NJSIAA Girls Soccer Tournament Pairings Released – Trentonian

The Hopewell Valley girls soccer team has home field advantage all the way to the state finals.

The Bulldogs (17-2-2) earned that right by collecting the highest number of PowerPoints (18,933) in Central Group III. With the Central Jersey champions hosting the state semifinals this season, it means John McGinley’s side, who are undefeated in 18 games, won’t have to leave the grand and friendly confines of Ackerson Field until a potential appearance in the state championship. .

The NJSIAA tournament begins Monday and culminates with the state championship games on Nov. 23 or 24 at Franklin High.

Six of the CVC’s fifteen schools are in the Central Group III field. Top-seeded Hopewell will be joined by fifth-seeded Lawrence (10-8), seventh-seeded Steinert (8-9-2), eighth-seeded West Windsor North (8-9), and twelfth-seeded Nottingham (9- 11) and 14th-seeded Ewing (5-13).

To say the CJ III bracket is wide open would be an understatement. Only four of the section’s 19 schools finished with a record above .500 (Hopewell, second-seeded Brick Memorial, fourth-seeded Burlington Twp. and Lawrence).

Hopewell advanced straight to the quarterfinals (Hamilton West qualified in the finals at PowerPoint’s spot, but withdrew before the playoffs), while the 5-12 matchup sets up an All-CVC clash between Lawrence and Nottingham. Steinert gets a home game on the Klockner Road turf against 10th-seeded Northern Burlington (5-11), WW-PN hosts ninth-seeded Westampton Tech (7-8-3) and Ewing travels to third-seeded Jackson Memorial ( 6-9-1).

While the Central champion gets to host the state semifinals, whoever it is will be an underdog against a South Jersey section loaded with quality teams, including undefeated Shawnee (17-0), Cherry Hill West (14 -5-1), Ocean City (17-4) and Lacey (16-2-1).

Allentown and Robbinsville are in what on paper looks like a tough Central Group II bracket. All 12 of the top seeds finished at least .500 – 11 of them were above that – and that includes the seventh-seeded Redbirds (12-6-1) and 12th-seeded Ravens (11-6-2).

Allentown has a favorable first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Pemberton (14-3), who handled the bottom tier of the BCSL (the Hornets lost 6-0 to Nottingham for reference). Robbinsville wasn’t as lucky with the draw, as a trip to fifth-seeded Delran (13-4-1) awaits.

Point Pleasant Boro (13-2-2), Wall (15-2-1), Cinnaminson (13-4-2) and Spotswood (16-3) are the top four seeds.

In Central Group IV, upstart CVC Valley champion West Windsor South (9-5-2) is the 10th seed and advances to play seventh-seeded Hunterdon Central (7-9). Princeton High (5-9-3) snuck into the field as the 16th seed and will face top-seeded Freehold Township (12-6).

In Non-Public A South, third-seeded Notre Dame (14-5-1) secured a few more days off with a first-round bye. The Irish could receive a quarterfinal visit from old foe Pat Trombetta, whose sixth-seeded Trinity Hall (9-7-2) will host a first-round match against 11th-seeded Mount St. Mary (9-9 ).

Paul VI (15-1-1) and Immaculata (11-4) are the top two seeds in the section. The non-public playoffs have one fewer round than the public playoffs, so those state finals are scheduled for Nov. 20 or 21 at Franklin High.

Defending Non-Public A champion Princeton Day (8-8-1) dropped to Non-Public B this fall and is the seventh seed in the South Section. There is only one first-round match in the section, so the Panthers open in a quarterfinal against second-seeded Bishop Eustace (10-4-2). The bad news: Rutgers Prep (16-0) is in the section. The good news: PDS didn’t have to play the Argonauts until the sectional final.

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NJSIAA Girls Soccer Tournament

Central Group IV

(16) Princeton on (1) Twp owned; (9) East Brunswick at (8) Montgomery; (12) South Brunswick at (5) Hillsborough; (13) New Brunswick at (4) Monroe; (14) Sayreville at (3) Howell; (11) Marlboro at (6) Manalapan; (10) WW-P South at (7) Hunterdon Central; (15) Edison at (2) Old Bridge

Central Group III

(1) Goodbye Hopewell Valley; (9) Westampton Tech at (8) WW-P North; (12) Nottingham at (5) Lawrence; (13) Own community in (4) Burlington Twp.; (14) Ewing at (3) Jackson Memorial; (11) Red Bank Regional at (6) Colts Neck; (10) No. Burlington at (7) Steinert); (2) Brick memorial goodbye

Central Group II

(16) Bordentown at (1) Point Pleasant Boro; (9) Manasquan at (8) Manchester Twp.; (12) Robbinsville at (5) Delran; (13) Ocean twp. at (4) Spotswood; (11) Holmdel at (6) Rumson-Fair Haven; (10) Pemberton at (7) Allentown; (15) Monmouth at (2) Wall

Non-public A South

(1) Paul VI goodbye; (9) Union Catholic in (8) St. Thomas Aquinas; (12) St. Rose at (5) St. John Vianney; (4) Catholic farewell to the Red Bank; (3) Notre Dame bye; (11) Mount St. Mary in (6) Trinity Hall; (10) Camden Catholic at (7) Our Lady of Mercy; (2) Immaculate goodbye

Non-public B South

Winner Doane Acadey/Holy Spirit at (1) Rutgers Prep; (5) Wildwood Catholic on (4) Calvary Christian Goodbye; (6) Gloucester Catholic at (3) Holy Cross Prep; (7) Princeton Day at (2) Bishop Eustace

Originally published: October 30, 2024 at 12:59 PM EDT