Cumberland Valley vs. Plum: PIAA Class 4A boys soccer quarterfinal preview

The stakes are getting higher and the competition is only elevating with every matchup. It's the postseason, after all. And Saturday marks the PIAA Class 4A boys soccer quarterfinals.

District 3 champion Cumberland Valley takes on WPIAL runner-up Plum at Altoona's Mansion Park Stadium, first kick at 12 p.m. Here's a breakdown of both teams heading into the state quarterfinal.

• 's daily high school sports newsletter

Plum (18-1-3): The Mustangs are making the most of their return to 4A classification since 2019. They appeared in their first WPIAL final since 2005, but suffered their first loss of the season against Fox Chapel in the title game. Senior All-WPIAL center back Garrett Chandler has led a group that hasn't surrendered more than two goals to any opponent. Gage Adinolfi and Christian Alter are the top two scoring threats while Kent Holmes, Bryce Bobich, Andy Strasser and Noah Smith are key in the rotation. Chase Eber is the starting keeper, who staved off District 10 champion Erie McDowell in penalty kicks in the previous round.

Cumberland Valley (19-1-1): Having repeated as District 3 4A champions, the Eagles are fresh off their first state playoff win since 2020. Having not lost a game since Aug. 31, Cumberland Valley has been doing it by defense with just one or fewer goals surrendered in 20 of their last 21 games. Captain Lex Radosavljevic, Sascha Sanders, Ben Metz and Ben Waclawski highlight that starting back line with Michael Hoy in net. Chayse Snyder's 16 goals and five assists lead the Eagles' scorers, but speedy forward Jayden Handy, midfield captain Jake Dussinger, Zac Slevin, PJ Mashinski and Nico Paz all round out a versatile offense that spreads the wealth.

At stake: It's win or go home, so extending each club's respective season an extra game is the reward for victory. Familiar opponents await on the other end of the PIAA 4A quarterfinals with WPIAL champion Fox Chapel and District 3 runner-up Warwick clashing against one another. The winner between Cumberland Valley and Plum will meet that victor in Tuesday's state semifinals at a neutral site and time to be determined.

X-factor: Both crews have displayed the ability to rally from being down. Plum has fallen behind early seven times this season, winning each and every contest. Meanwhile, Cumberland Valley went down early against Northeastern in the District 3 4A quarterfinals and Souderton in the PIAA 4A first-round — both elimination games. Neither crew folds under the pressure of playing from behind. That being said, a one-goal lead is anything but safe. If either team gets down early, will it be able to respond the way it's done all season?