The NJSIAA released the state tournament pairings for boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer.
The Worrall Community Newspapers schools in Essex County that have made the state tournament are:
Boys Soccer: Irvington, Nutley, Belleville, Orange, West Orange, Columbia, Seton Hall Prep, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge
Girls Soccer: Nutley, Belleville, Orange, West Orange, Columbia, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge.
Here are the first round pairings, with seeds in parentheses (girls’ games are Monday, Oct. 30, and boys’ games are Tuesday, Oct. 31):
BOYS SOCCER
North Jersey Section 1, Group 4
(7) West Orange vs. (10) Mount Olive
(16) Bloomfield at (1) Kearny
North Jersey Section 2, Group 4
(5) Columbia vs. (12) Piscataway
North Jersey Section 2, Group 3
(6) Irvington vs. (11) Ferrris
(7) Belleville vs. (10) West Windsor-Plainsboro North
(9) Orange at (8) Middletown North
(14) Nutley at (3) Somerville
North Jersey Section 2, Group 1
(13) Glen Ridge at (4) Becton
North Jersey Non-Public “A”
(2) Seton Hall Prep, bye. Will play winner of (7) St. Joseph of Montvale vs. (10) Paramus Catholic in quarterfinals, Nov. 3.
GIRLS SOCCER
North Jersey Section 1, Group 4
(5) West Orange vs. (12) Bergen Tech
(13) Bloomfield at (4) Livingston
North Jersey Section 2, Group 4
(9) Columbia at (8) Elizabeth
North Jersey Section 2, Group 3
(7) Belleville vs. (10) Colonia
(9) Nutley at (8) Middletown North
(13) Orange at (4) Mendham
North Jersey Section 2, Group 1
(1) Glen Ridge vs. (16) Bound Brook.
NOTES: Glen Ridge girls are the two-time defending North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 champion. They also have won four of the last five titles in that section under head coach Oscar Viteri, who has been at the helm since 2001.
Seton Hall Prep is the defending North Jersey Non-Public “A” champion.