Just four area teams are still playing soccer as November is here, which means it’s time for the state playoffs across Pennsylvania. In girls Class AA, South Williamsport and Muncy both advanced, Hughesville is state-bound in girls Class AA and Lewisburg is in states after winning the program’s fifth District 4 title in six seasons in boys Class AA.

For South Williamsport and Lewisburg, the state tournament is familiar territory. For Hughesville, it’s the program’s first trip to states since 2002. For Muncy? Try first trip to states ever in its history.

But one thing is for sure, all area teams are hoping to win and keep playing soccer further into November.

Ella Moore of South Williamsport splits the Muncy defenders at Bloomsburg High School. South Williamsport won the district championship 1-0. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Lets break down the four area games that will be going on today.

GIRLS CLASS A

South Williamsport vs. Lancaster Mennonite

(at Balls Mills, 5:30 p.m.)

South Williamsport won its third consecutive District 4 Class A championship on Thursday against a tough Muncy team, 1-0. It was also South’s fourth straight appearance in a district championship game. South Williamsport has a fairly younger team with many sophomores and freshmen stepping up — such as Coco Kline, a freshman who scored Thursday’s lone goal, or freshman Kloey Persun who can score — but the team’s juniors and seniors are more than experienced and battle tested when it comes to the postseason.

South is hoping to make it to the state quarterfinals for a third straight season. The Mounties enter the state touranment as the No. 2 ranked team in Class A in the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association, behind only District 10’s Seneca.

The Mounties’ offense has been outstanding and gets a lot of the spotlight as players like Ella Moore (42 goals, 19 assists), Olivia Loudenslager (16 goals, nine assists), Abby Akers (five goals, 19 assists) and Addison Morrison (four goals, 10 assists) can break a game open. But defensively, South Williamsport has a really stout back line that can shut down players.

So far this year, South has allowed just 12 goals against as the Mounties enter states on a seven-game winning streak. Teams are averaging just under five shots per game against South Williamsport as the back line doesn’t allow many open looks, and Althea Street is lights out in goal. Street, a junior, has 96 saves this year and has posted 11 shutouts, leading the area.

Lancaster Mennonite enters the state tournament with a 16-2-2 record after falling to District 3 champion Camp Hill in the district final this past week.

Like South Williamsport, the Blazers have a good defensive unit and have allowed just 14 goals all year. The only teams to have scored multiple goals against the Blazers this year were Lancaster Catholic (three), Manheim Township (three) and Camp Hill (two).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport head coach Marc Lovecchio reacts to the win at the end of a PIAA District 4 Class A semifinal game against East Juniata at Bloomsburg on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. South won 1-0.

South Williamsport isn’t looking ahead and is focused on the game at hand, but a possible state quarterfinal rematch with Moravian Academy could be in the works for Saturday. If both the Mounties and Moravian Academy win, those two will face in the state quarterfinals.

Muncy at Camp Hill

(5:30 p.m.)

Camp Hill won the District 3 championship in dramatic fashion with a shootout in PKs over Lancaster Mennonite. A few days prior to that, the Lions beat Lancaster Country Day in the first round of the playoffs with a perfectly-placed corner kick by Marissa McGuire into the top-right near 90 for a dramatic win.

Camp Hill finds gutsy ways to win in various situations, which can make the Lions a dangerous team in the state tournament.

Offensively, the Lions have a number of plays who can score. Seniors Della Hawkins and McGuire lead the team wtih 14 and 13 goals, respectively. Dylan McInory has six goals while Rose Pistilli, Isabelle Shartle and Cece Beem each have five goals scored. Regan Parno may be one of the team’s biggest MVPs. She has just two goals scored, but her biggest asset to the team is being able to dish out assists left and right as she has 16, averaging just under one per game.

Josie Sarf has six shutouts in goal for Cap Hill.

Muncy has been battle tested all year, and that’s more than beneficial in the Indians’ first ever trip to the state tournament. The Indians had to play South Williamsport three times, including giving the Mounties everything they had in the District 4 Class A championship game, and faced Hughesville earlier in the year before going through Wyalusing and MIllville to get to the district final for the first time.

Addi Gresh is one of the area’s top goalies and often flies under the radar. The senior has 93 saves, averaging 4.7 per game, and has posted nine shutouts en route to 14 wins this year. And offensively, Muncy is far from shy when it comes to firing shots. Muncy has recorded more than 350 shots on goal this year and Ava Eyer leads the team with 21 goals and has 10 assists. Alexis McKeta has 14 goals and eight assists, Ella Nagel has nine goals and a team-high 20 assists and Addi Eyer has nine goals and four assists. Zoe Kunkle is also able to score (six goals, three assists).

