Holy Redeemer and Delaware Valley pulled out early divisional showdowns of ranked girls teams Thursday, posting 1-0 victories on the road.
Morgan Crake scored midway through the second half and Amira Pirrone made eight saves as Holy Redeemer got past Lake-Lehman in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 night game between the top two Small School teams in the Riverfront United Super Six Soccer Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Holy Redeemer entered the game ranked second while Lake-Lehman was first.
The teams are familiar foes, squaring off in the last three District 2 Class 2A championship games, splitting one-goal outcomes in the last two, after already playing twice in the regular season.
Lake-Lehman has won five of the six Division 2 titles since the WVC switched to its current format. Holy Redeemer, the defending district champion, lost to Lake-Lehman in a playoff for one of those titles and was the only other team to win the division, taking the 2020 championship.
Defending champion Delaware Valley topped Abington Heights on a Sage Henry goal and seven Dakota Jordan saves.
The Lady Warriors entered the game No. 4 and the Comets No. 2 among Big Schools in the Super Six.
Their game was part of the division’s Opening Day.
Eva Canevari scored twice as Valley View defeated host Wallenpaupack, 4-0, to improve to 4-0 overall.
North Pocono and Scranton Prep played to a 1-1 tie.
Elk Lake blanked Holy Cross, 7-0, and West Scranton shut out Carbondale, 4-0, as Lackawanna Division 3 also opened its season.
Holy Redeemer’s win was also part of the WVC Division 2 Opening Day that was delayed by a previous postponement.
In the other opener, Hannah Fairchild and Halle Kranson helped Wyoming Area rout Hanover Area, 12-0.
Fairchild scored five goals and assisted two more. Kranson had three goals and three assists.
Kirsten Navich scored three goals and Joan Clauss-Walton added two as Lakeland handled Western Wayne, 6-2, in a Lackawanna Division 2 game.
In other Division 2 games: Montrose defeated Mountain View, 3-1, while Dunmore and Honesdale tied, 2-2.
Hazleton Area shut out Stroudsburg, 4-0, in a non-league game.
BOYS
Tyler Furedi’s overtime goal lifted defending champion Crestwood over Wilkes-Barre Area in a WVC Division 1 opener for both teams.
Collin Bogdon also scored for the Comets.
Joaquin Prado had the goal for the Wolfpack, which came in with a 3-0 overall record.
The Lackawanna Division 3 season got underway with Riverside routing Mid Valley, 8-1, and Old Forge shutting out Montrose, 5-0.
Gary Mrozinski scored four goals and Connor McNally three for Riverside.
Owen Rowlands scored three times to lead Wyoming Seminary past Nanticoke, 7-1, in WVC Division 2.
Scranton defeated Honesdale, 3-1, in Lackawanna Division 1.