PAC Field Hockey Championship Preview: Owen J. Roberts vs. Upper Perkiomen

The Pioneer Athletic Conference field hockey champion will be crowned Thursday, 7 p.m., at Upper Perkiomen High School.  

Liberty Division champion Owen J. Roberts, 7-0 winner against Phoenixville on Tuesday, will square off against Frontier champ Upper Perkiomen, which sweated out a 1-0 win over Perkiomen Valley to earn its spot in the title game. 

A breakdown of the matchup:

Upper Perkiomen (1) vs. Owen J. Roberts (2) 

Records: Owen J. Roberts: 9-1 PAC Liberty, 12-1 PAC, 17-1 overall, Liberty champion, No. 3 in District 1-3A rankings.

Upper Perkiomen: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 12-1 PAC, 15-4 overall, Frontier Division champion, No. 3 in District 1-2A rankings

Head-to-head: Owen J. Roberts and Upper Perkiomen did not meet this season. The Wildcats defeated the Indians, 5-1, in a regular-season crossover matchup in 2018. The teams last met up in the postseason in the 2017 PAC semifinals, with OJR pulling out a 2-1 win. OJR has won seven straight against Upper Perk since the Indians defeated the Wildcats in the 2013 championship game.

PAC Playoff History >> Upper Perkiomen has won six PAC titles, the last coming in 2013, when the Indians defeated OJR, 3-1, in the championship game. Upper Perk’s last title game appearance came in 2016, when the Indians lost to OJR, 2-1… Owen J. Roberts has won nine PAC championships, including six in the last decade. The Wildcats have won three of the past four league titles, including a 3-0 win over Perkiomen Valley in last year’s PAC title game.

Upper Perk at a glance >> To say the Indians tested themselves this season would be an understatement. Upper Perk’s three non-league losses were to Radnor, Wilson and Oley Valley, who have a combined record of 48-3 and all rank amongst the top two teams in their respective district power rankings. Upper Perk has won 10 of its last 11 games with the only loss coming in overtime to Perkiomen Valley on Sept. 27. During that stretch, the Indians defeated Class 3A squads Methacton and Central Bucks East, Nos. 14 and 5 in the District 1-3A power rankings, respectively. 

Senior midfielder AiYi Young makes things happen for Upper Perk on offense and defense. Her shot off a corner Tuesday was tipped in by freshman Ashlyn Gatto for the Indians’ lone score. Senior Jenna Fiorito had six goals in the Indians’ four games heading into the PAC Final Four, while senior Michaela Grecczek and sophomore Kylene Gooch are two more offensive threats.

Senior Tori Williams helps anchor a defensive unit that includes sophomore Luci Carpenter, sophomore Takoda Wells, junior Colleen Crenti and junior Bella Carpenter, a two-way threat who had two defensive saves in the win against Perkiomen Valley on Tuesday. Sophomore goalie Lynnsi Joyce has 16 saves in two career PAC playoff games, including seven on Tuesday when she stood on her head for the Indians.

OJR at a glance >> Owen J. Roberts’ 11 seniors are looking to cap their scholastic careers with a third PAC title in four years. OJR has won 17 games in a row since an overtime loss to Perk Valley in its second game of the season, and the Wildcats’ have won 30 of their last 32 games dating back to Sept. 27, 2018.

OJR had two 1-0 wins in their previous two games before breaking out for seven scores in Tuesday’s 7-0 win over Phoenixville. Senior Jenna Kirby scored twice, while senior Julia Lamb, senior Olivia Leclaire, senior Kendall McNeff, junior Emily Himmelreich and sophomore Rylee Laloup added goals in Tuesday’s win. Senior Maddi Koury is another scorer for the Wildcats.

Junior midfielders Maggie Kilgallon and Amanda Turner are joined by senior defender Rory Cahill, sophomore Alyssa Greiner and junior Makenna McCourt in solidifying an OJR defense that has only allowed two goals in its last six games and racked up 13 shutouts this season. While senior goalkeeper Cayden Jarvis did not have to make a save for the shutout in Tuesday’s semifinal win, she’s more than capable of rising to the occasion when needed. Jarvis made five saves for a shutout in the 2018 title game, including a critical penalty stroke stop.

Matchup >> There’s not much to go off of since these two teams didn’t meet up at all this season. 

Upper Perk has shown it can hang with the bigger Liberty Division schools, knocking off Boyertown and Methacton in the regular season before Tuesday’s win over a Perkiomen Valley squad that was the only team to beat the Wildcats this season.

Owen J. Roberts has been dominant at times this season, outscoring opponents 97-12. The Indians have been almost as impressive, outscoring opponents 83-22 in 2019.

Upper Perk and OJR have combined for 23 shutouts this season, so don’t expect any offensive explosions on Thursday. Both teams have strong defenses with goalkeepers who can make more than just the routine saves.

Prediction >>  As PV coach Erik Enters said after a loss to the Indians’ Tuesday, it’s been a coin toss this season in the PAC with most contests between the league’s top squads ending in a one-goal differential. 

OJR has found a way to be on the right side of four of those one-goal league contests since dropping an overtime contest to PV in its first PAC game this season.

It’s hard to pick against an OJR team with 11 seniors and plenty of championship game experience … Owen J. Roberts 2, Upper Perkiomen 1