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On Saturday, September 13th, ELCO will host the annual rivalry soccer games between the Raiders and the Cedar Crest Falcons, promising a day-long celebration of soccer with a carnival-like atmosphere surrounding the contests. Both the boys and girls varsity teams from each school will take center stage, and all teams will debut new warm-up shirts for the occasion, including Cedar Crest.
The festivities kick off at noon with a men’s alumni game, followed by junior varsity matches at 2 pm.
The varsity games will begin at 5 pm, with the boys first up battling for the Ritter-Hoffman Cup, followed by the girls at 7 pm competing for the Blue-Gray Cup. Both teams will wear special warm-ups to commemorate the much-anticipated event.
In addition to top-tier soccer action, fans are encouraged to enjoy food trucks and participate in a 50/50 raffle.
With rivalry, tradition, and trophies on the line, Saturday promises to be an exciting day for both soccer programs and their fans alike. Don’t miss the action!
Planning that next vacay?
Ritter-Hoffman Cup
Played since 1987, this year marks the 39th edition of the boys’ rivalry game. After last year’s 2-0 victory, ELCO holds a slim lead in the all-time series, 19-18-1.
Both teams enter Saturday in strong form, with ELCO at 4-2 and Cedar Crest at 5-1, led by a senior-heavy squad eager to reclaim the cup.
Cedar Crest boys’ coach Joe Spade said, “Our boys are absolutely pumped for Saturday and look forward to continuing the tradition. I can tell you that this game is the talk of the locker room since preseason, and they are anxiously awaiting to get on that field. ELCO is a talented team and I know it’s going to be a battle.”
Blue-Gray Cup
Saturday will also feature the 30th clash between the Lebanon County girls’ programs. ELCO currently leads the all-time series 15-14, though Cedar Crest won last year 4-1, marking their third consecutive victory.
The Lady Raiders, under first-year head coach Josh Deck, enter with a 6-1 record, looking to reverse the recent trend.
Cedar Crest, though 3-4-1, has been steadily improving and aims to continue developing toward the form that carried them to last year’s Lancaster-Lebanon League finals.
This promises to be another hotly contested match-up between the two teams.
Schedule of Events
12:00 PM – Men’s Alumni Game
2:00 PM – Junior Varsity Boys
3:30 PM – Junior Varsity Girls
5:00 PM – Ritter-Hoffman Cup
7:00 PM – Blue-Gray Cup
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