PAC Field Hockey Championship Preview: Boyertown vs Upper Perkiomen

After two one-goal semifinals, the Pioneer Athletic Conference field hockey champion will be crowned Thursday, 7 p.m., at Upper Perkiomen High School in the first league title game since 2019.

Back-to-back league champion Upper Perkiomen, a 3-2 winner over Perkiomen Valley on Tuesday, will face a Boyertown program hoping to complete its rise from the near bottom of the league following a 2-1 overtime win against Methacton.

A breakdown of the matchup:

Upper Perkiomen (1) vs. Boyertown (3)

Records >> Upper Perkiomen: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 14-0 PAC, 17-1-1 overall, Frontier champion, No. 2 in District 1-2A rankings. … Boyertown: 7-2-1 PAC Liberty, 10-3-1 PAC, 14-3-1 overall, Frontier Division champion, No. 11 in District 1-3A rankings

Head-to-head >> Upper Perkiomen took down Boyertown, 3-1, on Sept. 25 behind two goals from Jade Traynor. The Bears haven’t knocked off the Indians since 2015, going 0-5 in the five matchups since.

PAC Playoff History >> Upper Perkiomen has won eight PAC titles, including the last two. The Indians knocked off Owen J. Roberts, 2-1, in the most recent league title game in 2019. A win over the Bears would give UP the first PAC three-peat since OJR in 2009-11. … The Bears are breaking a lengthy absence from the PAC postseason. Boyertown’s last and only PAC title came in 2003.

Upper Perk at a glance >> The Indians, under 15th year coach Jamie Warren,  followed up a 9-1-2 showing during their 2020 championship game with a perfect 14-0 mark against PAC teams this fall. Seniors Luci Carpenter (Louisville), Takoda Wells (St. Joseph’s), Kylene Gooch and Lynnsi Joyce and junior Ashlyn Gatto were key contributors on both of the previous title squads. The Indians brought a 16-game win streak into Tuesday’s semifinal, outsourcing opponents 83-4 to close the regular season.

Boyertown at a glance >> Boyertown has made a rapid rise in Alicia Terrizzi’s return to the bench after previously serving as head coach from 1998-2001. The Bears’ run to the PAC championship game comes two years removed from a 4-13 overall record in 2019. A senior class led by Lauren Eves (Northeastern), Remi Lloyd (Wagner), Jasmine Fink and Alyx Morgan have built the program up during their time with the Bears along with junior Katelyn Dulin (Michigan State). Junior goalie Sarah Yoder’s one-one-one save in Tuesday’s final changed the game. The Bears concluded their regular season with seven straight wins after the Sept. 22 loss, allowing just one goal during that stretch.

Matchup >> Both teams have strong defenses and firepower on offense. The chemistry among both groups make them well-rounded and dangerous as well as extremely fun to watch.

Prediction >>  There’s something special going on with this Boyertown team, but the Indians are the team to beat in the PAC until someone knocks them off … Upper Perkiomen 2, Boyertown 1