MILFORD — No. 2 seed Delaware Valley had plenty of quality opportunities in the first half and finally cashed in when Morgan Gifford scored in the 13th minute. The Lady Warriors scored much quicker in the second half and held on for a 2-1 win over No. 3 seed Lackawanna Trail in a District 2 Class 3A field hockey semifinal match Monday evening.

Lackawanna Trail (4-11) tied the match, 1-1, in the 19th minute on a goal from Courtney Dwyer in front of the cage.

“The ball hit a couple girls’ feet, but I just kept going at it and eventually got it in,” Dwyer said. “I thought we gave it our all. I’m just proud of everyone who played, on and off the field. I love this team.”

The Lady Warriors regained the lead less than two minutes into the second half when Eileen Nikles deflected a shot from Morgan Johns into the cage.

“Coming back out and getting a goal pretty soon after halftime was a really big deal for us,” Nikles said. “It really brought up our intensity and it was really exciting for us as a team. It helped elevate our play and it was a really great feeling.

“Morgan had a really awesome shot toward the opposite post and I just tipped it in.”

Delaware Valley (5-9-1) outshot Lackawanna Trail, 16-6, in the contest and controlled the ball for a large portion of the second half.

“I think we definitely started connecting as a team, which was good because Trail seemed to play the big (pass) and we were able to intercept it and continue to play our small passing game,” Delaware Valley head coach Lindsay Gonzalez said.

Lackawanna Trail head coach Gary Wilmet was pleased with the Lady Lions’ defense and goalkeeping. Delaware Valley had 15 penalty corners while Lackawanna Trail was limited to one. Trail goalie Samantha Baltrusaitis made 11 saves, including two crucial stops in the final 10 minutes of play.

“They were on the attack, but Sam and our defenders kept them out (of the cage),” Wilmet said. “We started to get a little bit of momentum again and it got pretty even toward the end, we just needed to get a couple corners and we just couldn’t seem to get them. We got the ball in the circle and were just a little disorganized.”

Despite the loss of several key players to graduation, Wilmet is optimistic about the future of the program.

“I think we made substantial improvements throughout the year, but we still have a long way to go,” he said. “We’re still a young team. I’m sorry to lose the three seniors — Lauren Beemer, Courtney Dwyer and Karley Cresswell — that have been a mainstay for all these years, but we have some young kids coming up and I’m pretty excited about next year.”

No. 1 seed Hazleton Area (6-8) will host Delaware Valley for the District 2 Class 3A championship at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Lackawanna Trail’s Courtney Dwyer moves the ball upfield during a District 2 Class 3A field hockey semifinal match Monday night. Dwyer scored a goal, but the Lady Lions lost to Delaware Valley, 2-1.
http://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_ABJ-LT-FH-1.jpg.optimal.jpgLackawanna Trail’s Courtney Dwyer moves the ball upfield during a District 2 Class 3A field hockey semifinal match Monday night. Dwyer scored a goal, but the Lady Lions lost to Delaware Valley, 2-1. Robert Tomkavage | Abington Journal

By Robert Tomkavage

rtomkavage@timesleader.com

Reach Robert Tomkavage at 570-704-3941 or on Twitter @rtomkavage.