Contenders For Pennsylvania's PIAA 3A State Title

Below is a review of the teams I believe are contenders to win the 2026 PIAA 3A State title.   To be honest, I see the quest for the 3A title as a two-horse race between defending champion Springfield (Delco) and District 12 powerhouse La Salle College.     We will start this post with a breakdown of Springfield's 2026 roster.   Springfield   The reigning 3A state champions lost several all-state level players to graduation last spring, but they return a host of prospects who played major roles in their 2025 state title run.   At the top of the list of key returners is midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='20475' first='Luke' last='Valerio'], attack [player_tooltip player_id='20026' first='Brad' last='Barber'] and versatile pole [player_tooltip player_id='173983' first='Tommy' last='Toomey']. Valerio (Penn State) is a talented, two-way middie with a pit bull mentality. Last season, Barber scored 53 goals and then played the 2025 state title game on a torn ACL. The Maryland commit should be full healthy and back on the field by April. Thus, Barber should be ready for monster second half of the season. Toomey is an athletic pole with an extremely active stick who is committed to High Point. Toomey excels at shutting down the opponent's No. 1 option.   On offense, Springfield's quest to repeat will receive additional scoring punch from senior [player_tooltip player_id='173775' first='AJ' last='Clark']. This lefty attackman scored 31 goals last year and is a master at executing timely off-ball movements. Fellow senior Jared Kennedy will also be expected to contribute heavily for the Cougars' offense in 2026. Kennedy owns polished stick skills and a quick burst. In June 2025, Kennedy scored the game winner in the 3A state title game as well as six goals in Springfield's quarterfinal win over Easton. College coaches will want to keep an eye on stock rising 2028 attack/midfield prospect [player_tooltip player_id='142306' first='Gabe' last='Ryan'], too.   Running alongside Toomey on defense will be SSDM Zach Wisely and 2028 long pole [player_tooltip player_id='171694' first='Brady' last='Wainwright']. Wisely is a three-year starter at SSDM who provides a physical presence for Springfield and is a ground ball machine. Wainwright can operate at LSM or close defense. With his quick lateral movements and active stick, Wainwright excels at pursuing ball carriers and then causing turnovers via lifts, pokes and can openers.   This coming spring there will be a new face in net for Springfield, as sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='129568' first='Michael' last='Depetris'] will step into the starting role. Depetris is an agile netminder with fast hands and an attacking style. Last summer, Depetris was outstanding in goal for Team Philly 2028s at the New Balance All-America event.   La Salle College   In 2025, La Salle won 16 games, captured the Philadelphia Catholic League title and advanced to 3A state tourney semifinals. This spring the deep and skilled Explorers have their sights set on a 3A state tourney hardware and anything less would be a disappointment.   In order to achieve that lofty goal, La Salle will need extraordinary seasons from its talented offensive group. Duke commit [player_tooltip player_id='20999' first='Dylan' last='Malone'] and Notre Dame commit [player_tooltip player_id='123227' first='Michael' last='Van Bastelaar'] are the headliners for La Salle's offense. Malone is a creative offensive force who can torch opponents with his scoring or distributing. Malone's ability to get downhill in a flash is next level. Van Bastelaar is two-way phenom who is ranked 35th in the junior class. His combination of speed and shooting skills presents serious match up issues for opponents.   2026 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='171424' first='Will' last='Trymbiski'] will run at both midfield and attack. Trymbiski (1st Team All-State; committed to Hofstra) is a sniper who is a magician when it comes to changing angles. I expect that attackman Tobi Zweiback (Franklin & Marshall), as well as attack/midfielder Shane Dominello (Middlebury) and [player_tooltip player_id='16038' first='Logan' last='Riggione'] (Delaware) will accumulate eye popping stats in 2026, too.   Of course, La Salle's offensive group cannot light the lamp unless they have possession. With elite face off specialist [player_tooltip player_id='143407' first='Rocco' last='Davis'] working at the dot, possession should not be an issue for the Explorers. Davis owns imposing size, powerful hands, and a quick burst. That trifecta produces a slew of clean wins that lead to quality possessions for La Salle. Davis is committed to Drexel.   Defensively, La Salle will rely on a host of returners to shut down opposing offenses. Close defenders [player_tooltip player_id='20031' first='Danny' last='Kuriger'] (Loyola) and [player_tooltip player_id='42674' first='Cooper' last='Heilig'] (Ohio State) will anchor the back end. Both Kuriger and Heilig are relentless on-ball defenders with high IQs and significant big game experience. Meanwhile LSM Johnny Wachs (Jacksonville) as well as short sticks [player_tooltip player_id='127544' first='Keenan' last='Stahl'] (Drexel) and [player_tooltip player_id='171692' first='Tommy' last='Dwyer'] will harass ball carriers on the perimeter. I expect 2029 pole [player_tooltip player_id='165993' first='Logan' last='Cummins'] to post a breakout freshman campaign, too.   Between the pipes for La Salle will be impressive 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='143387' first='Roman' last='Ippoldo']. He owns all the tools and is widely considered one of the top sophomore goalies in the region. Ippoldo committed to Cornell on September 1st, 2025.   Darkhorse Contenders for the PIAA 3A State Title:   Radnor   Ridley   Mt. Lebanon

Below is a review of the teams I believe are contenders to win the 2026 PIAA 3A State title.