RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport players react at the conclusion of a PIAA Class A playoff game against Lancaster Mennonite at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.
Once the horn sounded at Balls Mills on Tuesday night, the tears started falling for South Williamsport’s players on the pitch. Underclassmen, juniors, seniors. It didn’t matter the grade level, everyone who was wearing a blue and white uniform was upset.
This wasn’t the way South Williamsport hoped its season would end. After back-to-back state quarterfinal trips, and nearly reaching the state semifinals last year, South Williamsport was looking for another November run deep into the tournament. But the Mounties’ season came to an abrupt end in the first round of the Class A state tournament.
South Williamsport fell to Lancaster Mennonite on a chilly Tuesday evening, 2-1, as the Blazers advanced to the state quarterfinals on Saturday.
“I couldn’t be prouder of them as a coach not only in terms of what they’ve accomplished on the field, but we went through the entire season without any drama. That’s because we had great leadership, no egos, we had fantastic camaraderie, we had great work ethics,” South Williamsport coach Marc Lovecchio said. “We won the league championship, we were undefeated league champions, we won districts and we made it to states. We were 19-2-1. I’ll take that.”
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport’s Maddy Reidy (15) moves the ball during the second period of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.
Within the span of five minutes in the first half, the Blazers took control of the game and never let South Williamsport tie the game or rally.
The Mounties held an early 1-0 lead just six minutes into the game when South’s Kloey Persun took a shot from 25 yards out and sent it high, just underneath the crossbar toward the right upper 90 for a 1-0 lead.
But from there, the Blazers kept pressuring and eventually were able to get a shot to fall.
“All year we’ve started fast, so we know the importance of scoring early. So when we went down 1-0, we had talked about certain movements which worked because you pull them out and we had to push up higher,” Lancaster Mennonite coach Sean Boer said. “We knew we had to score early because second half, we’ve done this formula all year where we score early and we hold in the second half. So it was like OK, we got to push because we have to get those first-half goals.”
That’s precisely what the Blazers did in the second half once they took a lead.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport’s Maddy Reidy moves the ball past a Lancaster Mennonite player during the second period of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.
With 23:03 to play until halftime, Avery King was able to score from 10 yards out and tie up the game at 1-all. Five minutes later, it was Leah Friesen who gave the Blazers the lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Friesen got a breakaway from 40 yards out and got the ball to just inside of the 18. That’s when she rifled a shot to her right toward the post for the 2-1 lead.
“The second goal hurt us. Did they get any chances in the second half? I’m not sure if they did,” Lovecchio said. “It wasn’t like they were packing it in, they were just withstanding our pressure. This is the state tournament, you’re not going to play bad teams.”
South and Lancaster Mennonite each recorded eight shots on goal, and the Blazers had four in each half. But in the second half, South Williamsport came out aggressive and applied pressure trying to get an equalizer to fall. The Mounties recorded seven shots in the second half, but only three were on frame as numerous went just high or wide of the goal.
“We had a lot of chances, but I thought we dominated the second half. We had the ball in their half, but you got to give them credit. They’re very organized defensively, they blocked a lot of shots,” Lovecchio said. “They marked us and they always had a second person containing. They have really good players. Not much we can do. The second goal, she just ran down and that was a nice goal. First goal she got opened down the side.”
South had a handful of chances in the second half to tie it. With 29:45 to play in the game, the Mounties had a free kick from outside of the 18, but it was sent into the box and no shot was able to be attempted.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lancaster Mennonite players celebrate at the conclusion of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.
With 20:40 to play, South Williamsport’s Ella Moore fired a shot from 25 yards out that Lancaster Mennonite goalie Dakoda Kraenbring was able to block, but it went out of bounds to result in a corner kick. Persun sent in a great corner kick to the 6 and Moore read it perfectly, but the header by Moore went just high.
“We were able to watch their district final game, so we had a pretty good idea of how they like to attack and we know No. 13, Ella, we know how many goals she’s scored,” Boer said. “So she’s part of the strategy when she gets the ball, she’s doubled up right away. We know they like to play up back and through, so we said they played up, moment they play it back, we dropped.”
Once Lancaster Mennonite had the lead, the second half game plan was a simple one: limit South’s dangerous offense. That included not letting Moore, Abby Akers, Olivia Loudenslager, Persun or others get in position to make a great play.
“Don’t let them get behind you, double up on Ella and then in the middle, our center-mid doubled up on their strikers and tried to counter (what they did),” Boer said.
The Blazers’ back line played well in regards to limiting what South’s offense tried to do and not allowing anyone to get a good look at the goal. The only shots South Williamsport recorded in the final 40 minutes came from headers by Moore and Ana Oeler.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport’s Kloey Persun (31) battles with Lancaster Mennonite’s Avery Moses (20) for control of a header during the second period of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.
Lancaster Mennonite 2, South Williamsport 1
(PIAA Class A playoffs)
SW–Kloey Persun, 34:03. LM–Avery King, 23:03. LM–Leah Friesen, 18:20.
Shots: LM 8, SW 8. Corners: LM 3, SW 4. Saves: LM 7 (Dakoda Kraenbring), SW 6 (Althea Street)
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport’s Ella Moore collides with a Lancaster Mennonite player during the first period of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport players celebrate a goal by Kloey Persun during the first period of a PIAA Class A playoff game against Lancaster Mennonite at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport’s Coco Kline (10) battles with Lancaster Mennonite’s Avery Moses (20) for control during the first period of a PIAA Class A playoff game at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport goalie Althea Street blocks a shot during the first period of a PIAA Class A playoff game against Lancaster Mennonite at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
South Williamsport goalie Althena Street blocks a shot during the second period of a PIAA District 4 Class A playoff game against Lancaster Mennonite at Balls Mills Soccer Club on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Lancaster won 2-1.