Peters Township girls ousted from PIAA playoffs
McMURRAY — Peters Township threw everything but the kitchen sink at Central Dauphin, but the Rams were able to earn a victory over the Indians in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A girls soccer playoffs Tuesday night at Confluence Financial Partners Stadium.
Following a 2-2 tie in regulation, two 15-minute overtimes didn’t settle anything and the match went into a shootout.
The Rams’ Lea Carmona, Erika Murphy, Jazmine Zakhar and Katherine Reynolds found the back of the net after their first attempt hit the crossbar.
Marina Hajnosz and Camryn Klein scored for Peters Township, but it wasn’t enough as Central Dauphin prevailed, 4-2, in the penalty shootout.
The Indians’ season came to an end at 19-1-1. Peters Township was coming off a penalty-kick victory on Friday over Seneca Valley to win the WPIAL Class 4A championship.
“We really didn’t lose tonight because of penalty kicks,” Peters Township coach Pat Vereb said. “We dominated the last 20 minutes of the second half, and we dominated both overtimes with numerous corner kicks and throw-ins, but we didn’t finish, and finish out the game the right way.
“Once it goes to penalty kicks, it can go either way, and the emotions of the last 72 hours are crazy to win one shootout and lose another. That was a good team. They had some special players. I thought overall, the majority of the game, we played well. We probably should have put up more than two goals.”
The 3½ hour trip was worth the drive for the Rams, who improved to 17-2-1 and will play Saturday in the state quarterfinals against Lower Merion.
“I think our bus ride is going to be a little bit more enjoyable,” Central Dauphin coach Chris Jones said. “I probably watched more film of Peters Township than our own team. For us, it was more just coming up here, playing our game, doing what we needed to do and taking care of business our way.
“That’s a fantastic team over there. I hate to say it, but we were in the same position as them last year. We didn’t lose a single game, then you get in the state playoffs and end up losing.”
The Rams didn’t get a shot on target until the second half, which was stopped by Molly Kubistek, but Central Dauphin’s second shot found the back of the net when Kayden Williams turned and shot low to the left of the goal for a 1-0 lead with 33:26 remaining in the second half.
Williams’ second goal came with 29:28 left in regulation.
Peters Township cut the deficit in half on a goal by Julia Spergel with 27:36 remaining in the second half.
Kubistek stopped Williams at 15:55 of the second half to keep the match at 2-1 before Spergel’s brace with 7:37 tied the match at 2-2.
The Indians continued to push to take their first lead but couldn’t convert their chances into goals.
“I was very proud of our resiliency to come back,” Vereb said. “To finish undefeated against WPIAL teams is not done very often at the 4A level, and to win our first WPIAL championship in 12 years. Unfortunately, it has to end unless you win it all. I am super proud of our season and our body of work.”
Peters Township had a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks, and put 17 shots on target to five for the Rams.
Central Dauphin goalkeeper Mikayla Martincheck made 15 saves. Kubistek stopped three shots.
Hershey, 5-0
Avery Weaber scored two goals to lead Hershey to a victory over Peters Township in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A field hockey playoffs at Confluence Financial Partners Stadium.
Hershey (12-9) had a 1-0 lead at the half on a goal by Weaber with 12:35 left in the second quarter.
Weaber scored on a penalty shot with 8:39 left in the third quarter. Hershey added another goal in the third and two more in the fourth period.
The Indians’ season comes to an end at 16-4.