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SOUTH CENTRE TWP. — Freshman Anna Mozeleski wasn’t on the field when Wyoming Seminary lost to Greenwood in the PIAA Class A field hockey state championship game last year. But she helped make sure Tuesday night only one of them would have a return trip.
And that team was the Blue Knights.
Mozeleski scored late in the first half and Seminary added three more in the final 30 minutes to defeat defending state champ Greenwood 4-0 in the semifinals at Central Columbia High School.
District 2 champion Seminary (20-2-1) will play District 3 third seed Newport at 10 a.m. Saturday at Whitehall High School for the championship. Newport defeated D3 runner-up Oley Valley 3-1 in its semifinal. D3 champion Greenwood ended its season at 21-2-1.
“I did happen to watch (the title game),” Mozeleski said. “And seeing how much we’ve improved and playing Greenwood again, I just couldn’t be happier for this team, for everyone, for the coaches. It’s not a miracle, we worked for it.”
Greenwood started strongly, but by midway through the first half Seminary started to ease away control. It eventually led to Mozeleski scoring from close range.
“We did have nerves,” Seminary coach Karen Klassner said. “The pressure was on us really because they’re the defending state champions and the only way we were going to advance was to beat them. So they were standing in our way. But they are a great program.”
And a program with one of the top players in the country in senior Paityn Wirth. The Blue Knights, though, approached defending Wirth differently than in last year’s championship game. This time there was no special attention.
“We didn’t,” Klassner said. “Basically, we learned a lesson from last year because we tried to stop her last year. This year we didn’t do anything special. We kept everything status quo because it’s gotten us this far.”
Wirth had her moments, but none were dangerous enough to make Seminary sweat on the 41-degree night. Of course, building on the 1-0 early in the second half helped mightily.
Less than three minutes into the final 30 minutes, Alex Wesneski made a strong run through the right side of the circle and blasted a shot toward the left post. Julia Christian redirected it past Greenwood goalie Kelsey Sheaffer.
Greenwood followed with a couple penalty corners and a pair of one-player advantages. Again, nothing of merit occurred as Seminary recorded its third shutout of the state playoffs.
“The defense, we definitely focus on working as a unit,” Seminary goalie Mia Magnotta said. “It’s not an individual sport. We communicate a lot. We know we have each others backs and that helps. We pick each other up when we’re down. I think that definitely helps with keeping these shutouts.”
Wesneski pretty much sewed things up with an unassisted goal with 9:53 to play. The Blue Knights, though, kept up the offensive pressure as Maxwell finished off the Wildcats by swatting in a goal while lying on the field with 3:28 remaining. Wesneski had the assist.
PIAA Class A Semifinals
Wyoming Seminary 4, Greenwood 0
Wyo. Seminary`1`3 — 4
Greenwood`0`0 — 0
First half — 1. WS, Anna Mozeleski (Hannah Maxwell). 2:23; Second half — 2. WS, Julia Christian (Alex Wesneski), 27:47; 3. WS, Wesneski, 9:53; 4. WS, Maxwell (Wesneski), 3:28.
Shots — GRE 8, SEM 5. Saves — GRE 5 (Kelsey Sheaffer), SEM 5 (Mia Magnotta). Penalty corners — GRE 4, SEM 5.
