Lakeridge boys soccer has a first-round bye and home-field advantage as the Pacers open their 6A state playoff run.

The Pacers (12-1-1) will host either No. 13 McKay or the No. 20 seed in a second-round match at Lakeridge High School on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Lake Oswego Review reported. A top-four finish in the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) power rankings earned Lakeridge the bye.

The bracket sets up a potential semifinal rematch with No. 1 Jesuit on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Lakeridge beat Jesuit 2-1 on Sept. 1 during the nonleague schedule.

The Pacers have been dominant all season. They went unbeaten in Three Rivers League (TRL) play for the fifth straight year, extending their league winning streak to 25 games.

Their last TRL loss came to Tualatin on Oct. 20, 2021.

Lakeridge also knocked off three top-10 opponents during nonleague play: No. 1 Jesuit, No. 6 Grant (1-0 on Sept. 10) and No. 5 Beaverton (3-1 on Sept. 16).

Senior goalkeeper and team captain Collin Cernitz said the squad is locked in on one target. "Our goal is to … bring the state championship back to Lakeridge, and that will be done with the level of togetherness that we show," Cernitz told the Review.

Lakeridge has won two 6A state titles in the past decade, most recently in 2023 when the current seniors were freshmen, according to OSAA records.

Among Oregon's 47 6A programs, only Jesuit has more titles in that span with three. The Pacers have reached at least the state quarterfinals in each of the past five years, including a semifinal loss to Grant in 2025.

Junior forward Jackson Romero and senior forward Zavier Lara lead the offense with 12 goals each. Senior midfielder Liam Kutella and junior Nate Pasek have added five goals apiece. Senior forward and captain Callum Morrison leads the team with five assists, while Lara and junior Leo Van Driesche each have four.

Cernitz and the defense have posted five shutouts this fall, including four in the past month, allowing just over one goal per game.

Senior defender and captain Pablo Spilk is among four captains steering the roster. In coverage published in September, Cernitz told the Review the team's depth is its biggest edge, describing all 23 players as captains who compete for 80 minutes every match.

If Lakeridge wins on Nov. 3, the Pacers would need four more victories to claim the state title. The semifinals are set for Nov. 10, with the championship final to follow.