Note: Standings, playoff bracket, and results inside boxes are updated as games are played. They may not reflect the information in the articles as results are updated.
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.
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
- 1Blue Mountainall matches played20pts10-0-0W-L-TClinched 1st · bye
- 2Pine Grove Areaall matches played14pts7-3-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 3North Schuylkillall matches played10pts4-4-2W-L-TClinched a berth
- 9pts3-4-3W-L-TEliminated
- 4pts1-7-2W-L-TEliminated
- 3pts1-8-1W-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.
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
- 1Minersville Areaall matches played20pts10-0-0W-L-TClinched 1st · bye
- 2Tri-Valleyall matches played14pts7-3-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 3Schuylkill Haven Areaall matches played14pts7-3-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 8pts4-6-0W-L-TEliminated
- 4pts2-8-0W-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.
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.
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
- 1Blue Mountainall matches played24pts12-0-0W-L-TClinched 1st · bye
- 2North Schuylkillall matches played17pts8-3-1W-L-TClinched a berth
- 3Tamaqua Areaall matches played14pts7-5-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 13pts6-5-1W-L-TEliminated
- 12pts6-6-0W-L-TEliminated
- 2pts1-11-0W-L-TEliminated
- 2pts1-11-0W-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.
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
- 1Schuylkill Haven Areaall matches played18pts9-1-0W-L-TClinched 1st · bye
- 2Minersville Areaall matches played18pts9-1-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 3Tri-Valleyall matches played12pts6-4-0W-L-TClinched a berth
- 8pts4-6-0W-L-TEliminated
- 3pts1-8-1W-L-TEliminated
- 1pts0-9-1W-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.
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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