This season’s top-ranked Big School and last season’s final No. 1 team both posted victories Wednesday when the Lackawanna League boys soccer season opened with two Division 1 games.
Abington Heights, the No. 1 team in the Riverfront United Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams, defeated Honesdale, 3-1.
North Pocono, last season’s top team and this year’s preseason No. 2, downed Scranton Prep, 2-1.
Rob Saunders scored twice in the first 11:17 to send Abington Heights to its victory.
The goals came less than three minutes part.
T.J. Martin pulled Honesdale within a goal midway through the second half before Michael Maldonado restored the two-goal Abington Heights lead with 23:46 remaining.
Eliot Bowen scored the game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes left as North Pocono opened it title defense with a 2-1 victory at Scranton Prep.
Bowen assisted Zach Evans for the only goal of the first half.
North Pocono finished with an 18-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 3-1 lead in corner kicks, but Scranton Prep managed to tie the game nearly midway through the second half when Daniel Palonis assisted a Daniel Granet goal.
Peter Sica assisted Bowen’s game-winner.
Jackson Keating made 16 saves for Scranton Prep.
Aidan Bassi had four saves in the win.
Tommy Clark had a hat trick as Dunmore defeated Gregory the Great, 6-1, in a non-league game.
In other non-league games: Tunkhannock defeated Berwick, 6-1; Wilkes-Barre Area edged Pittston Area, 3-2; MMI Prep ripped Marian Catholic, 12-4; and Windsor (N.Y.) shut out Blue Ridge, 1-0.
Aidan Paduck scored two and assisted on the other two of Tunkhannock’s first four goals.
Evan Corcoran’s second goal, with 8:53 remaining, lifted Wilkes-Barre Area to its victory.
Corcoran also assisted Musa Conteh on the game’s first goal.
GIRLS SOCCER
Nadia Gill scored twice as Lakeland opened defense of its Lackawanna League Division 2 title with a 4-2 victory over Honesdale.
Kiersten Navich’s goal early in the second half put the Lady Chiefs ahead, 2-1.
The other Lackawanna Division 2 openers were all shutouts. Dunmore routed West Scranton, 12-0; Montrose defeated Scranton, 5-0; and Western Wayne topped Mountain View, 2-0,
Kaylie Zimmer scored four goals, Addy Toole three and Anna Trauger and Nicolina Schlesser two each for Dunmore.
Gracie Dalton had a hat trick for Montrose.
Brooke Kellogg and Jaden Gregory scored the Western Wayne goals.
Mya Cesarini’s hat trick led Valley View past Wyoming Valley West, 6-2, in a non-league game.
In other non-league games: Lake-Lehman beat Wilkes-Barre Area, 3-2; Scranton Prep edged Wyoming Seminary, 2-1; Nanticoke ripped Holy Cross, 10-1; Berwick shut out Shamokin, 2-0; and Warwick Valley (N.Y.) defeated Delaware Valley, 4-2.
Autumn Palka scored two second-half goals as Lake-Lehman overcame a 2-0 deficit.
Natalie Atkins scored four goals for Nanticoke.
BOYS GOLF
Robert Munley birdied the first hole on his way to shooting even-par, 36 at Pine Hills as Abington Heights shut out Scranton, 9-0, in a Lackawanna League Class 3A Division to match to remain unbeaten.
Luke Morgan and Cade Kelleher each had two birdies.
Phillip Mathews won the first five holes to lock up his win early and did the same with Kelleher in better-ball.
In other Class 3A Division matches: North Pocono defeated Delaware Valley, 7-2, and Wallenpaupack downed Honesdale, 6½-2½.
North Pocono, which tied Abington Heights Saturday, also remained unbeaten.
Lackawanna Trail secured every point by the end of the sixth hole during its 9-0 Lackawanna Class 2A Division victory over Elk Lake.
In other Lackawanna Class 2A Division matches: Dunmore edged Mid Valley, 5-4; Riverside defeated Old Forge, 8½-½; Holy Cross beat Lakeland, 6-3; Forest City defeated Carbondale, 7½-1½; and Mountain View downed Blue Ridge, 5½-3½.
GIRLS TENNIS
Dallas swept doubles on the way to a 4-1 Wyoming Valley Conference victory over Wyoming Area in a meeting of the team’s ranked third and fourth among Small Schools in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Dani Konnick won, 6-0, 6-0, at first singles and Sophia DePolo added a win at second singles.
Chloe-Dudick-Abby Quinnan and Haily Yakus-Hayla Bryant provided the doubles wins in straight sets.
Ava Vacula recovered from losing the first set to take third singles for Wyoming Area.
Gabrielle Chantiloupe and Mia Butka, at the top two singles spots, and Ally Anderson-Ella Frounfelker, in the second doubles position, all won, 6-0, 6-0, as West Scranton defeated Holy Cross, 4-1, in a Lackawanna League match.
Isabella-Gigliotti-Celia Emiliani provided the other West Scranton point while Hannah Piscarek won at third singles for Holy Cross.
In other Lackawanna League matches: Scranton Prep shut out Montrose, 5-0; Delaware Valley defeated Riverside, 4-1; Valley View blanked Dunmore, 5-0; North Pocono shut out Honesdale, 5-0; and Scranton defeated Western Wayne, 4-1.
Hazleton Area edged Pottsville, 4-3, and Tunkhannock shut out Towanda, 5-0, in non-league matches.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Mountain View swept Elk Lake in a Lackawanna League match.
Pittston Area and Berwick both posted sweeps in non-league matches.
Tyra Winters had 10 kills to lead Pittston Area past Lackawanna Trail, 25-20, 25-13, 25-6.
Jess Ostrowski had 21 assists, 11 service points and 2 aces while Emma Rinaldi had 11 points, 4 aces and 4 kills in the win.
Morgan Nevel and Cece Isenberg led the way as Berwick defeated Blue Mountain, 25-19, 25-16, 25-9.
Nevel had 33 assists, 9 service points, 3 aces, 5 digs, 2 kills and 2 blocks. Isenberg led in kills with 17.
Sarah Steeber had 8 aces while serving 20 points.
Isabella Varvaglione had four kills and two blocks while Cassidy Evans had five digs.
Tamaqua swept MMI Prep in another non-league match.
FIELD HOCKEY
Rachel Strange scored four goals as former Wyoming Valley Conference member Northwest shut out Hanover Area, 9-0, in a non-league game.
In other non-league games: Crestwood routed Pittston Area, 10-0; Wilkes-Barre Area defeated Nanticoke, 5-1; Honesdale shut out Tunkhannock, 4-0; Lackawanna Trail defeated Wallenpaupack, 7-1; Selinsgrove edged Dallas, 2-1; and Southern Columbia defeated Berwick, 6-1.
