Cutoff Near: Soccer Teams Make Last Lunge Toward Playoffs

The NJSIAA playoff cutoff date for boys’ and girls’ soccer teams arrives Saturday and all four local teams are edging toward qualification in the Group 4 tournament. Teams with a .500 record or better by Saturday are automatically qualified for the playoffs, while the teams with the next best records will also gain entry until the brackets each reach 16 teams.

Below is a look at where the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at Cherry Hill East and West currently stand and who they may be matched up against when the brackets are released next week.

Cherry Hill East boys’ soccer

Jake Russ’ goal with 13 minutes left in regulation not only provided the Cougars with the game-winning goal against Lenape on Wednesday, it clinched a playoff spot.

Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Lenape moved the team to 8-6-2 with two games remaining. East has contests against Cherokee in the Coaches Cup Friday and a regular-season game against Triton Saturday. Had they lost Wednesday, the team would have needed to split to assure itself of a spot, but with the win, those games are now about improving its seed.

The game against Cherokee, seeded No. 6 in the tournament, will not be easy, as East already lost to the Chiefs, 4-2, this season. The game against Triton looks to be crucial with East currently sitting in 9th place and Triton (7-6-1) sitting in 15^th. A win by the Cougars could help them grab a first-round home game.

If Cherry Hill East remains in the middle of the pack, it could end up facing the likes of Williamstown, Southern, Egg Harbor Township, or even Cherry Hill West in the first round.

Cherry Hill West boys’ soccer

Thanks to its current three-game winning streak, the Lions have assured themselves a spot in the Group IV playoffs. West (8-4-1) has just one game remaining before the cutoff, Friday against Seneca.

West beat Seneca 1-0 earlier this season and if it can do it again, it would assure itself of being no lower than a No. 8 seed. Southern, Williamstown, Egg Harbor Township, Toms River North and Toms River South each also have eight wins, but all have more losses than the Lions.

West could even rise as high as the No. 5 seed with a win. There are currently 12 teams with between seven and nine wins, setting the stage for a dramatic final three days.

Cherry Hill East girls’ soccer

After suffering a 3-0 loss to Lenape Tuesday, the Cougars still have to sweat things out before the cutoff. With a Coaches Cup game mandated by Saturday—against No. 4-seeded Cherokee—East could end up under .500, meaning it will not earn automatic entry, and can do no better than an even record heading into the playoffs.

The good news is that the team is currently in 13^th place in the Group 4 standings and can fall no lower than 17^th. Among other things, Clearview (6-7-1) would have to beat Williamstown (10-4) on Thursday and Egg Harbor Township (5-6-1) would have to go no worse than 1-0-1 against Middle Township (9-3-1) and Kingsway (8-4-2) over the next three days.

In the likely event that the Cougars grab one of the bottom few seeds, they will face a brutal road through the bracket, matched up against Eastern, Toms River North, Lenape or Shawnee.

Cherry Hill West girls’ soccer

Thanks to a second-half surge that has seen the Lions go 4-1 in their last five games, West has put itself in position to clinch a playoff spot. West has just one game remaining before Saturday’s cutoff, a tilt with Seneca today. The matchup seems to favor West, as it defeated Seneca 2-0 in the first game of the season.

A victory would put the Lions at 8-7-1 and gain them automatic entry in the playoffs. They would likely be a No. 13 seed and would face Shawnee, Cherokee or Williamstown.

A tie would also assure West of a playoff berth. In the event the Lions were upset, they would be in the same boat as the Cougars, waiting for other teams to finish out the week and hoping to gain one of the final spots.