Three Catholic high schools will begin play for the DIAA girls soccer state championships this weekend, with all the action coming to a close on June 1.
Saint Mark’s has the highest seed among Catholic high schools. The Spartans are the second seed in Division II. Archmere just missed a first-round bye with the fifth seed. Padua is in the Division I field as the eighth and final seed.
Saint Mark’s went 11-2 against one of the most challenging schedules in the state. The Spartans defeated Division I’s Polytech and Padua, along with Division II’s Sussex Academy, Wilmington Friends, Archmere and Newark Charter. Their losses came to the two defending state champs, Caravel and Middletown.
Lily Phillips leads a potent Spartans offense. She is supported by a talented cast that includes Emma Manley and Whitney Evancho, and Emma Gibbons has been solid in goal.
The Spartans will host the winner of No. 10 Brandywine-No. 7 Delmar on May 21 at 4 p.m.
Archmere will play first among the three. The Auks will host No. 12 Conrad on Saturday at 10 a.m. Archmere went 10-4 during the regular season, getting wins over Division I tournament teams Caesar Rodney, Odessa and Wilmington Charter, along with Division II contender Wilmington Friends. They also shut out Conrad on April 9. Their losses all came to teams in the postseason: Newark Charter, Saint Mark’s, Padua and Middletown.
The Auks get scoring from a number of players, including Lyla Bell and Marina Mahon, and Lucy Fiacco has been solid in goal.
If the Auks defeat Conrad, they will travel to Wilmington Friends on May 22 for a 4:30 p.m. start.
In Division I, Padua earned a berth on the strength of their schedule. They’ll travel to the top seed, Appoquinimink, on May 22 at 6 p.m. Appo edged the Pandas, 2-1, in overtime in the first game of the season.
The Pandas finished with a 6-6-2 record against a tough slate of opponents. They defeated Archmere and Middletown and tied Wilmington Charter and Caesar Rodney. In addition to Appo, they fell to Saint Mark’s, Newark Charter and Caravel, each by a single goal.
Padua’s offense is led by Emme Mulvena, with several supporting players. Ellie Semmel is the goalkeeper. They have just one senior and four freshmen on the roster.
If Padua wins, they will meet the winner of No. 5 Polytech-No. 4 Caesar Rodney in the semifinals. The semis for both divisions are scheduled for May 28 at sites and times to be determined. The championships are June 1 at 1 p.m. (Division II) and 3:30 p.m. (Division I) at Caravel Academy.
Tickets for all DIAA girls soccer games must be purchased in advance at www.gofan.co/app/school/DIAA.
