If it’s true that the best rivalries are forged in the playoffs, then it would be hard to find one better than this.
Visitation and Holy Angels have met late in the Class 1A, Section 3 playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Last fall, Holy Angels won the title game 2-1, and Visitation beat the Stars 2-0 in the section semifinal two years ago. They met in the semifinals in 2016, with Holy Angels prevailing 1-0. Holy Angels started the streak with a 3-0 section title game win in 2015.
While another section playoff clash seems likely, they have to get this preliminary meeting (crucial for section seeding and in determining the Tri-Metro Conference champion) out of the way first.
The No. 4-1A Blazers (11-0-3, 4-0-1) feature one of the state’s top scorers in senior Katherine Jones (19 goals) and a high-scoring sidekick in junior Andi Barth (13 goals).
They likely will face one of the top goalkeepers, statistically speaking, in junior Rachel Kawiecki, who has allowed just two goals on 32 shots this season for the No. 3-1A Stars (12-1-1, 5-0-0).