CLARKS SUMMIT – Four 15-minute quarters and two 10-minute, 7v7, sudden-death overtime periods could not separate Selinsgrove and Abington Heights Oct. 26 in their District 2-4 Class 2A Subregional field hockey semifinal.
For the second straight year, the Seals from District 4 ended the Abington Heights season in a heart-breaking, 2-1 decision on the same field and in the same round.
The difference this year is that the 2-1 score was a technicality. The teams were tied 1-1 through the six periods they played. The team that scores the most in the shootout is awarded one more goal in the official final score.
As it turned out, only one goal was scored during the shootout.
Alli Bucher was the only Selinsgrove player to score in four tries while goalie Bella Auman kept Abington Heights scoreless in five tries. The Seals did not take their fifth and final attempt because the outcome was already decided.
The goalies wound up taking center stage in a battle between two dangerous offenses.
Both Emma Newman from Abington Heights and Auman made it to the end of the overtimes with 12 saves.
Newman came charging out twice in the first overtime to stop breakaways and continue the game.
Abington Heights then seized the momentum in the second overtime, but Auman made four saves while her team was not getting off a shot or any significant threat.
“This was the first time I’ve been on the coaching side of it,” Abington Heights coach Glenn Carr said of a format that is only used in the postseason and tournaments. “My theory is first, every single time the goalie comes, out she attacks, just like Emma did in the game. She was aggressive.”
That approach worked for Newman on all but Selinsgrove’s third try.
“Offensively, we just didn’t have it tonight,” Carr said.
Bucher was the only offensive player to succeed in the format where players have eight seconds to attack the goalie, beginning from the 25-yard line and dribbling in.
She showed patience, working around Newman to the left, getting behind her and flipping a shot into the open cage with about a second left.
Carly Aument, a track sprinting champion who scored last year’s game-winner on a breakaway with 2:47 left, scored on a breakaway 5:18 into the second half.
Aument dribbled 75 yards up the middle of the field, pulling away from her pursuers before getting off a shot that Newman got a piece of with her leg pad, but was unable to stop.
Abington Heights came back strong, getting the next four shots and next three penalty corners, leading to Madison Zalewski’s goal with 13:18 remaining.
Kaylyn Elliot received the insert and moved into the circle before passing to Zalewski, giving her time and room and maneuver for the tying goal.
Abington Heights 8, Shikellamy 0
Zalewski scored four times in the last 6:13 of the first quarter to send Abington Heights on its way to the quarterfinal romp.
Many of the same players who led Abington Heights to its first division title in 14 years helped the team break an even longer playoff victory drought in the subregional game.
Shikellamy contained the Abington Heights offense for nearly nine minutes before Zalewski led the outburst.
“A lot of teams have tendencies, so we just had to figure them out,” Zalewski said of facing an unfamiliar opponent. “You play the same teams over and over again, so just kind of figuring out where the holes and gaps were was key.”
Marygrace Sabatini assisted two of Zalewski’s goals, then scored the last goal in the third quarter.
Zalewski had two assists in the second quarter when Bella DeRiggi was scoring twice to open a 7-0 halftime lead.
Carly Miller had the other second-quarter goal.
Peyton Pallman had two assists and Elliot had one.
The Comets led 28-1 in shots and 10-3 in penalty corners.
Lackawanna Trail 2, Lake-Lehman 1
Lauren Fahey scored in the fourth quarter to lift Lackawanna Trail over visiting Lake-Lehman in the Oct. 27 District 2 Class A semifinal.
The in advanced Lackawanna Trail into the district final against defending champion Wyoming Area. The Nov. 1 championship game was played after the deadline for this edition.
Lena Ryon scored to give Lackawanna Trail a 1-0 lead before Lake-Lehman came back to force a tie.
Lackawanna Trail 13, Holy Redeemer 0
Lackawanna Trail routed visiting Holy Redeemer Oct. 23 in the district Class A quarterfinals.
Greta Krimmel scored five goals and Ryon added four.
