Dallas-valley View Tops Quarterfinal Matchups
By MICHAEL LELLO [email protected]
Friday, October 26, 2001 Page: 3B
The Dallas’ boys soccer team has ripped through its competition with ease this
season, but the Mountaineers still have a few steps to go towards their
ultimate goal.
Part two of the journey, which Dallas hopes culminates with a trip to the
state final in Hershey, begins today with a District 2 Class 2A first-round
game against Valley View.
The Mountaineers, 18-0 and the top seed in the 2A bracket, play host to the
No. 8 Cougars (6-8-2) at 2:30 p.m. in one of 10 district quarterfinal games
this afternoon. There are two Class A games tomorrow.
“Our goal is to go 25-0, so we’re excited, but we’re not satisfied at
all,” said Dallas coach Chris Scharff, who led his team to a district title
last season. “We just want to keep going.”
If Dallas needs any extra motivation, it has the bitter memory of last
year’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Lansdale Catholic in a quarterfinal at
Hersheypark Stadium. Lansdale scored the winning goal in freak fashion when
Brian Madden’s shot bounced off a Dallas defender’s shin guard and back to
Madden, who knocked it into the net.
“We felt we should’ve won the state championship last year,” Scharff
said. “We felt we were the better team than Lansdale Catholic and we let one
slip away. We feel we should be going for our second one this year. We’re
definitely more focused, more ready and going to make sure we don’t let one
slip again this year.”
“I think we want to make it farther in states than we have before, that’s
our main goal,” said Dallas senior forward Ryan Love. “I think we’re a much
better team than we were last year. We’re more mature and more together. This
year’s team wants it a lot more. We have a lot of seniors on the team and they
want to finish off their high school careers.”
Dallas enters the postseason on a high after knocking off Back Mountain
rival Lake-Lehman 5-2 in both teams’ season finale Tuesday. It marked Dallas’
fifth consecutive victory over Lehman, including last year’s district final.
Lehman is the second seed in this year’s 2A field and hosts No. 7 Honesdale
(9-7) at 3 p.m. today.
“Hopefully we’ll see Dallas again in districts, hopefully in the final,
but we still have to get to the point where we’re going to be there,” Lehman
coach Mark Stroney said.
Dallas, which has outscored its opponents by a 16-1 ratio, has six players
among the division’s top scorers and is led by Ricky Branco (46 goals, 11
assists) and Love (26, 20).
In Class 3A, defending district champ Wyoming Valley West (14-2-1) finished
atop the Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A division despite replacing 10
starters from last year’s squad. Valley West’s only losses were at the hands
of Dallas and Coughlin, which pulled a minor upset Tuesday night at Spartan
Stadium. The Crusaders (11-3-1), who also tied the Spartans earlier in the
season, may be on a collision course for a third meeting with Valley West in
the district final. Coughlin plays host to No. 6 Delaware Valley (10-4-2) at 3
p.m. today.
“Every time we play Coughlin, it’s become a big rivalry game,” Valley
West coach Ted Tsioles said. “Every time they play their best. They’re not
afraid of us by any means. They come in there and they’re ready to play every
time.”
Valley West is led by Jonathan Schmid, the lone returning starter from
The No. 1 seed in Class A is Wyoming Seminary (14-4), which fell to
Mountain View in last year’s final. The Blue Knights play host to No. 8 Elk
Lake (4-10-2) at 3 p.m. Three of the top four scorers in WVC Class A were Blue
Knights – Gareth Phillips (23 goals, 11 assists), Brian Dempsey (20, 12) and
Rich Eckman (16, 13).
District 2 Boys Soccer Tournament
Class 3A
No. 8 Hazleton Area (6-9) at No. 1 Abington Heights (15-1), 2:30 p.m. today
No. 5 Williamsport (8-3-1) at No. 4 North Pocono (10-3-3), 3 p.m. today
No. 7 Milton (8-4) at No. 2 Wyoming Valley West (14-2-1), 3 p.m. today (at
State Street Elementary)
No. 6 Delaware Valley (10-4-2) at No. 3 Coughlin (12-3-1), 3 p.m. today
Class 2A
No. 8 Valley View (6-8-2) at No. 1 Dallas (18-0), 2:30 p.m. today
No. 5 Scranton Prep (10-5-1) at No. 4 Berwick (13-6), 3 p.m. today
No. 7 Honesdale (9-7) at No. 2 Lake-Lehman (14-4), 3 p.m. today
No. 6 Meyers (10-6-1) at No. 3 Nanticoke (12-4-1), 2:30 p.m. today (at West
Side Park)
Class A
No. 8 Elk Lake (4-10-2) at No. 1 Wyoming Seminary (14-4), 3 p.m. today
No. 5 Bishop Hannan (10-3-2) at No. 4 Seton Catholic (10-6), 3 p.m. today
No. 7 Blue Ridge (8-6-1) at No. 2 Mountain View (12-4), 1 p.m. tomorrow
No. 6 Bishop O’Reilly (9-7-2) at No. 3 Bishop O’Hara (13-2), 1 p.m.
