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District 2 Boys Soccer Preview: Crestwood, Meyers enter playoffs in unfamiliar territory

None of the three Wyoming Valley Conference field hockey teams who played for a District 2 championship last season and advanced to the state semifinals will return to the postseason as a top seed.A couple were sandbagged by early-season losses. The other lost out on a coin toss.That doesn&#8217;t mean anyone entering this week&#8217;s District 2 tournament lost sight of Crestwood, Holy Redeemer or Lake-Lehman.&#8220;I feel we&#8217;re in the right place at the right time,&#8221; said Lehman coach Jean Lipski, whose 12-2 Black Knights will be the No. 3 seed when the District 2 Class A playoffs open Monday. &#8220;Some teams peak too early, and that&#8217;s not good for the program.&#8220;I think our team is peaking at the right time.&#8221;Just in time to make another run at the PIAA playoffs.Lehman won the first Class A title in the revamped District 2 playoffs last season and made its fourth consecutive trip to states after going unbeaten in the WVC, finishing with a trip to the PIAA Class A semifinals.This season was a little different for the Black Knights, though.They suffered consecutive losses to Wyoming Seminary and Wyoming Valley West, who finished 1-2 in the WVC Division 1.So Lehman faded away as a division title contender, but its potential to remain as a dangerous district threat is very vivid. lately. The seniors have been at states every year of their high school careers. They expect to get there and realize what it takes to get there.Holy Redeemer got the No. 2 seed for this year&#8217;s Class A district playoffs &#8212; through no fault of its own.&#8220;We lost a lot of very good kids from last year,&#8221; Lipski said. &#8220;We have some younger players who have been coming on.&#8221;For the second straight season, the Royals ravaged a weak WVC Division 2 and went unbeaten through 12 games. But they lost out on a coin flip for the top district seed to 14-0 WVC Division 1 champ Wyoming Seminary.&#8220;We feel fine about being second,&#8221; Holy Redeemer coach Maura McCormick said. &#8220;We still get the home field (advantage for the first round), that&#8217;s what&#8217;s important. The girls are excited for the playoffs. We&#8217;re excited to be in districts again. We hope to make it to states.&#8221;Redeemer made it all the way to last year&#8217;s District 2 title game for the first time in program history before losing in overtime to Lehman, then accomplished the first two PIAA victories in school history before falling in the PIAA Class A semifinals.With the core of that team returning, the Royals believe they have the strength to pin down a district title, no matter where they&#8217;re seeded.&#8220;Every team in our league, of course, wants to win a district championship,&#8221; McCormick said. &#8220;We have one of the strongest leagues in the country. I think every team wants to win. We&#8217;ve played some tough teams all season long. We&#8217;ve hd some great exhibitions this year that helped us out for our skill level for the playoffs.&#8221;Speaking of skill, Crestwood still has some.A reknowned area field hockey power, Crestwood dropped the District 2 Class 2A title to Wyoming Valley West last season, but recovered to make a run into the state semifinals.The Comets opened this season with defeats in their first three games, but proceeded to run off a 10-game winning streak before falling to Sem in the regular season finale on a controversial goal in overtime.&#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to give them confidence,&#8221; Crestwood coach Patsy Moratori said of her Comets. &#8220;I think they realize how well they can play.&#8221;&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t want to play Dallas right now,&#8221; said Wyoming Seminary coach Karen Klassner, who doesn&#8217;t have to.Here&#8217;s a look at the District 2 playoffs, which open this week.CLASS A(2 teams to states)Favorite: Wyoming Seminary. The Blue Knights rallied for their first unbeaten season since 2010 by going 14-0 to win the WVC Division 1. Two tough overtime wins in the final two weeks helped paved the way, but so did a talent-laded roster led by star scorers Alicia Carr and Aubrey Mytych, spectacular freshman goalie Mia Magnotta and ace defender Cameron Litjens, who returned for the final four games after a battling a season-long illness. Things are going Sem&#8217;s way right now, including a coin flip that fell in their favor and made the Blue Knights the top seed and sent Holy Redeemer to No. 2.Dark Horse: No. 4 Northwest had a solid season by going 8-3-1 in the WVC Division 2 and could present some problems for Division 1 teams.Who&#8217;s Hot: Holy Redeemer enters as the No. 2 seed off a 12-0 season and won the WVC Division 2 title for a second straight year.Who&#8217;s Not: Wyoming Area dropped five of its final six games after a 7-1 start to finish 8-6 and drop to the No. 6 seed.fPrediction: Wyoming Seminary over Holy Redeemer in the title game, with both teams advancing to states.CLASS 2A(2 teams to states)Favorite: Wyoming Valley West. The Spartans went 13-1 and came within a near-miss of an overtime shot by star scorer Foto Tsioles of beating Sem and winning the WVC Division 1 title. Valley West lost just one player from its District 2 title team of last year, and features defender Madison Woods, playmaker Mercedes Jasterzenski and sisters Foto and Rina Tsioles. The Spartans also have an excellent goaltending duo in Nikki Hartzel