Good afternoon! It is time to crown some champions today. Minus the fact that it’s going to be a battle against the weather today, we should have two great games on tap today.
Below, I have written my preview and prediction for our two girls championship games this afternoon.
Class B
1:00 p.m. – No. 1 Gretna East vs No. 3 Lincoln Pius X
Last Wednesday, I compared Gretna East to Goliath and every other team to David. I’m sticking with that comparison. The Griffins took care of No. 8 Elkhorn 6-2 in their quarterfinal match. Then, in the semifinal, Gretna East defeated Blair 5-1. Now, can the Griffins finish the deal and secure back-to-back championships?
Lincoln Pius X blanked No. 6 Omaha Mercy in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, 4-0. I said to watch out for the Thunderbolts and on Saturday, their match against No. 7 Norris finished 1-0. Lincoln Pius X will need to stand by their defense, which has not allowed a goal in the postseason yet, in order to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament. Can Lincoln Pius X slow down the Griffins and avenge their Class A championship loss last season?
The Griffins have won each of their first two games by four goals and they beat Lincoln Pius X earlier this season, 3-1. That leads me to pick Gretna East in this afternoon’s game. With rain not expected to hit Omaha until the Class A game, I think this one will see plenty of goals. Give me the Griffins to win back-to-back titles.
My Prediction: Gretna East: 4, Lincoln Pius X: 1
Class A
3:00 p.m. – No. 1 Lincoln Southwest vs No. 2 Omaha Marian
Last Monday, I called Lincoln Southwest the hottest team in the field. The Silver Hawks were on the brink of elimination but stayed alive to advance to the semifinals after a penalty kick shootout against No. 8 Papillion-La Vista. I asked on Friday if that match was a wake-up call for Lincoln Southwest? It seems that it was as they blanked No. 5 Elkhorn South 3-0. Now, Lincoln Southwest goes for back-to-back titles today. Can the Silver Hawks get over the finish line?
The Crusaders also played a close quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 Millard West. Then on Friday, they turned the story around against a No. 3 Bellevue West squad that had beaten Omaha Marian twice previously in the season, 2-0. The Crusaders are in their first championship game since 2019. Will Omaha Marian avenge another loss of theirs from early in the season?
The rain is expected to arrive in the second half of this one, which is why a quick start will be a necessity to win this afternoon’s championship. On March 29, Lincoln Southwest defeated Omaha Marian 3-2. I don’t think the second time around will be as high scoring, but I believe Omaha Marian can continue to avenge their early-season losses with a quick start tonight. I’m switching course and picking the Crusaders to win their first championship since 2017.
My Prediction: Omaha Marian: 2, Lincoln Southwest: 1
Once again, these are just my opinions, so feel free to comment yours down below. I would love to hear your thoughts. I will be back tomorrow morning with my boys championship preview. Until then, enjoy some great soccer today!
Elijah Moser is a contributor for Nebraska Soccer Talk, currently studying Sports Communication and Journalism at the University of Nebraska – Kearney.