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LEHMAN TWP. — Haley Bull, the only senior starter on a team within three wins of a third straight PIAA title, led the way Tuesday night as Central Columbia defeated Lake-Lehman 3-0 in a first-round Class 2A girls soccer state tournament game at Eddie Edwards Stadium.
Bull assisted on the first two goals and scored the third.
The Blue Jays pulled away in the last 28 minutes. Up to that point, they had just one more shot than the Black Knights, who had a 4-2 edge in corner kicks at the time.
“It was very evenly played game,” Lake-Lehman coach Kelly Adamshick said of the first half and early stages of the second half. “I thought we did have our chances. If we put one of those goals in, then it’s a totally different game.”
The first half was nearly equal in shots, corner kicks, possession time and which end of the field the action was located in.
Central Columbia, however, led because Bull stole a clearing pass and moved the ball ahead to Quinlan Blake to go in alone and score from 10 yards out just 10:11 into the game.
There was not another score for 42:20, but the Blue Jays did use what offensive possession time they had to show off the speed and passing that allowed them to break down the middle of the Lake-Lehman defense.
“They ran our middle apart,” Adamshick said. “It was the transitions. We’ve got to recover quicker. In states, everything’s stronger, everything’s faster. In the offseason, that’s what we’ll work on.”
Central Columbia had all nine shots and both corner kicks that were taken during a 12½-minute stretch in the middle of the second half to break the game open.
“First, we wanted to win more of the 50-50 balls than we had been,” Blue Jays coach Bryan Hiller said. “Second, we wanted to play the way we play and take advantage of the spaces on the field that were there.
“I think we did those two things better which helped us control the game more and create more opportunities going forward.”
Adamshick said she could see her team was deflated a bit after Bull and Joey Devlin assisted each other’s goals 2:37 apart for the three-goal lead.
The loss ends a season in which Lake-Lehman won a pair of titles.
“Winning the district title, winning the conference (WVC Division 2) is huge for this team considering how last year ended early,” Adamshick said.
GIRLS SOCCER
PIAA CLASS 2A FIRST ROUND
Central Columbia 3, Lake-Lehman 0
Central Columbia“1`2 — 3
Lake-Lehman`0`0 — 3
First Half — 1, Quinlan Blake (Haley Bull) 29:49. Second Half– 2, CC, Joey Devlin (Bull) 27:29; 3, CC, Bull (Devlin) 24:52.
Shots at goal — CC 18, LL 13. Goalie saves — CC 4 (Braelyn Moran), LL 9 (Kathryn Morgan). Corner kicks — CC 4, LL 5.