Sports

DISTRICT 2 Class 2A fiELD HOCKEY

By Dave Konopki dkonopki@timesleader.com
Assistant Sports Editor

KINGSTON – The Crestwood field hockey team took just one shot on goal in the second half of last night’s game against Wyoming Seminary.

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Crestwood’s Brittany Blass (center) hugs Hannah Davies (left) and another teammate after winning the District 2 Class 2A championship Thursday night.

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It turned out to be a golden one.

Jenna Chrismer scored the game-winning goal with 6:51 remaining as the Comets captured the District 2 Class 2A championship with a 1-0 win against the Blue Knights on Thursday at Spartan Stadium.

Crestwood (17-1) will face the No. 3 seed from District 3 in the opening round of the state playoffs Tuesday at a time and site to be determined. The site will most likely be either Edward H. Edwards Stadium in Lehman Township or Spartan Stadium. Wyoming Seminary ends its season at 17-1.

The district championship is the third for the Comets this decade, but their first since 2004.

“This is a great feeling,” said a beaming Crestwood senior goalkeeper Kylie Licata. “My defense played so well in front of me. I was just trying to stay focused and in the game.”

Defending district and state champion Wyoming Seminary didn’t go away without a fight. The Blue Knights (17-1) had a pair of penalty corners in the final minute. Seminary couldn’t capitalize on a great pass by JaJa Kentwell a few feet in front of the cage and a blast by Kentwell in the closing seconds went off a Crestwood defender.

“I really feel the best two teams in the league were here tonight,” said Seminary head coach Karen Klassner. “I think we have a great representative of the league going out (to states). To me, that’s important. We knew that either team that won tonight is going to make a big dent in states.”

Following a scoreless first half, Seminary controlled much of the action in the second half. That changed late in the game when Chrismer took a pass from teammate Anna Dessoye and drilled an impressive reverse 13-yard shot into the opposite corner of the cage.

“We practice those every day,” said Chrismer, referring to the reverse shot. “I play left side, so it’s easy for me to reverse stick. It was a great pass from Anna Dessoye. I did everything I could to get the ball in the cage.”

The shot was only the one of the second half by the Comets and one of just four by Crestwood during the game. Chrismer made sure quality outweighed quantity.

“That’s what you hope for,” said Crestwood head coach Elvetta Gemski of the made opportunity. “Chances are sometimes few. In this case, it was a sure one.”

Chrismer came close to giving the Comets a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the game, but Seminary goalkeeper Sierra Segear turned away a hard shot from close range, as well as a rebound shot to keep the game scoreless.

The best opportunity for Seminary to score in the first half came with with 6:12 remaining when AshLeigh Sebia took a hard shot that sailed a few inches high of the cage.

The Blue Knights kept the pressure on in the second half. Licata made a nice kick save on a ball that got past several players from both teams and a high, lofting pass by Kentwell on a penalty corner was knocked away by the Crestwood keeper.

“We didn’t put the ball in the cage. They did,” said Klassner, who team outshot Crestwood 8-4 and held a 6-1 advantage in penalty corners. “That’s the name of the game. I thought it was a well-played game by two very good teams.”

The programs entered the game with a combined seven state championships and 21 district titles – and two head coaches with more than 1,000 combined wins.

“It took an extraordinary effort against a quality team,” said Gemski, whose program will try to win its fifth state championship and first since 2004. “It was an extraordinary effort right to the end.”

Crestwood 1, Wyoming Seminary 0

First half: No scoring. Second half: 1. CREST, Jenna Chrismer (Anna Dessoye) 6:51.

Shots: CREST 4, WS 8; Saves: CREST 6 (Kylie Licata), WS 3 (Sierra Segear); Corners: CREST 1, WS 6.