 p.m.
Class 2A final - Fleetwood vs Deer Lakes, November 17, 1:30 p.m.

Girls
Class 3A final - Villa Joseph Marie vs Blue Mountain, November 16, 4 p.m.
Class 4A final - Pennridge vs Souderton, November 17, 4 p.m.