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Top 5 games of the week in Lebanon County soccer


Introducing a weekly look at the top five games coming up in Lebanon County soccer this week.

Girls soccer: Lancaster Catholic at Elco, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.

Should they remain undefeated going into it, a win for the Raiders would give them a chance to begin pulling away in Section 3. The Crusaders meanwhile, will need to win to not only draw closer to the Raiders, but keep pace with Lancaster Mennonite and Donegal, who are both right there for second place as well.

A major part of Elco’s success is balanced scoring, which will again be key for this one. Ryelle Shuey currently leads her team in goals, while Jenna Oliviero has been a big spark in both scoring and assisting.

The Crusaders don’t bring as much offensive depth to the table, which should make a favorable matchup for the Raiders.  However, if Lancaster Catholic can find a way to strike first and set the tone, that could certainly be a threat to what’s been a big start to the season by Elco.

Girls soccer: Cedar Crest at Palmyra, Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.

It’s been a tale of two seasons for both inter-county rivals. While the Cougars need a win to keep pace with Mechanicsburg in a battle for first place in the Mid-Penn Keystone, the Falcons need a win to keep themselves afloat in any postseason conversation.

This should be an intriguing matchup with Nikki Bowman, Mara Bowman, Camryn Simpson, Hannah Bowman, and Nyah Combs continuing to lead the way offensively for Palmyra.

And although scoring has been inconsistent, Cedar Crest does have some fire power of its own, led by the always-dangerous Ariel Jones, whose speed alone makes her tough to handle.

The Falcons back line will also be tested once again, and the big question is, if they are able to get out to a lead – especially late in the game – can they find a way to dig deep and hold on?

Boys soccer: Tuplehocken at Elco, Saturday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.

This is as good a non-league game as anyone could ask for. Two conference leaders doing battle under the lights.

While Elco continues to slug it out with Lancaster Mennonite to win Section 3, Tuplehocken has simply been dominating Berks Division III, looking to keep its undefeated record alive, should it last until Saturday.

The Raiders will need to slow down the Trojans’ leading scorer Chico Chavez if they hope to pull out the win. Elco’s aggressive style of play could also become a factor in this one, with hopes of disrupting Tuplehocken’s rhythm. The Raiders will also look to maintain their offensive rhythm with Clay Hain and Evan Gettler leading the way.

Boys soccer: Palmyra at CD East, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

Both teams find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Mid-Penn Keystone, so a win for either team obviously helps its postseason hopes.

Sean Bordner, Gavin Kerr, and Luke Higgins have led the way offensively, and will need to step up once again, facing a team that’s desperate as them. The Cougars also look to continue to rebuild their chemistry, now starting to gain some players back from injury.

The one and only player every Cougars defender should never take their eye off of is Anthony Calamia, who has over 10 goals already this season.

Boys soccer: Harrisburg Christian at New Covenant Christian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 4:45 p.m.

This one should definitely be a highly intense game, as two division rivals collide to stay in contention for the Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference West.

The Flames will need continued efforts from Nathan Dubble and Toby Kornhaus offensively, as they both lead the team in scoring.

Harrisburg Christian also brings some weapons, led by leading scorers Caleb Puelo and Ramiro Navarro. That means Jevon Martin will need to continue to be sharp in the New Covenant goal, as he has done all season.