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KINGSTON — In a match between two high-quality playoff teams, sometimes it just comes down to which way the ball bounces.
The ball bounced right for Williamsport on Saturday, and they bounced Wyoming Valley West out of the district playoffs.
A long free kick into the box ricocheted off Wyoming Valley West goalie Lily Shymanski right to the waiting foot of Millionaires forward Nylah Ford, who buried a point-blank look to lead Williamsport to a 2-1 victory in extra time in the District 2/4 Class 4A semifinals at Spartan Stadium.
The Millionaires will advance to Wednesday’s Class 4A district championship match, where they’ll take on Wilkes-Barre Area.
“I thought we played with a lot of heart, sometimes it just doesn’t fall our way,” Wyoming Valley West coach Steph Gover said. “That’s unfortunately what happened to us today.”
The Millionaires broke through with about four minutes left in the first extra period, after a foul set up defender Deborah Shultz to launch a set piece into the box.
What appeared to be miscommunication from the Spartans’ defense allowed the ball to get deep on Shymanski, bouncing off the keeper in a short hop right to the waiting foot of Ford, who found herself once again exactly in the right place in the right time.
“It’s a high level of soccer intelligence to be able to know where to be off of a set piece,” Williamsport coach Beckham Sibiski said. “(Ford) just battles for everything, all over the field.”
Williamsport’s winner stood out even more when taken into account that, from halftime through much of the extra period, the Spartans were consistently generating pressure and keeping the Millionaires defense on their heels.
The Millionaires took a 1-0 lead in the first half with a goal strikingly similar to the one that won the match. Deborah Shultz launched a free kick from way outside the box that carried all the way to Shymanski’s feet, putting the keeper in a difficult spot trying to corral the ball.
Ford was waiting for the rebound, and popped a header up and into the net to put the Millionaires ahead.
Williamsport had more corners, more shots and more quality looks in the first half than the Spartans did. But after the half, Valley West looked reenergized and became much more aggressive with the ball.
“We switched a couple players around in the second half,” Gover said. “I just think the whole team stepped up and wanted it.”
The momentum shift culminated in a perfectly executed corner kick from the Spartans. Lola Wojciechowski’s header was saved by Williamsport goalie Chloe Pennings, but the ball bounced right to Madison Warnack.
Warnack didn’t hesitate and slid one past Pennings to tie the match 1-1 with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
Pennings settled in and made a couple difficult saves to keep the match tied as the second half ended and the 15-minute extra period began. She ended the match with 10 saves.
District 2 Class 4A Semifinals
Williamsport 2, Holy Redeemer 1 (OT)
First Half — 1. WIL Nylah Ford, 5:18. Second Half — 1. WVW Madison Warnack, 13:34. Overtime — 1. WIL Ford, 4:08
Shots — WIL 7, WVW 11. Saves — WIL 10 (Chloe Pennings), WVW 5 (Lily Shymanski). Corners — WIL 5, WVW 7.