Undefeated Dallas Oozing Confidence

By MICHAEL LELLO [email protected]
Thursday, November 01, 2001 Page: 3B

For the Record: 11/2/01 An article regarding the District 2 soccer playoffs
that appeared on page 3B on Thursday contained incorrect information. Lehman
defeated Nanticoke 3-2 in a regulation semifinal game Tuesday.


Forgive Dallas boys soccer coach Chris Scharff if he sounds a bit cocky.
He’s just being realistic.

Asked which team he’d rather face in the District 2 Class 2A final – it’s a
moot point now because Lake-Lehman beat Nanticoke Area in Wednesday’s
semifinal – he was nonplused.

“Either one, it doesn’t matter,” he said after his Mountaineers beat
Berwick, 4-2, in a semifinal Monday. “Whoever shows up. They’re both going to
play defensive. We just play our game. We don’t adjust to anybody. They do the
adjusting.”

You can’t blame the undefeated Mountaineers (20-0), the tourney’s No. 1
seed, for taking that attitude into today’s 2:30 p.m. final at Betzler Fields
against the Black Knights. Throw in the fact that Dallas has beaten Lehman,
its toughest rival, five consecutive times, including last year’s district
championship, and you can understand where the Mountaineers are coming from.
Dallas also beat Lehman, 5-2, in both teams’ regular-season finale last
Tuesday.

Lehman (16-4), the No. 2 seed, needed an overtime period to knock off
Nanticoke, 3-2, in Tuesday’s semifinal. The winner of today’s game advances to
the PIAA Class 2A tournament and will travel to face the District 4 champ next
Tuesday at a time and place to be announced.

In Class 3A, No. 3 seed Coughlin (15-3-1) earned the right to face No. 1
Abington Heights (17-1) after the Crusaders beat WVC Class 3A rival and
defending district champ Wyoming Valley West, 4-2, in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Abington edged No. 4 North Pocono 2-2 in a semifinal Monday. Like Coughlin,
the Comets boast a balanced offensive attack with Derek Jacobs, Brian
Walkowski (also the football team’s kicker) and Chris Gilmore all legitimate
scoring threats. Abington also rotates two goalkeepers, Jon Keller and Bill
Rosetti.

The Abington/Coughlin winner will host the District 3 runner-up in the
first round of the PIAA Class 3A Tournament at a time to be announced Tuesday
at Betzler Fields. If the D-2 champ wins that game, it may be rewarded with a
matchup with District 1’s Downingtown in the quarterfinals. Downingtown is the
No. 2 boys soccer team in the country, according to Student Sports Magazine.

The Class A final (2:30 p.m. today at Ralston Field) features a rematch of
last year’s final between Wyoming Seminary and Mountain View. The Eagles
(14-4) squeaked by Seminary (16-4) in a 1-0 defensive struggle last year.
Seminary, this year’s No. 1 seed, earned a trip to today’s game with a
relatively easy 6-2 victory over No. 4 Seton Catholic in Monday’s semifinal.
No. 2 Mountain View outshot No. 3 Bishop O’Hara 16-9 en route to a 2-1
semifinal win on Tuesday. The winner of today’s game will play host to the
District 1 champ at a time to be announced Tuesday in a PIAA first-round game
at Betzler Fields.