With just a few matchdays left on the regular season schedule, the playoff picture in Schuylkill League soccer is coming more into focus.
Here’s a look at where things stand and what’s remaining before the playoffs get underway next week:
Schuylkill League Boys Soccer Playoffs
There’s plenty to decide in the final week of the Schuylkill League boys soccer regular season, mostly in Division I.
The bracket shows where the divisions stand today. A school in grey has not yet clinched a playoff place at all; one in colour is through but could still move seed.
Here’s a look at the races for the final playoff spots:
Division I
Coming into action on Thursday (Oct. 8), Blue Mountain has control of Division I but faces its rival Pine Grove Area in a match at the Eagles Nest tonight.
Division 1
- 14pts7-0-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 10pts5-2-0W-L-TIn the hunt
- 8pts3-2-2W-L-TIn the hunt
- 7pts2-3-3W-L-TIn the hunt
- 4pts1-6-2W-L-TEliminated
- 3pts1-6-1W-L-TEliminated
The top three reach the league playoff, and the winner gets a bye to the semifinal. The line under each team shows what it still has to play and whether winning those matches would be enough on its own. Teams level on points are separated by head-to-head, then by District XI power rating, which moves with every match played.
What is left to play
- Thu, Oct 8vsPine Grove Area
- Tue, Oct 13atNorth Schuylkill
- Thu, Oct 15vsTamaqua Area
- Thu, Oct 8atBlue Mountain
- Mon, Oct 12atNorth Schuylkill
- Thu, Oct 15atLourdes Regional
- Mon, Oct 12vsPine Grove Area
- Tue, Oct 13vsBlue Mountain
- Thu, Oct 15atPottsville Area
- Tue, Oct 13vsPottsville Area
- Thu, Oct 15atBlue Mountain
The Cardinals are two wins behind the Eagles for the division lead but have control of the second seed coming out of Division I. They could also pull closer to the Division lead with a win on Thursday. Should the Eagles win on Thursday, they’ll clinch Division I.
Pine Grove Area needs one win from three matches to clinch a playoff spot. Beat Blue Mountain on Thursday, North Schuylkill on Monday or Lourdes on Oct. 15 and they’re in, no matter what else happens.
Just a game behind Pine Grove are North Schuylkill (3-2-2) on 8 points and Tamaqua Area (2-3-3) on 7 points. They’re fighting for that third seed in Division I.
North Schuylkill controls its own fate. Win all three: Pine Grove at home Monday, Blue Mountain at home Tuesday, and at Pottsville on Thursday, and the Spartans are through regardless of anything else.
Tamaqua needs a little help to clinch a playoff spot.
Division II
With just one matchday left in Division II, Minersville Area has clinched the crown there and will enjoy a bye into the league semifinals. Schuylkill Haven Area and Tri-Valley have also clinched the two wild card positions but are level on points and split their head-to-head season series.
Division 2
- 18pts9-0-0W-L-TClinched 1st · bye
- 12pts6-3-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 12pts6-3-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 8pts4-5-0W-L-TEliminated
- 4pts2-7-0W-L-TEliminated
- 0pts0-9-0W-L-TEliminated
The top three reach the league playoff, and the winner gets a bye to the semifinal. The line under each team shows what it still has to play and whether winning those matches would be enough on its own. Teams level on points are separated by head-to-head, then by District XI power rating, which moves with every match played.
What is left to play
- Tue, Oct 13vsShenandoah Valley
- Tue, Oct 13vsWilliams Valley
- Tue, Oct 13vsWeatherly Area
If the Hurricanes and Bulldogs win their final regular season matches, it’ll come down to District XI rating. Currently, Tri-Valley has the edge there (0.520221 to 0.443810).
Schuylkill League Girls Soccer Playoffs
There’s still plenty left to decide between tonight and next Wednesday with regard to who will make the league postseason in Schuylkill League girls soccer.
The bracket shows where the divisions stand today. A school in grey has not yet clinched a playoff place at all; one in colour is through but could still move seed.
Here are the races broken down by division:
Division I
Blue Mountain has already clinched a place in the Schuylkill League girls soccer playoff. The other two Division 1 spots are down to four teams with a week of the regular season left.
