Staff Report

We’re officially into Championship Season for high school field hockey and soccer, so let’s take a quick look at where we stand in various tournaments and get you caught up as to who is still alive.

FIELD HOCKEY

Cape-Atlantic League Tournament: The CAL Championships kick off today with a pair of first-round games, as top-seeded Hammonton and No. 2 Ocean City receive byes into Friday’s second round of the six-team tournament. Today, No. 4 Middle Township hosts No. 5 St. Joseph Academy at 4 p.m. with the winner advancing to face Hammonton, while on the other side of the bracket No. 3 OLMA hosts No. 6 Cedar Creek at 3:45 p.m. Hammonton is clearly the team to beat, as the Blue Devils (12-3) have already beaten Ocean City and St. Joe’s twice, and Cedar Creek and OLMA once each. None of those teams have scored more than one goal against Hammonton.

Quarterfinals: Today

Semifinals: Friday

Championship: Tuesday at home of highest remaining seed

GIRLS SOCCER

Cape-Atlantic League Tournament: The CALs continue today and Thursday, and this is definitely Ocean City’s tournament to lose. The Red Raiders, the top seed, are 16-0 and have only surrendered seven goals all year. However, it will be a quick turnaround for the Raiders as they play tonight in the South Jersey Coaches Association Cup semis tonight in Cherry Hill at 8 p.m. then have to turn around Thursday and face Holy Spirit.

Semifinals: Today, No. 3 EHT at No. 2 Lower Cape May, 3:30 p.m. Thursday, No. 5 Holy Spirit at No. 1 Ocean City, 6 p.m. (In the opening round, EHT beat No. 6 Mainland, 4-0, while Holy Spirit beat No. 4 OLMA, 9-7.)

Championship: Monday at home of highest remaining seed.

South Jersey Coaches Cup: We’re down to the semis in this one and the two games tonight will feature some great matchups. No. 2 Eastern takes on No. 3 Shawnee at 6 p.m. at DeCou Fields in Cherry Hill, with No. 1 Ocean City squaring off against No. 5 Sterling. The Silver Knights (14-0-2) slipped past No. 4 Kingsway in the quarterfinals, scoring three second half goals to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit and win, 3-2. Eastern (16-1-1) has just one loss this season and it came against Shawnee back on Sept. 26. Since then, the Vikings have gone unbeaten in nine games with four shutouts.

Semifinals: Tonight, No. 2 Eastern vs. No. 3 Shawnee, 6 p.m. at DeCou Fields in Cherry Hill; No. 5 Sterling vs. No. 1 Ocean City at 8 p.m., same location.

Championship: Saturday at 6 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER

Cape-Atlantic League Tournament: St. Augustine Prep is a top-10 team in the state and the Hermits are smarting from a 1-0 loss against Lenape in the South Jersey Coaches Cup, so they’ll be extra motivated to go out and win the CAL Tournament. Cedar Creek has been a surprise team all year and heads into the CAL semis still unbeaten, although the Pirates lost in a PK shootout to Lenape in the second round of the Coaches Cup.

Semifinals: No. 3 Mainland at No. 2 Cedar Creek, Thursday, 4 p.m. No. 5 EHT at No. 1 St. Augustine Prep, today, 4 p.m.

Championship: Monday at home of higher seed.

South Jersey Coaches Cup: Lenape, the final seed at No. 16, has been on a tear, knocking off No. 1 St. Augustine Prep and No. 9 Cedar Creek to reach tonight’s semis. There’s another double-digit seed still alive, too, as No. 11 Ocean City knocked off No. 6 Eastern in the opening round then dispatched No. 14 Kingsway, 1-0, in the second round.

Semifinals: No. 5 Clearview vs. No. 16 Lenape, tonight at 6 p.m. at DeCou Fields in Cherry Hill. No. 2 Washington Township vs. No. 11 Ocean City at 8 p.m. at the same location.

Championship: Sunday, 6 p.m. at DeCou Fields.