That offensive distribution has been a huge part of Muncy’s success this year.

GIRLS CLASS AA

Hughesville at Northwestern Lehigh

(5:30 p.m.)

The Spartans gave defending two-time state champion Central Columbia an outstanding game and test this past week in the District 4 Class AA championship game. The Spartans only lost 1-0 to a team that has a lot of playmakers and scorers up top.

Central Columbia’s lone loss this year? To Northwestern Lehigh in the season opener, 1-0. Given how well Hughesville played the Blue Jays, that’s a good sign that Hughesville is a tough team who can give hang with some of the best teams around.

Hughesville’s 15-5-1 and has an offense that contributes from everywhere. Junior Kylie Teple leads Hughesville wtih 14 goals scored, but Sadia Ammar-Khodja (six goals), Elizabeth Wolfe (six goals, 13 assists), Ally Anstadt (four goals), Alyson Taggart (four goals), Lexi Kurzawa (four goals), Avery Puderbach (four goals) and Sierra DeWire (four goals) are capable of breaking through at any point in a game and scoring.

Defensively, Hughesville makes life difficult for opposing forwards and midfielders. Hughesville has given up just 17 goals all year long and only Millville (two goals), Milton (three goals), Shikellamy (two goals) and Lewisburg (two goals) have recorded multiple goals in a game against Hughesville this year.

In goal, Bailey Gavitt has been phenomenal. The Spartan senior has eight shutouts this year and has 78 saves, 3.9 per game. Hughesville allows less than four shots per game on average, meaning Northwestern Lehigh’s forwards will have to make every opportunity count against Hughesville.

This year marks the sixth straight District 11 title for Northwestern Lehigh after beating Allentown Central Catholic in a repeat of last year’s district final, 1-0. Brook Balliet scored the game’s only goal and Sophia Schaffer assisted on it. Northwestern Lehigh won the Colonial League title this year as well after blanking Saucon Valley.

Northwestern Lehigh is the top-ranked team in Class AA this year, ahead of Central Columbia (No. 2), Allentown Central Catholic (No. 3) and Mount Pleasant (No. 4).

BOYS CLASS AA

Lewisburg vs. Scranton Prep

(at Balls Mills, 7 p.m.)

Lewisburg faces District 2 champion Scranton Prep in the first round of the state tournament. Lewisburg won its fifth district title in six years on Thursday and is glad to be back in states after missing out on the state tournament last fall.

Scranton Prep will be a tough team. The Cavaliers are 19-2 and are riding a six-game win streak into the playoffs. The Cavaliers also have recorded 79 goals this year, although have allowed 22. Scranton Prep does have a foursome with 13 or more goals this year, showing its ability to distribute passes and get people involved up top. Daniel Palonis, Ryan Walsh, Tony Nguyen and Tyler Bianchi lead the team with 16, 15, 14 and 13 goals, respectively. Palonis also has an impressive 24 assists — averaging 1.1 per game — while Walsh has 12. Dante Palazzari also has eight goals for the Cavaliers.

While Scranton Prep’s offense has been outstanding this year, Lewisburg could easily be its toughest test when it comes to scoring. Lewisburg prides itself year in and year out on playing great defense, and this year’s team is no exception to that.

The Green Dragons have allowed just nine goals this entire season, and only one team has recorded a goal against Lewisburg in the postseason so far in Midd-West (one goal). The Lewisburg back line is solid, and in goal, Gabe Pawling is a great keeper who can make numerous outstanding saves. Pawling has 57 saves as Lewisburg allows just 3.2 shots against per game, and has recorded 12 saves so far.

Offensively, Isaac Ayres and Viktor Permyashkin have turned into an outstanding 1-2 punch for Lewisburg. Ayres has a team-high 15 goals and four assists while Permyashkin has 14 goals and 15 assists. Add in Cohen Hoover (eight goals, three assists), Riley Gulden-Luthi (eight goals, three assists) and Alex Gilmore (five goals, five assists), and Lewisburg has plenty of weapons.

The Green Dragons are 19-1-1 this year and are ranked No. 3 in the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association poll, behind only Faith Christian (No. 1) and Northwest Lehigh (No. 2).