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WRIGHT TWP. — Maybe it was a gut feeling in a pregame speech. Maybe Ruby Mattson is secretly a prognosticator. Maybe it was nothing and she’s simply a talented a soccer player.
Whatever means she used to forecast, the Dallas captain surmised the golden goal that happened 86 minutes later. Prior to the game, Mattson told her team to remember a goal she scored back on Sept. 12 – the last time her team faced Crestwood.
Because that’s the exact way Mattson telegraphed the goal that sent No. 4 Dallas to the District 2 Class 2A semifinals with a 2-1 victory over the Comets.
“The first time we played them I had a similar goal on a breakthrough,” Mattson said. “And I mentioned in our huddle before the game. I said, ‘Remember how easy we got a simple goal the first time we played them. Remember that play!’”
A wide-eyed Mattson saw a golden opportunity on a perfectly played ball from Hollie Holthaus. She was able to beat a defender and telegraphed a shot past Crestwood keeper McKenna Mera and into the net.
Dallas avenges a 2-1 loss to Crestwood – its first loss to any WVC outside of Berwick in three seasons – from earlier in the season. The Mountaineers will take on the winner of Friday’s Coughlin-North Pocono matchup with a PIAA berth on the line.
“We didn’t do what we should have done during the regular season,” Dallas coach Abe Lewis said. “And we had two losses that set us back. It’s a little harder draw. Over the last couple of years, we’ve always had a No. 1 or 2 seed. It just makes it all the more challenging.”
The Comets carried all the momentum from their earlier victory into the first half at their chilly home turf. Two solid chances at goal culminated in a nice upper half save from Dallas keeper Rachel Nelligan and a ringing of the top post on a Sam Brumagin open-look screamer in the 26th minute.
Crestwood found the net on a cross pass from Brumagin to freshman Bella Termini. Termini pounced on the chance and rifled it into goal.
“Our game is possession,” Crestwood coach Russ Kile said. “They were tired, and we started going into the direct soccer thing. That was our problem, we started going big. And Abe is a good coach and capitalized on it.”
Something changed in the Dallas demeanor from the start of the second half. Holthaus equalized the score in the 48th minute from a Crestwood defensive breakdown. Olivia Kimmerle sent a cross pass that allowed Holthaus to slip into the box and tap it into the net.
“We just came out a little slow in the first half. We didn’t come out on top (of our game),” Lewis said. “I told them in the second half that we needed to flip the score. And that’s what we did. We came out in the second half and played a completely different game.
Ninety seconds later, Tiffany Zukosky nearly added the go-ahead on a rainbow shot from 37 yards away that just nicked the top bar.
Rachel Nelligan finished with three saves for Dallas. McKenna Mera made five saves.
Wyoming Valley West 8, Hazleton Area 1
Audrey Williams found the back of the net four times and Tiffany Michalek scored three times to lead Wyoming Valley West past Hazleton Area. Lauren Thoryk scored the other goal for the Spartans as they out shot the Cougars 32-4 during the contest.
Madison Polumbo scored the only goal of the night for Hazleton Area.
Wyoming Valley West will move on to play Williamsport on Tuesday.
Dallas 2, Crestwood 1 (OT)
Dallas`0`1`1`—`2
Crestwood`1`0`0`—`1
First half — 1. CRE, Bella Termini (Sam Brumagin), 33rd minute. Second half — 2. DAL, Hollie Holthaus (Olivia Kimmerle), 48th. Overtime – 3. DAL, Ruby Mattson (Holthhaus), 86th
Shots — DAL 15, CRE 10. Saves — DAL 3 (Rachel Nelligan); CRE 5 (McKenna Mera). Corner kicks — DAL 3, CRE 2.
Wyoming Valley West 8, Hazleton Area 1
First half — 1. WVW, Tiffany Michalek, 4:48.2. WVW, Michalek, 10:02. 3. WVW, Lauren Thoryk, 10:48. 4. WVW, Audrey Williams (Emma Bakewell), 22:25. 5. WVW, Williams (Emily Matthews), 32:57. 6. WVW, Michalek, 38:07. 7. WVW, Williams, 39:15. Second half — 8. WVW, Williams, 54:12. 9. HAZ, Polumbo, 68:16.
Shots — HAZ 4; WVW 32. Saves — HAZ 20 (Bonin); WVW 3 (Emma Grimes, Danielle Cook, Alyssa Simmers). Corner kicks — HAZ 0; WVW 6.