By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports
We are at the stage in the state high school soccer playoffs where the contenders show themselves, and the pretenders fall. The Shreveport-Bossier area has five girls teams still in the LHSAA’s big dance, all looking to show that they are contenders.
Action starts today with Benton, Caddo Magnet and Loyola hosting state quarterfinals and Calvary on the road. The final game involving a local squad is Tuesday, sending Byrd south to Plaucheville.
Here is a look at the matchups our local soccer stars are about to face.
The earliest kickoff today is at Benton where the Lady Tigers, the Division I fifth seed, host No. 13 Northshore, with a kickoff time at 1:30.
The Lady Tigers and Lady Panthers did not play this season, but they did have 3 common opponents and those results point to an evenly-matched quarterfinal. Both teams topped Hahnville 1-0, and both fell to the other two common opponents. Northshore lost to Byrd 2-1 and Mandeville 3-0, while Benton lost to both Byrd and Mandeville 3-1. The home cooking might be the difference — at least that’s what the Benton faithful hope.
Both Division IV local teams, No. 3 Loyola and No. 9 Calvary, kick off at 4 p.m. Calvary is at Hammond to face top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, while Loyola is hosting No. 6 Isadore Newman from New Orleans.
The Lady Flyers did not face the Lady Greenies this year. They squared off in last year’s state finals, when Newman took the championship with a shocking 7-1 triumph. Loyola will be out to avenge that loss. This year there were four common opponents between the teams, with mixed comparisons in these games, pointing to a nailbiter.
Loyola beat St. Charles 3-1, and St. Thomas More 3-0, tied Sacred Heart-New Orleans 0-0 and fell to University Lab 4-1. Newman beat St. Charles 6-1, tied University 1-1, while falling 1-0 to STM and Sacred Heart.
Calvary and St. Thomas Aquinas did not face each other this season. There was only one common opponent, Northlake Christian. Calvary won 4-0, while STA lost 1-0. This should give the Lady Cavaliers some confidence going into the match.
The last game today kicks off locally at 6 p.m. when Magnet, the Division II No. 3 seed, hosts No. 6 St. Thomas More. STM lost in last year’s state final, ending their reign of seven state championships in a row.
Magnet and STM did not play during the regular season. They have two common opponents that tell a completely different story. Magnet lost to Byrd 6-1, while STM defeated Byrd 1-0. The favorite’s role is flipped when considering their results against Southside of Lafayette. Magnet defeated the Sharks 3-0, but in a crosstown battle, STM lost to Southside 1-0. I am not sure what we can learn from this other than soccer is a crazy sport, and sometimes it’s who shows up best that day.
On Tuesday in D-I, seventh-seeded Byrd travels to No. 2 St Joseph’s Academy, with a 4 p.m. kickoff. The Lady Jackets have been in the state finals the last two years and aim to sustain their quest for a third straight championship game appearance.
Byrd follows the trend of all the other local teams, not having faced their quarterfinal opponent during the regular season. These teams had the most common opponents of these local matchups, having played six opponents in common: Zachary, Dutchtown, St. Scholastica, St. Thomas More, Archbishop Hannan and Northshore.
St. Joseph’s went 5-0-1 against these teams, while Byrd went 2-3-1. All is not bad news in this comparison, since two of these common opponents scorelines compare very well for the Lady Jackets. Byrd and St. Joseph’s both beat Northshore 2-1. Against Dutchtown, Byrd won 2-0, and St. Joseph’s won 3-0. This gives the Lady Jackets the knowledge that if they show up ready to play their best, they most certainly have a chance to upset the home team.
Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net
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