Holding the state runner-up trophy are Lackawanna Trail’s Teagan Vokes, Lauren Fahey and Lena Ryon.
Tom Robinson | Abington Journal
MECHANICSBURG – Highly skilled offensive plays allowed Lackawanna Trail to convert its limited opportunities and build a lead in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A field hockey state championship game.
Oley Valley relentlessly produced more chances until it completed a comeback that allowed it to come away from Cumberland Valley as state champion.
The Lynx scored three times in the last 17:05 to pull out a 4-3 victory in the Nov. 18 game.
The winning goal came on Morgan Snyder’s penalty stroke with 3:43 left.
“We gave up a lot of corners,” Lady Lions coach Laura Evans said. “Unfortunately, we were getting a lot of tough calls down on the left-hand side of the field. It was a little bit hard for us to see from a coach’s point of view.
“ … Credit to Oley Valley. They move the ball very, very well.”
Snyder’s goal was the result of Oley Valley taking the game’s last nine shots over the final 12 minutes and came at the end of a sequence started by a penalty corner. The Lynx held a 16-3 advantage in penalty corners over the Lady Lions.
“I think it’s really important that we keep perspective and acknowledge the journey that got us here and the hard work and the fact that we’re number two in the state,” Evans said after the program’s third trip to a state final, but the first since the 1985 state championship. “Representing the Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 is a huge honor.”
The Lady Lions made the state tournament by defeating WVC Division 1 champion and 2022 state finalist Wyoming Area in the district final.
Once in the final, Lackawanna Trail saw Oley Valley control possession and produce more scoring opportunities, but it was the Lady Lions who repeatedly made the game’s most spectacular plays to create the shot at winning the state final.
Lackawanna Trail scored on each of its first three shots, beginning with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
Lena Ryon dribbled up the right side and got the ball past the goalie. An Oley Valley defender stopped the ball in front, but Ryon got it right back and scored from close range.
The Lady Lions did not get another shot until 34 seconds into the second half, but again Ryon turned it into a goal and another lead, 2-1.
Ryon dribbled for 30-plus yards and split two defenders entering the circle before switching to a reverse chip for the goal.
A high-speed, give-and-go with Ryon and Greta Krimmel sent the Lady Lions flying into the circle where a hard foul by Oley Valley to break up the play resulted in a penalty stroke.
Tea Burns converted the stroke into a 3-1 lead with 6:00 left in the third quarter.
Oley Valley fought back.
Taylor Vaccaro scored on a penalty corner with 2:05 left in the third quarter and Molly Rothenberger tied it on a rebound not long after another penalty corner with 5:29 left.
Payton Laytos came on in goal for Lackawanna Trail to start the second quarter and made 10 saves, most on high-quality chances for the Lynx.
“Payton had a heckuva game,” Evans said. “We put her in in the second period. It’s not always easy to transition like that.
“She’s super athletic, a brand-new freshman, just started in June, but she’s a competitor. She showed up big for us today.”
