The PIAA started state field hockey playoffs in 1974. Only three times have District 2 teams faced each other for the state championship.

Tuesday could result in a fourth all-District 2 matchup as Wyoming Seminary and Wyoming Area play in the Class A semifinals. Both games are at Whitehall High School, which will also be the site of Saturday’s state final at 10 a.m.

The other three times District 2 teams faced each other for state titles were 2001, 2004 and 2013.

Seminary’s game has been bumped back 30 minutes to a 4:30 p.m. start. Wyoming Area’s game remains at 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 and available only online at piaa.org by clicking on “STORE” and following the link.

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Wyoming Seminary vs. Line Mountain

4:30 p.m. Whitehall HS

It would be tempting to pencil in District 2 champ Wyoming Seminary (20-2) for Saturday’s state championship game and rightfully so. District 4 runner-up Line Mountain (11-10-1) doesn’t bring in an impressive resume.

The barely-over .500 record aside, Line Mountain has been shut out seven times. Among those losses are three to WVC teams — 2-0 vs. Lake-Lehman, 1-0 vs. Wyoming Area and a season-worst 9-0 vs. Crestwood.

The Eagles also lost twice to Greenwood during the regular season, 4-0 and 3-0. But this is where Seminary needs to proceed with caution. And the Blue Knights will do so. Sem coach Karen Klassner has been coaching for decades and has seen everything happen in the sport, including unexpected upsets. Like what happened on Saturday.

Line Mountain, no doubt, entered its quarterfinal game with D3 runner-up Greenwood an underdog. Greenwood lost to Seminary in the Class A title game last year and since the PIAA went to three classes in field hockey in 2016 won the 2017 state championship and lost to Sem in the semifinals in 2018 and 2019.

Yet, Line Mountain shut down Greenwood’s attack which featured two Kent State recruits and got a goal in the second overtime from Laney Yeager to win 1-0. Yeager is the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals followed by Teague Hoffman with 11 and Terri Reichard with eight.

The Eagles are in the semifinals for the first time since 2002 and trying to make a state title game since 1998 where they lost in the 2A championship game. Three other state appearances from 2003-2020 resulted in first-round exits.

Three-time defending Class A state champion Seminary bum-rushed two opponents out of states, defeating Susquehanna 7-1 and Boiling Springs 5-1. The Blue Knights are led by Ella Barbacci (43 goals), Emma Watchilla (37) and Maddie Olshemski (23).

Wyoming Area vs. Oley Valley

6 p.m. Whitehall HS

District 2 Class A runner-up Wyoming Area (19-2) appears to have a more difficult task than Seminary. The Warriors play D3 champion Oley Valley (23-2), a program that has been around since the 1970s and has a steep tradition of success.

Oley Valley lost in the Class A state championship game to Seminary in 2019. The Lynx also lost in state championship games in 1995, 2003, 2005 and 2016. They picked up state titles in 1997 and 2000.

Oley Valley blitzed through the District 3 playoffs, outscoring three opponents 6-1. The state games were even more impressive with a 9-2 win over Palisades and a 5-0 win over Lancaster Mennonite, which led to Saturday’s semifinal appearance.

Five different players scored in the 5-0 victory over Lancaster Mennonite, but Mia Woodard was the only one among the Lynx’s top-three scorers. Woodard now has 18 goals, one behind team leader Alexandra Lopez. Karlee Howard has found the net 16 times.

Oley Valley, though, will be going against a Wyoming Area defense which did the improbable in a 5-0 quarterfinal win vs. Dock Mennonite. The Warriors held Dock Mennonite to no shots or penalty corners.

Wyoming Area pelted Dock Mennonite with 15 shots to go with 14 penalty corners. Bianca Pizano and Nina Angeli scored twice, with Toni Minichello adding the other goal.

Wyoming Area also made it to the Class A state semifinals one other time, in 2019 when the Warriors lost 2-0 to Oley Valley.