OJR vies for third straight title; will Spring-Ford, Perkiomen Valley or PJP get in their way?
BUCKTOWN >> For the first time in three seasons, Owen J. Roberts and Methacton will not vie for the PAC title.
Owen J. Roberts will, but replacing Methacton are two Liberty teams and a Frontier Division champion hopeful for a chance to knock off the two-time defending champion.
The Wildcats, led by the play of goalie Mia Tornetta (Great Valley transfer) and a balanced scoring attack (Anna Dempsey team-leader in goals with 56), look poised to claim a third straight title (fifth overall) after sweeping through the conference slate undefeated (13-0) en route to a 15-2 overall finish.
Spring-Ford makes a return to the playoffs after a two-season hiatus and will look to claim its first PAC title since 1991 with Perkiomen Valley (first-ever PAC playoff berth) and Pope John Paul II both seeking their first-ever conference crown.
Perkiomen Valley (#4) vs. Owen J. Roberts (#1)
7 p.m. OJR North Field
Record: Perkiomen Valley 6-4 Liberty Division, 9-4 PAC, 12-6 overall; Owen J. Roberts 10-0 Liberty Division, 13-0 PAC, 15-2 overall.
Head-to-Head: Owen J. Roberts defeated Perkiomen Valley 13-2 on March 29; 9-4 on April 26.
Last PAC Final Four: Perkiomen Valley: None. Owen J. Roberts: 2016 (Won PAC title)
Wildcats Facts/Figures: OJR led by Tornetta in net, who achieved her 600th career save earlier this season, and has 634 career saves entering Tuesday’s tilt. Dempsey (56 goals) is sixth in the PAC in scoring and Eloise Gebert (42) right behind her in 11th provide most of the Wildcats’ scoring, but a deep lineup means OJR has plenty of scorers (Kelsey Kilgallon finished with 24 goals, Frankie Carroll with 22). … Wildcats were first in the PAC, allowing only 93 goals this season.
Vikings Facts/Figures: Vikings also boast strong netminder in Devon Fleischmann, who may be small in stature (5-1 in height) but her ability to read and recognize attack has her going to William & Mary. … Paige Tyson, a sophomore who eclipsed the 100-goal mark earlier this season, leads the team with 52 goals. Kat Kelley and Anna Koniencki also strong on attack (34 and 33 goals, respectively).
Outlook: Hard to beat a team three times in the season, but Wildcats should close it out. OJR wins 10-6.
Spring-Ford (#3) vs. Pope John Paul II (#2)
5:30 p.m. OJR North Field
Record: Spring-Ford 6-4 Liberty Division, 9-4 PAC, 13-5 overall; Pope John Paul II 10-0 Frontier Division, 11-2 PAC, 12-4 overall.
Head-to-Head: None
Last PAC Final Four: Spring-Ford: 2014 (lost to Phoenixville 12-11 in OT in semifinals). Pope John Paul II; 2016 (lost to OJR 18-7 in semifinals)
Rams Facts/Figures: Deep from top-to-bottom of lineup, Rams’ lineup starts with Camryn Jones at attack (fourth in PAC with 58 goals) and ends with the goaltending of Kamille Ward, who’s committed to Seton Hill. … Rams, led by defense of Molly McMahon, Alyssa Conway, Mikayla Lynch and MaryPat McKenna finished third in the PAC in goals against (151) and first in goals forward (272).
Golden Panthers Facts/Figures: Golden Panthers making third straight trip to Final Four. … Junior Monica Rapchinski leads the PAC with 78 goals and 22 assists. She reached 200 goals in loss to Boyertown earlier this season … Grace Cobaugh 12th in the league with 41 goals. … Defense finished first in the Frontier Division and second in the PAC, allowing 138 goals.
Outlook: A Frontier Division team has made it to the PAC final only once since the playoffs began 10 years ago. That number doesn’t change this year, Rams win 12-7.
