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The United States women’s field hockey team, with two Wyoming Valley Conference graduates in the starting lineup, captured the Pan American Games title Friday night with a 2-1 victory over Argentina in Toronto.
Following Wednesday’s results, Team USA was assured of a spot in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, but the team still sought the prestige of a Pan Am Games title and the automatic Olympic berth that went with it as opposed to the equivalent of a “wild card” spot.
The United States came within two minutes of going the entire six-game tournament without allowing a goal before finally yielding to Argentina’s steady fourth-quarter pressure.
Scoring twice in the third quarter, the first goal for the US came after a penalty corner that was drawn by Kelsey Kolojejchick.
Kolojejchick, a midfielder and Wyoming Seminary graduate, and Paige Selenski, a forward and Dallas graduate, started all six games in the tournament. Kolojejchick scored seven goals to rank second among tournament scorers.
With their recent international peformances, Selenski, a 2012 Olympian, and Kolojejchick, as well as Kat Sharkey, another Wyoming Seminary graduate who missed the Pan Am Games with a broken ankle, are strong candidates to represent the United States when the Olympic roster is finalized next year.
SECTION 5
10-11 SOFTBALL
Pittston Area 8, Old Forge 2
Alexus Borthwick pitched a complete game and scored a run as Pittston Area advanced to the championship round. Tiara George (reached twice, two runs), Bernadette Lieback (double, two runs), Lauren Early (single, run), Desi Rogers (single, run) and Jianna Eike (single, run) helped pace Pittston Area.
Olivia Shimonis also went the distance for Old Forge while Skyy Peperno tripled and scored and Arianna Brown singled and scored.
Old Forge will play West Side in the elimination bracket at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pittston Township Little League. The winner faces Pittston Area at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the finals. Pittston Area needs just one more win to take the title and its opponent will need two.
10-11 BASEBALL
Mountain Top 10, Archbald 3
Ryan Petrosky got the win on the mound and had two doubles at the plate while Colin Williams added a double as Mountain Top defeated Archbald. Colin Wills, Josh Kollar and Adam Litchkofsky all had a pair of singles and both Nick Kruezer and Ethan Stolz singled.
On the Archbald side, Robert Rossi doubled and singled, Robert Basalyga and Zack Rudalavage both doubled and Kevin Williams and Rylei Kilmer each recorded singles.
Abington National 10,
Back Mountain National 0
Jake Stevens had a home run and a single, while Gavin Armbruster hit two doubles and was credited as the winning pitcher when Abrington National blanked Back Mountain National. Also at the plate for Abington National, Camden Vaughn and Luka Dennis both doubled, Michael Stanton had three singles and Matthew Tressler and Dominic Selvinis both singled.
Back Mountain National will now play Mountain Top in elimination game Saturday in Archbald at 5:30 p.m.
SECTION 5
JUNIOR BASEBALL
Back Mountain 12, Green Ridge 11
Darren Kerdesky was 2 for 3 at the plate, drove in the winning run and got the win on the mound as Back Mountain narrowly defeated Green Ridge. Both Mark Roginski and Patrick Zarola had a pair of singles with an RBI, C.J. Cercone had two hits and Alex Kapral, Zane Nardone and Todd Phillips had a singles for Back Mountain.
Green Ridge was led by David Blake, Vince Cimini, Ben Feibus and Jamus Vieira, who each scored runs as well as going 2 for 4 at the plate.
Back Mountain will face District 17 champion Abington in the finals. They will need to win Saturday’s game, which starts at 2:30 p.m. at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore, in order to force a second game at 5:30 p.m. for the Section 5 title and a trip to the state tournament.