Conestoga, Haddon Twp. & Salesianum march on; Hill School wins title on PKs

It took regulation, two overtimes and 26 penalty kicks to crown The Hill School the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association champs at Immaculata University on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper Aiden Perry made the decisive save that lifted the Pottstown school over Penn Charter 12-11 in the penalty shootout. The title is the third in four years for the Rams, which also won it in 2013 and 2014.

Wednesday’s championship is the first of many that will be handed out in the region this week.

In Delaware, Salesianum School scored a pair of goals in the first two minutes and went out to an 8-0 blowout victory over Sussex Central on Wednesday to advance to the Division I title game against Appoquinimink on Saturday. Sallies will be gunning for their fourth straight D-1 title and 13th in the last 15 years.

Top-seeded Indian River topped St. Georges 1-0 in double overtime to advance to the Division II title game, where they will face Tower Hill School, which advanced in a penalty shootout over St. Andrews.

The D-1 and D-2 championship games will be played Saturday at Smyrna High School beginning with the D-2 game at 5 p.m.

Over in South Jersey, Washington Township won’t have a chance to defend their Group IV state title after falling on PKs to Hunterdon Central on Tuesday.

Haddon Township will be the lone South Jersey school playing for a state title at Kean University on Sunday at 10 a.m. after they beat Asbury Park 5-0 in the Group I semifinal Tuesday. Goalkeeper Kieran Burns made three saves in the match to continue his fine form with another clean sheet and Jeb Howley had a brace to lead the Hawks into their second state title in three years.

Top-seeded Delran were stunned in the Group II semifinal by 16 seed Bernards 3-0 to end their run while Mainland fell to Toms River South in the Group III semifinal.

In Pennsylvania, Conestoga marched to the Class 4A final with a 1-0 win over North Allegheny, but it won’t be a chance for revenge against West Chester Henderson. Elizabethtown knocked the District 1 champs out by a 1-0 scoreline in the other semifinal match.

The championship will be played at 6:30 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday.

Lower Dauphin needed overtime to edge Cathedral Prep 2-1 and advance to the Class 3A final, where they will put their undefeated record on the line against Northwestern Lehigh, which topped Gettysburg 1-0 in the other semi on Tuesday. The final will be played tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Lansdale Catholic’s run ended with a 2-1 loss to Lewisburg, which plays Quaker Valley on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. for the Class 2A championship.

The Class 1A title will be decided this afternoon between Camp Hill, which edged Kutztown 2-1 and Sewickley Academy, 2-0 winners over Seton-LaSalle.