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By STEVE SEMBRAT
[email protected]
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 Page: 1B
FACTORYVILLE – Crestwood had to rebound in more ways than one on Monday
to defeat Lackawanna Trail.
The Comets had to shake off a late first-half game-tying goal by the Lions.
Plus, they needed to start producing second-chance opportunities, something
missing from their game in the first 30 minutes.
Crestwood accomplished both objectives in impressive fashion during the
second half of the Wyoming Valley Conference field hockey game, pulling away
with a 5-1 victory.
Amie Survilla scored twice, including the go-ahead goal on a rebound with
16:02 left to play. Caitlin McCurdy, Jess Lawton and Krysta Martinez added
goals as the Comets got rolling in the final minutes.
Katie Snyder scored for Trail 22 seconds before halftime.
“We definitely picked it up in the second half,” said Crestwood coach
Elvetta Gemski. “There were good efforts by everyone on the field.”
The Comets (14-1 against all WVC team, 10-0 in Class 2A play) remained on a
collision course with Lake-Lehman (150, 10-0) for the division title. Each
team has one 2A game remaining, then the teams meet at Crestwood at 4:15 p.m.
on Monday in the regular-season finale.
“At the end of the first half, we knew we could lose the game,” Survilla
said. “Mrs. Gemski gave us our inspirational speech and we picked it up in
the second half.”
Crestwood outshot Trail 12-3 in the first half and grabbed a 1-0 lead by
Survilla 3:23 into the contest.
Trail’s defense, however, was getting to loose balls near goal and clearing
them out of harm’s way before the Comets could get off any rebound shots.
“Give credit to Trail,” Gemski said. “They played some tough defense.”
Snyder’s goal, which came after the Crestwood defense misplayed a bouncing
ball, gave the Lions hope of a much-needed win.
Trail (9-6-0, 6-4-0) is in a three-way battle with Meyers (12-2-1, 7-2-1)
and Dallas (7-5-1, 6-3-1) for the fourth and District 2 Class 2A playoff
berth. Knocking off Crestwood would have been a huge plus for the Lions
because Meyers and Dallas had already lost to the Comets.
However, in the second half it was Crestwood that looked in desperate need
of a victory. The Comets held Trail without a shot on goal for the first 27
minutes and created rebound shots that eventually wore out the Lions’ defense.
Survilla’s second goal came on a second effort, and gave her 31 in league
play, tops in the WVC.
“Even at her level, she is getting better every game,” Gemski said of
Survilla, who was named the U.S. Under-16 National Team during the summer.
“She continues to improve.”
McCurdy scored when her blast ricocheted of a defender’s stick, Lawton
converted a penalty stroke and Martinez scored off a nifty feed from McCurdy.
“We were getting good efforts at all points of the field,” Gemski said of
her team’s second-half surge. “We picked it up.”