PAC Girls Soccer Championship Preview: Owen J. Roberts vs. Spring-Ford

The Pioneer Athletic Conference’s most successful programs over the past decade, Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts, meet for the conference’s girls soccer championship on Thursday, 5 p.m., at Owen J. Roberts.

A breakdown of the matchup:

Owen J. Roberts (3) vs. Spring-Ford (1)

Records: Owen J. Roberts: 8-2 PAC Liberty, 10-3 PAC, 13-6 overall, No. 15 in District 1-4A rankings … Spring-Ford – 8-1-1 PAC Liberty, 11-1-1 PAC, 15-1-1 overall, No. 4 in District 1-4A rankings

Head to head: The Wildcats and Rams split their regular season meetings. On Sept. 6, Sarah Hang and Meg Kurian were on the scoresheet in Spring-Ford’s 2-0 win. On Oct. 2,  Emerson Storti scored the game-winning goal at the 8:30 mark of overtime and OJR handed Spring-Ford its first loss of the season, 1-0.

PAC playoff history: Owen J. Roberts is 14-time PAC champion (nine better than second-place Boyertown) and is chasing a fifth title in seven years. OJR has made the Final Four 13 times in its 17 seasons (since 2006). … Spring-Ford has won four PAC titles (2013, 2014, 2016, 2021) and played in the final six times, most recently in 2019.

Spring-Ford at a glance: Two seasons of letdowns in the PAC semifinals With only one loss in 17 games, things have gone very right in Jeff Kushner’s first season as head coach. The Rams’ defensive record is impeccable with only six goals conceded in 17 matches. On defense in front of junior goalkeeper Olivia Neild includes defenders Sarah Hang, Siena Miller, Leah Watson and Mackenzie Hanley. Spring-Ford has the league’s best midfield with the trio of senior Ally Garvey and juniors Molly Kennedy and Ava Hissong in the middle. Senior forwards Meg Kurian and Lena Ackerman have stepped up in the scoring department while Izzy Pandorf supports the attack along with reserves Maddie Budka and Hannah Dennison.

Owen J. Roberts at a glance: Last year’s OJR squad were PIAA semifinalists, but it couldn’t call itself a PAC finalist. This fall’s new-look side can though. OJR has found its form at the perfect time to put together a six-game winning streak that includes wins over all three other Final Four qualifiers. Racking up wins is never far from the OJR program under longtime coach Joe Margusity, who recently became the first girls coach in Pa. history to surpass 500 career wins. Senior defender Sabrina Marks leads the way from center back alongside sophomore Meryn Primanti while the return of junior outside back Ashly White has fortified the defense in front of goalie Abby Smith. Senior Emerson Storti and junior Fiona Sanders have stepped up as scoring leaders and are complemented in the attack by freshmen Avery Cies and Audrey Fleck. Other players in the rotation include Logan Farrow, Ashley Gordon, Abby Kalbach, Delaney Logan and Mckenzie Hagerty.

Matchup: The PAC’s most accomplished soccer programs over the past decade will meet in the PAC championship for the third time, the only other occasions in 2016 (2-0 SF) and 2018 (1-0 OJR). The Wildcats and Rams have consistently been in and around the PAC’s big game and this year serves as proof that when the standard is higher than the rest, good outcomes follow. If you’re a fan of high-scoring games, stick around for the boys’ final because this matchup isn’t for you. Spring-Ford has a defensive record that is in the territory of Owen J.’s incredible 2018 season (2 goals allowed all campaign). And the WIldcats looked very tough to break down in the semifinal with White back in the lineup. The Rams will require better use of their scoring chances than the semifinals when they hit the crossbar multiple times and were wasteful on corner kick opportunities. But senior-heavy lineup Spring-Ford will be creating more of them than OJR and the one that falls will be enough to carry them to the crown … Spring-Ford 1, Owen J. Roberts 0