Division 1
- 18pts9-0-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 13pts6-2-1W-L-TIn the hunt
- 12pts6-4-0W-L-TIn the hunt
- 11pts5-4-1W-L-TIn the hunt
- 10pts5-4-0W-L-TIn the hunt
- 2pts1-8-0W-L-TEliminated
- 0pts0-10-0W-L-TEliminated
The top three reach the league playoff, and the winner gets a bye to the semifinal. The line under each team shows what it still has to play and whether winning those matches would be enough on its own. Teams level on points are separated by head-to-head, then by District XI power rating, which moves with every match played.
What is left to play
- Thu, Oct 8atShenandoah Valley
- Mon, Oct 12vsNorth Schuylkill
- Wed, Oct 14atTamaqua Area
- Thu, Oct 8atMarian Catholic
- Mon, Oct 12atBlue Mountain
- Wed, Oct 14vsPottsville Area
- Mon, Oct 12vsTamaqua Area
- Wed, Oct 14atNorth Schuylkill
- Thu, Oct 8vsTamaqua Area
- Wed, Oct 14vsShenandoah Valley
- Thu, Oct 8atPine Grove Area
- Mon, Oct 12atPottsville Area
- Wed, Oct 14vsBlue Mountain
North Schuylkill sits second on 13 points, Pottsville third on 12, Pine Grove fourth on 11, and Tamaqua fifth on 10. Two of them get in.
North Schuylkill is closest. Two wins from its last three, at Marian tonight, at Blue Mountain on Monday and home to Pottsville on Wednesday, and the Spartans are through no matter what happens anywhere else.
Pottsville’s path is just as simple and a good deal harder. Win both, at home to Tamaqua on Monday and at North Schuylkill on Wednesday, and the Crimson Tide are in.
Tamaqua has the most to do and the most control. Win all three and they are in. Lose all three and they are out. Two of those matches are against Pine Grove and Pottsville.
Pine Grove is the only one of the four contenders who cannot finish the job on its own. Even winning both of their remaining matches, the Cardinals would still need results elsewhere to go their way.
On Thursday, the Cardinals host Tamaqua, and a Tamaqua win would all but end Pine Grove’s hopes of making the league playoffs while putting the Blue Raiders in the strongest shape of the four chasers. A Pine Grove win swings it the other way.
If it is still alive on Wednesday, North Schuylkill at home to Pottsville is the game that settles the last place.
Division II
The Division II race is much clearer as Minersville Area and Schuylkill Haven Area have clinched spots in the playoffs. However, who will come away with the division crown and a bye into the semifinals is still up for grabs.
That could come down to each team’s District XI rating since the teams split their head-to-head series in the regular season. Right now, the Miners (0.556297) has a slight edge over the Hurricanes (0.542345).
Division 2
- 14pts7-1-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 14pts7-1-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 8pts4-4-0W-L-TIn the hunt
- 8pts4-4-0W-L-TIn the hunt
- 3pts1-6-1W-L-TEliminated
- 1pts0-7-1W-L-TEliminated
The top three reach the league playoff, and the winner gets a bye to the semifinal. The line under each team shows what it still has to play and whether winning those matches would be enough on its own. Teams level on points are separated by head-to-head, then by District XI power rating, which moves with every match played.
What is left to play
- Thu, Oct 8vsWilliams Valley
- Mon, Oct 12atLourdes Regional
- Thu, Oct 8vsLourdes Regional
- Mon, Oct 12atWeatherly Area
- Thu, Oct 8vsWeatherly Area
- Mon, Oct 12atWilliams Valley
- Thu, Oct 8atSchuylkill Haven Area
- Mon, Oct 12vsMinersville Area
Tri-Valley and Lourdes Regional are both on 8 points with 2 matches remaining. The Lady Bulldogs own the tie-break based on head-to-head matchups in the regular season so if the Lady Red Raiders are going to claim that third seed in Division II, they’ll need to, in the most likely scenario, win out in their final games against Schuylkill Haven and Minersville and hope for Tri-Valley to be upset by Williams Valley or Weatherly.
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