Sports

PIAA CLASS 2A STATE FIELD HOCKEY SEMIFINALS: SEMINARY 4, VILLA MARIA 0

By Dave Konopki dkonopki@timesleader.com
Assistant Sports Editor

EMMAUS – After 19 regular season games, two District 2 contests, and three state playoff games, Wyoming Seminary head coach Karen Klassner finally allowed herself to say the words.

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Wyoming Seminary’s Katrina Domiano and her teammates are congratulated by their Villa Maria opponents after Seminary won Tuesday’s PIAA Class 2A Field Hockey Semifinal, 4-0 in Emmaus.

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

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State championship game.

Freshman Lauren Bernardi scored three goals and the Blue Knight defense allowed just five shots on goal as Wyoming Seminary advanced to the PIAA Class 2A state championship game with a convincing 4-0 win against Villa Maria Academy on Tuesday night.

The District 2 champion Blue Knights (23-1) will face District 1 third seed Marion Mercy at noon Saturday at the Zephyr Sports Complex in Whitehall. Marion Mercy advanced with a 1-0 win against District 1 runner-up Christopher Dock. Villa Maria, the District 1 champion, finishes the season at 22-2-1.

Klassner has kept her team focused during the season, refusing to talk about the state championship game.

That changed as soon as the final whistle sounded Tuesday at Emmaus High School.

“Our focus now is Saturday,” said the 36-year coach, who led the Blue Knights to the 2006 Class 2A state title. “Our goal all season was to get to the state championship game. And now we’re there.”

Starting in place of junior Ja Ja Kentwell – who missed last weekend’s 3-0 quarterfinal win against Southern Lehigh while playing with the men’s U21 national team in Germany – Bernardi wasted little time taking advantage of the opportunity.

Less than a minute into the game, junior midfielder Madeleine Hackett – who played a terrific game – moved the ball downfield and sent a nice crossing pass to Bernardi, who knocked ball into the cage. Just 40 seconds into the game it was Wyoming Seminary 1, Villa Maria 0.

And the Blue Knights weren’t finished with their early-game onslaught.

Less than five minutes later, freshman AshLeigh Sebia took a nice pass from junior defender Henni Tietze and drove the ball into the back of the cage it make it 2-0 just 5:03 into the game.

“We were able to put the ball into the cage early,” said Klassner. “Our kids really played well. I told them we needed to play better than we did against Southern Lehigh. I thought we did.”

While the Blue Knights were firing on all cylinders, the Hurricanes had a hard time getting jump-started, said head coach Maurene Polley.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit,” said the 41-year coach, who has 502 career wins. “We didn’t help ourselves in the beginning. We came out tentative. But that’s taking nothing away from (Seminary). They have a very good team. We all knew that. They have a very potent offense.”

The Blue Knights added a goal five minutes before halftime on a play that began with a tremendous pass from Sunny Stirewalt.

The junior forward sent a long, hard pass to Sebia – a pass that traveled more than 30 yards and went through the legs of two Villa Maria defenders. Sebia was able to direct the ball to Bernardi, who made it 3-0 with 5:36 remaining in the first half. Bernardi completed her hat trick with a goal off an assist by sophomore defender Lauren Skudalski with 6:52 left in the game.

“I was there was there when my team needed me,” said Bernardi. “It’s all for the team. There are always pregame nerves, but I felt I was ready. The coaches did a great job of pumping us up. (Scoring three goals in a state semifinal) is something you always dream about, but you don’t expect it.

“You just hope for the best.”

Although they didn’t record a goal or an assist, Klassner was impressed with the play of seniors Kelsey Kolojejchick and Devon Gagliardi. The North Carolina-bound Kolojejchick was swarmed by Villa Maria defenders every time she touched the ball.

“I was a little surprised with (Villa Maria’s) strategy,” said Klassner, who recorded her 502nd career victory. “They double- and triple-teamed Kelsey, but left everything else open. Every time (Kolojejchick and Gagliardi) touched the ball, they were getting stick-hacked. But they did a great job of finding the open person.”

The Seminary defense posted its second consecutive shutout and has allowed just three goals in five postseason games. Four of those teams came into the game against the Blue Knights with a combined record of 85-6-1.

“Our defense played great,” said Klassner. “They did everything we asked them to do. They played smart and (goalkeeper Segar) Sierra had some pivotal saves. We have a lot of people who can score. We have a lot of people who can step up. We’re not a one-dimensional team and we’ve shown that during the playoffs.”

Scoring. First half: SEM, Lauren Bernardi (Madeleine Hackett) 29:20; 2. SEM, AshLeigh Sebia (Henni Tietze) 24:57; 3. SEM, Bernardi (Sunny Stirewalt, Sebia) 5:36. Second half: 4. SEM, Bernardi (Lauren Skudalski) 6:52.Shots: SEM 19, VM 5. Saves: SEM 4 (Sierra Segear), VM 11 (Anna Zarkoski). Corners: SEM 9, VM 5.

Up Next

Seminary will face Marion Mercy, the District 1 third seed, in the state title game Saturday at the Zephyr Sports Complex in Whitehall.