By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
MOSCOW – Alex Pagotto converted headers on two corner kicks Tuesday night, leading North Pocono to the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association boys soccer state tournament victory in school history, 4-1, over visiting Danville in a Class 3A game.
District 2 teams went 4-12 across four sports on the first night of the PIAA tournaments in boys and girls soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball.
The four winners advanced to Saturday’s state quarterfinals.
The other wins were all produced by teams with a history of state tournament success – Wyoming Seminary and Wyoming Area in field hockey and Holy Redeemer in girls volleyball.
District 2 teams went 2-2 in field hockey, 1-3 in both boys soccer and girls volleyball and 0-4 in girls soccer.
Three-time defending state champion Wyoming Seminary routed visiting Susquehanna Township, 7-1, in Class A field hockey.
Wyoming Area, a 2019 state semifinalist, won at Bloomsburg, 3-1, in another Class A field hockey game.
Holy Redeemer, which in 2018 became the only district team to ever play in a state girls volleyball championship match, swept host Wyalusing Valley in a Class 2A match.
North Pocono dominated its boys soccer game, outshooting Danville, 30-5, and holding the Ironmen without a corner kick.
Eliot Bowen and Cayden Lougee scored the other goals.
Jake Silva and Jonah Yurkanin each had two assists, including each providing one of the corner kicks that Pagotto headed in.
North Pocono had been 0-3 in previous state trips.
The Trojans face Archbishop Wood, a 2-0 winner over Fleetwood, in the quarterfinals.
Ella Barbacci had a hat trick while Maddie Olshemski and Emma Watchilla added two goals each for Wyoming Seminary in its win.
Watchilla’s penalty stroke broke a 1-1 tie early in the second quarter.
The Blue Knights face Boiling Springs, a 3-0 winner over New Hope-Solebury, Saturday.
Wyoming Area got goals from Nina Angeli, Bianca Pizano and Morgan Janeski.
The Lady Warriors play Saturday against Christopher Dock Mennonite, a 2-0 winner over Archbishop Wood.
Kaylee Gryboski had 18 kills and Eve Kilburn had 28 assists to lead Holy Redeemer past Wyalusing Valley, 25-14, 25-14, 26-24.
The Lady Royals will face the winner of the Allentown Central Catholic-Conwell Egan match Saturday.
In boys soccer, Wyoming Seminary rallied late to force overtime before losing at home to Notre Dame Green Pond, 3-2, in Class 2A.
Dallastown defeated Hazleton Area, 3-1, in Class 4A and Camp Hill ripped Holy Cross, 7-2, in Class A.
In field hockey, Methacton eliminated Hazleton Area, 3-0, in Class 3A in the last game of the night. Earlier, nationally ranked Villa Maria Academy defeated Crestwood, 4-0, in Class 2A.
In girls volleyball, Delaware Valley, Berwick and Blue Ridge were each swept in three sets by Cumberland Valley, Bethlehem Catholic and Canton in Class 4A, 3A and A respectively.
In girls soccer, Nazareth defeated Delaware Valley and Northwestern Lehigh downed Dallas by 1-0 scores in Class 4A and 3A.
Allentown Central Catholic shut out Holy Redeemer, 6-0, in Class 2A and Moravian Academy defeated Lakeland, 6-1, in Class A.
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Return to this website for more-detailed reports of all first-round state games.
