Two unbeaten girls soccer teams remain entering the postseason.
One is on a 46-game winning streak that, according to the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association (PSCA) website, is a state record.
The other hasn’t won a district championship since 2010 and has never won a district championship in a fall season.
Both Northwestern Lehigh, the defending state champions, and Nazareth will have targets on their backs entering the defining stretch of a girls soccer season that is growing more unpredictable by the day.
The Blue Eagles pulled off dramatic victories over Gov. Mifflin, Emmaus in double overtime and Easton in the final few weeks of the season to keep their unbeaten season alive and enter the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference tournament as the top seed and the team to beat. To their credit, they also earned the top seed in last year’s district tournament, so it’s not a complete and unexpected turnaround, but the nature of winning all but one league championship in its history makes Parkland the favorite year in and year out.
That will change this week as the third-seeded Trojans face an unprecedented challenge to reclaim the league trophy after Allentown Central Catholic ceased a nine-year reign last season.
Emmaus, which is seeded second in the upcoming league tournament, is another team to watch after battling the Blue Eagles into double overtime last week and flipping the script against its bitter rival in a 2-1 overtime win over Parkland to cap the regular season.
In the Colonial League, all eyes are on the Tigers.
Wilson Area put up as much of a fight as anyone in the league, holding Northwestern Lehigh to just a 3-0 win, and the Warriors didn’t even qualify for the league tournament. Lehighton lost 4-0 to the Tigers and will get the first crack at the top-ranked team in the state in 2A, but it doesn’t look like anyone can stand up to Jordan Smith’s squad in the Colonial League bracket.
Palisades poses a threat with a stout and organized defensive unit that’s conceded just three goals outside of a three-game stretch in four days against stiff competition while also battling injuries.
Second-seeded Southern Lehigh (13-5) and Bangor (14-3-1) also threw a few punches at the league favorites and should not be overlooked.
Here’s a full look at statistical leaders, tournament schedules and predictions for a big upcoming week in girls soccer!
Statistical standouts
• Northwestern Lehigh’s Sophia Schaffer is the clear points leader in the area with 38 goals and 29 assists amounting to 105 points for the undefeated Tigers. Senior goalkeeper Olivia Reinhart surpassed 50 clean sheets in her career during the final week of the season.
• Bangor senior Raegan Toomey set a new school record for goals in a season with 22 in her final six games to put her at 36 for the season entering the postseason. She sits just two goals shy of Schaffer for the area’s lead.
• Elizabeth Bender, who will join Schaffer at the University of Delaware in two years, produced 32 assists in the regular season to lead all players in both conferences. She is also the runaway leader in the EPC in points (71) with 19 goals as well.
• Parkland’s Isabella Hallal, Whitehall’s Collene Sommers and Easton’s Bianca Yetta all reached the 20-goal mark as they prepare for the postseason to begin. Hallal and Sommers will face off in the first round of the EPC Tournament on Tuesday in a rematch of a 3-0 win for the Trojans in September.
EPC tournament schedule
Quarterfinals (Tuesday, October 14)
No. 1 Nazareth (17-0-1) vs. No. 8 Northampton (10-8); 5 p.m. at Nazareth HS
No. 4 Allentown Central Catholic (13-3-1) vs. No. 5 Easton (13-4); 7 p.m. at Cedar Crest
No. 2 Emmaus (16-2) vs. No. 7 Freedom (12-5-1); 5 p.m. at Emmaus HS
No. 3 Parkland (14-3-1) vs. No. 6 Whitehall (13-5); 5 p.m. at Parkland HS
Semifinals (Thursday, October 16)
Nazareth/Northampton vs. ACCHS/Easton; site and time to be determined
Emmaus/Freedom vs. Parkland/Whitehall; site and time to be determined
Championship (Saturday, October 18)
Colonial League tournament schedule
Quarterfinals (Monday, October 13)
No. 1 NW Lehigh (18-0) vs. No. 8 Lehighton (11-7); 5 p.m. at Jim Thorpe HS
No. 4 Saucon Valley (11-4) vs. No. 5 Bangor (14-3-1); 5 p.m. at Palmerton HS
No. 2 Southern Lehigh (13-5) vs. No. 7 Notre Dame-GP (10-6-1); 5:30 p.m. at Salisbury HS
No. 3 Palisades (12-1-3) vs. No. 6 Moravian Academy (9-7-1); 5 p.m. at Northern Lehigh HS
Semifinals (Wednesday, October 15)
NW Lehigh/Lehighton vs. Saucon/Bangor; site and time to be determined
Southern Lehigh/NDGP vs. Palisades/Moravian; site and time to be determined
Championship (Saturday, October 18) at 11 a.m. at Catasauqua Alumni Field
Predictions
EPC Tournament
Nazareth over Easton 1-0; Emmaus over Parkland 3-2
Emmaus over Nazareth 2-1
Colonial League Tournament
Northwestern Lehigh over Bangor 4-0; Palisades over Notre Dame-GP 1-0 (penalties)
Northwestern Lehigh over Palisades 3-0
Derek Bast is a freelance sports reporter who can be found on Twitter/X at @derek_bast or reached by email at derekbast11@gmail.com.