and Sydney Rusnock. They also have a first-round bye, meaning one win will ensure them a return trip to the PIAA playoffs.Dark Horse: With a late-season rally, Dallas jumped to the No. 3 seed and has Mindy Ratchford in goal to keep the team in any game.Who&#8217;s Hot: Crestwood won 10 consecutive games after an 0-3 start, and could have made it 11 in a row if not for a confusing spot that started Sem&#8217;s overtime winner in the regular season finale.Who&#8217;s Not: No. 4 Coughlin lost its last two regular-season games to slip out of a fight for the No. 2 spot.Prediction: Wyoming Valley West over Crestwood in the title game, with both teams advancing to states.oly Redeemer enters as the No. 2 seed off a 12-0 season and won the WVC Division 2 title for a second straight year.CLASS 3A(Winner to District 3/6 Subregional)Favorite: Hazleton Area. The Cougars collected themselves after a tough start to finish 6-8 and earn the top seed and first-round bye in the three-team tournament. Megan Reed and Jill Buchman carry the scoring load, but Gabby Cavenas has spent the past two weeks producing some big points. And Jenna Corra has been outstanding blocking shots in the cage throughout the season. A strong late-season stretch earned Hazleton Area a first-round bye into the District 2 championship.Dark Horse: If it is on top of its game, Delaware Valley has the potential to cause problems for opponents.Who&#8217;s Hot: Hazleton Area won four of its final five games to seal the top seed, including victories over fellow tournament teams Lackawanna Trail and Delaware Valley.Who&#8217;s Not: With six games to play in the regular season, Lackawanna Trail was right there with Hazleton Area challenging for the top district seed. Not anymore. Trail lost three of its final four games to not only slip out of contention for the top district spot, but behind Delaware Valley to wind up in the No. 3 slot.Prediction: Hazleton Area to down Lackawanna Trail for its first-ever District 2 title in a rematch of last season&#8217;s final, then fall to State College in a battle between Districts 2 and 6 for a state playoff spot.<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Crestwood's Arden Morgans, left, is pressured by Wyoming Seminary's Aubrey Mytych in WVC field hockey action Wednesday afternoon in Wright Township. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL101917FHSem-Crestwood_spt_1-CMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Crestwood's Arden Morgans, left, is pressured by Wyoming Seminary's Aubrey Mytych in WVC field hockey action Wednesday afternoon in Wright Township. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL110216FHLLHR2-CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Lynea Gregory, left, and Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Kayla Kruk hope to renew their District 2 Class A championship battle from last season in this year&#8217;s district playoffs, which open Monday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL110216FHLLHR2-CMYK.jpg</photo1><caption1>Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Lynea Gregory, left, and Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Kayla Kruk hope to renew their District 2 Class A championship battle from last season in this year&#8217;s district playoffs, which open Monday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL101917FHSem-Crestwood_spt_3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">After battling in the regular season finale, Crestwood&#8217;s Arden Morgans, left, and Wyoming Seminary goalkeeper Mia Magnotta, center, will try to help their teams become key forces in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey playoffs this week. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL101917FHSem-Crestwood_spt_3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>After battling in the regular season finale, Crestwood&#8217;s Arden Morgans, left, and Wyoming Seminary goalkeeper Mia Magnotta, center, will try to help their teams become key forces in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey playoffs this week. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Paul Sokoloskipsokoloski@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>District 2 Playoff ScheduleClass AQualifierOct. 20Nanticoke Area 3, Meyers 1QuarterfinalsMondayNo. 8 Nanticoke Area (4-8-1) at No. 1 Wyoming Seminary (14-0), 2:30 p.m.No. 5 Berwick (8-4) at No. 4 Northwest (8-3-1), 4 p.m.No. 5 Wyoming Area (8-6) at No. 3 Lake-Lehman (12-2), 4 p.m.No. 7 Hanover Area (5-6-1) at No. 2 Holy Redeemer (12-0), 4 p.m.SemifinalsWednesdayNanticoke Area/Wyoming Seminary vs. Berwick/NorthwestWyoming Area/Lake-Lehman vs. Hanover Area/Holy RedeemerChampionshipOct. 31Class 2AQualifierOct. 20Honesdale 1, Abington Heights 0QuarterfinalsTuesdayNo. 5 Wallenpaupack (6-7-1) at No. 4 Coughlin (9-5), 3:45 p.m.No. 6 Honesale (4-11) at No. 3 Dallas (10-4), 4:15 p.m.SemifinalsThursdayWallenpaupack/Coughlin at No. 1 Wyoming Valley West (13-1), 6 p.m.Honesdale/Dallas at No. 2 Crestwood (10-4), TBAChampionshipOct. 31Class 3ASemifinalMondayNo. 3 Lackawanna Trail (4-10) at No. 2 Delaware Valley (4-9-1), 6:30 p.m.District 2 ChampionshipThursdayLackawanna Trail/Delaware Valley at No. 1 Hazleton Area (6-8), TBADistrict 6 ChampionshipState College vs. Mifflin County, 6 p.m. at Bald Eagle HSDistrict 2/6 SubregionalNov. 1District 2 champion vs. District 6 champion, 5 p.m. at Crestwood HS</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</shirttailMeta></div>

District 2 Field Hockey Preview: Redeemer, Lehman rolling into D2 playoffs