By Dylan Butler
One goal. That is the essentially the difference between the first and third seeds for the upcoming PSAL girls’ soccer playoffs.
Tottenville, which has owned the top seed since 1993, lost to Staten Island Tech, 2-1, and the Pirates’ lone loss is what cost them the top seed.
Instead it is Queens ‘A’ champion Cardozo that got the nod as the top seed. The Judges are seeded just ahead of No. 2 Midwood, the seeding committee announced Tuesday. The two schools were the only undefeated teams in the city.
It appears the addition of a ‘B’ division, which began this year in Brooklyn and Queens, helped strengthen competition in those two boroughs. While it is hard to argue against the top three teams in Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn ‘A’ are tougher divisions from top to bottom.
Tottenville (21-3-1, 17-1) is No. 3 and Staten Island Tech (17-2, 16-2) round out the top four, according to the seeding committee, which is comprised of Will Stasiuk, PSAL girls’ soccer commissioner, officials and media members.
“We’re ready for the challenge,” said Cardozo coach Rich Parascos. “I just hope we play like a No. 1 ranked team. If we play hard and play to the best of our ability, I have no complaints.”
Cardozo (15-0-2) opens against No. 16 Madison (9-7-3, 9-4-3) in a first-round game Thursday at Queensborough Community College.
Also on Thursday, No. 10 Townsend Harris (12-4-3, 11-3-2), the next highest seeded Queens team, plays at seventh-seeded Susan Wagner (13-6, 12-6) and No. 11 Bryant (12-4-1, 11-4-1) is at sixth-seeded Beacon (15-4, 14-2). No. 15 Francis Lewis (8-6-2, 6-6-2) heads to Brooklyn to face No. 2 Midwood (17-0-2, 15-0-1) Friday.
Quarterfinals are Wednesday, with doubleheaders at Bayside and Thomas Jefferson in Brooklyn. The semifinals are Sunday, with a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. at Staten Island Tech and the championship game is Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m. at Long Island University.
For the first time there will be ‘B’ playoff system, as the Brooklyn-Queens Cup will take place Thursday, June 6, at Midwood High School. The top two teams in each division will compete in seven 40-minute mini-games. The title match will be at 2:30 p.m.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
