The Hopewell Valley girls soccer team has home field advantage until the state finals.

The Bulldogs (17-2-2) earned that right by accumulating the most PowerPoints (18,933) in Central Group III. With the Central Jersey champion hosting the state semifinals this season, it means John McGinley’s team, riding an 18-game unbeaten streak, wouldn’t have to leave the big, friendly confines of Ackerson Field until a possible appearance in the state championship. .

The NJSIAA Tournament begins Monday and culminates with the state championship games on Nov. 23 or 24 at Franklin High.

Six of CVC’s 15 schools are in the Central Group III field. Top-seeded Hopewell joins fifth-seeded Lawrence (10-8), seventh-seeded Steinert (8-9-2), eighth-seeded West Windsor North (8-9) and 12th-seeded Nottingham (9-11) . and Ewing, 14th seeded (5-13).

To say the CJ III group is wide open would be an understatement. Only four of the section’s 19 schools finished with a record above .500 (Hopewell, second-seeded Brick Memorial, fourth-seeded Burlington Twp. and Lawrence).

Hopewell has a bye to the quarterfinals (Hamilton West qualified for the final at PowerPoint but opted out of the playoffs), while the 5-12 matchup provides an All-CVC clash between Lawrence and Nottingham. Steinert will have a home game on the Klockner Road turf against 10th-seeded Northern Burlington (5-11), WW-PN will host ninth-seeded Westampton Tech (7-8-3) and Ewing will travel to third-seeded Jackson Memorial (6 – 9-1).

While the central champion will host the state semifinal, whoever it is will be the underdog against a South Jersey section that is loaded with quality teams, including undefeated Shawnee (17-0), Cherry Hill West (14- 5-1), Ocean City (17-4) and Lacey (16-2-1).

Allentown and Robbinsville are in what on paper appears to be a tough Central Group II group. All 12 seeds finished at least .500 (11 of them over that mark) and that includes the seventh-seeded Redbirds (12-6-1) and the 12th-seeded Ravens (11-6-2 ).

Allentown has a favorable first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Pemberton (14-3), which ran the BCSL’s lower tier (the Hornets lost, 6-0, to Nottingham for reference). Robbinsville was less fortunate in the draw, as a trip to fifth-seeded Delran (13-4-1) awaits.

Point Pleasant Boro (13-2-2), Wall (15-2-1), Cinnaminson (13-4-2) and Spotswood (16-3) are the top four finishers.

In Central Group IV, upstart CVC Valley champion West Windsor South (9-5-2) is the 10th seed heading to seventh seed Hunterdon Central (7-9). Princeton High (5-9-3) sneaked into the field as the 16th seed and faces top-seeded Freehold Township (12-6).

In Non-Public A South, third-seeded Notre Dame (14-5-1) secured a few more days of rest with a first-round bye. The Irish could receive a quarterfinal visit from old foe Pat Trombetta, whose sixth-seeded Trinity Hall (9-7-2) hosts a first-round game against Mount St. Mary (9-9), 11th seed.

Pablo VI (15-1-1) and Immaculata (11-4) are the first two finishers in the section. The private playoffs have one fewer round than the public playoffs, so those state finals are scheduled for Nov. 20 or 21 at Franklin High.

Defending Non-Public A champion Princeton Day (8-8-1) fell to Non-Public B this fall and is the seventh seed in the South section. There is only one first-round match in the section, so the Panthers open in a quarterfinal match against second-seeded Bishop Eustace (10-4-2). The bad news: Rutgers Prep (16-0) is in the section. The good news: PDS wouldn’t have to face the Argonauts until the section final.

NJSIAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

Central Group IV

(16) Princeton in (1) Freehold Twp; (9) East Brunswick at (8) Montgomery; (12) South Brunswick at (5) Hillsborough; (13) New Brunswick at (4) Monroe; (14) Sayreville at (3) Howell; (11) Marlboro in (6) Manalapan; (10) WW-P South at (7) Hunterdon Central; (15) Edison in (2) Old Bridge

Central Group III

(1) Goodbye in Hopewell Valley; (9) Westampton Tech at (8) WW-P North; (12) Nottingham at (5) Lawrence; (13) Freehold municipality in (4) Burlington Twp.; (14) Ewing at (3) Jackson Memorial; (11) Red Bank Regional at (6) Colts Neck; (10) No. Burlington in (7) Steinert); (2) Goodbye to the Brick Memorial

Central Group II

(16) Bordentown at (1) Point Pleasant Boro; (9) Manasquan in (8) Manchester Twp.; (12) Robbinsville at (5) Delran; (13) Ocean Twp. in (4) Spotswood; (11) Holmdel at (6) Rumson-Fair Haven; (10) Pemberton at (7) Allentown; (15) Monmouth on (2) Wall

Non-public To South

(1) Goodbye Paul VI; (9) Catholic Union in (8) Saint Thomas Aquinas; (12) Santa Rosa in (5) San Juan Vianney; (4) Goodbye to the Red Bank Catholics; (3) Goodbye Notre Dame; (11) Mount St. Mary at (6) Trinity Hall; (10) Camden Catholic at (7) Our Lady of Mercy; (2) Immaculate goodbye

Non-Public B South

Doane Acadey/Holy Spirit winner at (1) Rutgers Prep; (5) Wildwood Catholic in (4) Calvary Christian goodbye; (6) Gloucester Catholic at (3) Holy Cross Prep; (7) Princeton Day at (2) Bishop Eustace

Originally Posted: October 30, 2024 at 12:59 pmEDT