Conestoga blanks Wissahickon to secure fifth district final in six years

Conestoga advanced to its fifth District 1-4A final in the last six seasons after defeating No. 6 Wissahickon 3-0 on Tuesday night. The Pioneers, who finished the regular season with a 17-0-3 record, will now face No. 5 Abington at 3 p.m. Saturday at Garnet Valley. This matchup marks the fifth time Conestoga has reached the district championship game since 2021, with their most recent title coming in 2023.

Ben Frischmann opened the scoring with 35:13 remaining in the first half. Sophomore Dylan Grilley moved the ball behind the Wissahickon backline and delivered a pass into the box, allowing Frischmann to finish. Frischmann added the second goal with 7:36 left in the half by heading a cross into the net. Drew Lucot extended the lead just 88 seconds later, heading a Daniel Poltaraus corner kick in at 6:08 to make it 3-0.

Coach Stuart Malcolm attributed the victory to the team's ability to disrupt the opposing attack. He noted that Conestoga stood back to force Wissahickon to turn and face them, a tactic the Pioneers had planned to avoid. Despite the final score, Malcolm admitted his team was not difficult enough for the Trojans in the first half, allowing Grilley to find space in the backline.

The loss snapped Wissahickon's 11-game winning streak and an 18-game unbeaten run. The Trojans had gone 16-0-2 since a 4-0 loss to Abington on Sept. 2. Wissahickon will play Lower Merion at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the district third-place game.

Conestoga has outscored its three playoff opponents by a combined 10-1 margin. The team defeated Penncrest and Pennsbury in previous rounds. Lucot said the squad is eager to prove itself against the best competition in the district. He noted that while the team was scoring frequently earlier in the season, they had been shut out in their last two regular-season games, making Tuesday's offensive performance a welcome return.

Abington enters the final having defeated top-seeded Lower Merion 2-1 in double overtime in their semifinal match. Conestoga will look to repeat their 2023 victory over Abington to claim another district trophy. The Pioneers will travel to Garnet Valley for the match, which kicks off at 3 p.m.