EDITOR’S NOTE: As a step in getting ready for the 2021 fall sports season, NEPASportsNation.com is taking a look back at the 2020 season in District 2.
Champions
Delaware Valley was the only team to capture both a District 2 title and a division title, winning Class 4A and Lackawanna League Division 1.
Berwick in Class 3A, Lake-Lehman in Class 2A and Montrose in A were the other district champions.
Lakeland, in Division 2, and Elk Lake, in Division 3, won the other Lackawanna titles.
Dallas, in Division 1, and Holy Redeemer, in Division 2, claimed Wyoming Valley Conference championships.
State presence
All three District 2 entries lost their first state tournament games.
Berwick lost in the quarterfinals.
Lake-Lehman, which fell to eventual state champion Bloomsburg, and Montrose went out in the Round of 16.
Standings
Lackawanna Division 1: Delaware Valley 9-1-2, Wallenpaupack 9-2-1, Scranton Prep 9-3, Valley View 6-4-2, Honesdale 3-7-2, Scranton 2-9-1, North Pocono 0-12.
Lackawanna Division 2: Lakeland 12-0-1, Western Wayne 8-3, Montrose 8-3-1, Dunmore 5-6-1, Mountain View 2-6-2, Holy Cross 2-9-2.
Lackawanna Division 3: Elk Lake 3-3-1, Mid Valley 1-5-2, West Scranton 0-6-2.
Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1: Dallas 10-1-1, Berwick 9-2, Wyoming Valley West 7-2-1, Wilkes-Barre Area 6-5, Crestwood 4-8, Hazleton Area 2-10, Pittston Area 1-11.
Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2: Holy Redeemer 10-1, Wyoming Area 8-2-1, Lake-Lehman 8-2-1, Wyoming Seminary 4-7-1, Nanticoke 3-7-2, Tunkhannock 2-8-2, Hazleton Area 0-8-1.
Playoffs
Delaware Valley did not win a postseason game. The Lady Warriors were knocked out by District 4 member Williamsport in the semifinals of the District 2-4 Class 4A Subregional tournament.
Hazleton Area reached the subregional final as the last seed in the six-team tournament, beating third-seed Wilkes-Barre Area and second-seed Wyoming Valley West in one-goal games.
When no district team could win the subregional tournament, Delaware Valley was named District 2 champion as the highest-rated team in the district during the regular season.
There were 19 games played in the District 2 Class 3A, 2A and A tournaments and the only three that were won by lower seeds were the three championship games where second-seeds beat top seeds.
Berwick beat Dallas, 2-1, in Class 3A; Lake-Lehman shut out Holy Redeemer, 1-0, in Class 2A; and Montrose handled Lakeland, 4-1, in Class A.
COVID Impact
The PIAA eliminated all but district champions from the state tournament and District 2 decided not to conduct a game to decide its Class 4A champion once the subregional was over.
Abington Heights and Carbondale sat out the entire season. Forest City did not play its Lackawanna League Division 3 schedule, playing only late-season, non-league games and the district tournament.
Once schedules were adjusted, there were still seven Lackawanna League and five WVC games that never got played because of COVID-related postponements.
Noteworthy
Five district players, all seniors, made the Pennsylvania Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association all-state team. The forwards were Western Wayne’s Cassidy Asinski, Lakeland’s Marissa Boles and Lake-Lehman’s Madison Brdaric. The defenders were Wallenpaupack’s Katie Mancino and Wyoming Valley West’s Chloe Chipego. … Bloomsburg went unscored upon in four state tournament games, including its 4-0, first-round win over Lake-Lehman.
