Wyoming Area’s Lucia Campenni keeps the ball moving as Boiling Springs Kayla Fry follows.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
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Wyoming Area’s Ainsley Flynn works the ball near the sideline against Boiling Springs.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Juliana Gonzales and Boiling Springs’ Anna Lucido go to the ball in front of the goal in the third quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Lyla Rehill moves the ball while challenged by Boiling Springs’ Kandall Longenberger.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Lyla Rehill walks back to the team bench as Boiling Springs players celebrate a hard fought 1-0 win in the PIAA Class A semifinals on Tuesday.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
MILTON — In a game of limited opportunities, Boiling Springs made the most of the last one it produced.
The Bubblers did not manage a shot or penalty corner in the second half Tuesday night, but the goal they scored just before halftime held up for a 1-0 victory over Wyoming Area in a PIAA Class A state field hockey semifinal.
Boiling Springs advances to Saturday morning’s all-District 3 final against West Perry at Cumberland Valley.
District 2 champion Wyoming Area had its perfect season spoiled along with its hopes of appearing in a second state championship game in three years. The Bubblers also beat the Warriors 1-0 in the 2022 PIAA Class A final.
Boiling Springs barely threatened throughout the game, but it did an outstanding job of smothering what appeared like promising surges up the field by Wyoming Area.
“I think they triple-teamed a lot,” said Wyoming Area coach Bree Bednarski, whose team finished with 6-2 advantages in both shots at goal and penalty corners. “Whenever we got the ball, it seemed like there were three girls on top of us, which made it harder for our girls to get distributing.”
That approach protected a 1-0 Bubblers lead throughout the second half.
Boiling Springs scored with 1:41 left in the second quarter when Anna Lucido received Kate Yenser’s penalty corner insert at the top of the circle and fired a quick, low shot into the cage for the only score of the night.
“Ultimately, I think we did well,” Bednarski said. “There were just a lot of missed calls on the field that didn’t go our way.”
Bednarski voiced her displeasure late in the game, which was stopped briefly with 1:22 remaining for an official to issue her a green card, which amounts to a sideline warning.
The Wyoming Area coach was still upset with a call in the second half when a potential Warriors goal on a penalty corner was disallowed because the first shot was ruled to be dangerous.
“It’s kind of unfortunate that on our corner shot, they took back our goal,” Bednarski said. “It could have been even.”
The Warriors finished as unbeaten champions of Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 for the second straight season and, this time, added the first perfect regular season in program history. Wyoming Area took a 20-0 record into the state semifinal.
“I was very proud of this team,” Bednarski said. “They had a very good season this year. They deserve to be in the finals on Saturday.
“I’m really proud of the girls, but I’m mostly really sad for them because they worked really hard to get here and I can’t ask for any more for them.”
PIAA Class A semifinals
Boiling Springs 1, Wyoming Area 0
Boiling Springs`0`1`0`0 — 1
Wyoming Area`0`0`0`0 — 0
Second — 1. BS, Anna Lucido (Kate Yenser) 1:41.
Shots at goal — BS 2, WA 6. Goalie saves — BS 3 (Ellie Shoemaker), WA 0. Penalty corners — BS 2, WA 6.