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Surprise.

They’re here, crashing the PIAA’s field hockey party.

A Holy Redeemer team that’s never been to states before, let alone the Final Four of Pennsylvania.

A Lake-Lehman squad that hasn’t been this far in over a decade.

And a Crestwood club known for being a regular around the state’s grand ballroom, is making a fifth straight late run that’s been hardly routine.

They’ll all be at Whitehall High School’s Zephyr Sports Complex to play out their dreams of securing a spot in the state finals during a tripleheader.

It all begins with a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game between Crestwood and Merion Mercy at 3 p.m. , followed by both Class A semifinal showdowns, beginning with a battle of unbeatens puts 20-0-1 Lake-Lehman up against 25-0 Oley Valley at 5 p.m. and ending with Redeemer’s tangle with Maryland-bound Mayv Clune and Moravian Academy at 7 p.m.

“I think it shows our conference is still one of the strongest in the nation,” first-year Holy Redeemer coach Maura McCormick said. “It has been for a really long time.”

For Lehman, it seems like it’s taken forever to find a way back to a state championship path.

The Black Knights won the WVC’s second of 13 state championships in 1996 and captured the PIAA Class 2A title again in 2002, but haven’t made the state title game since.

What’s more, Lehman’s state playoff appearance last year was made brief with a 2-0 loss to Clune and Moravian Academy, then watched star scorer Kate Supey go off to college to play for Syracuse.

But the Black Knights brought back nine starters and haven’t lost since, winning the difficult WVC Division 1 and District 2 Class A titles before blasting two state opponents by a combine 12-1 score.

“Am I surprised our team has matured into this? No,” Lake-Lehman coach Jean Lipski said. “I knew we had the talent and potential to go this far. But when you get this far, you need that, you need the right maturity, and you need a little luck with the way the ball bounces.”

Lehman isn’t lacking for confidence and comes off Carey-Anne Keiper’s hat trick in an 8-0 win over Lehighton in Saturday’s quarterfinals. Division I-bound stars Taylor Alba, Sarah Sabaluski and Lilli Stepanski lead the way, backed by offensive firepower from Izzy Radel and a stingy defense sparked by Lynea Gregory and directed by goalie Alicia Galasso.

The Black Knights will be battling an Oley Valley squad that’s posted 17 shutouts and surrendered just nine goals all season behind a dominating defense and senior goalie Caitlin Drobek. The Lynx are sparked by the scoring punch of freshmen Sophia Gladieuxc and Sarah Beers, but boast other playmakers in Madison Kline, Sam Buzalewski, Shannon Lackey and Becca Heffner.

“We have to play a solid game,” Lipski said. “We have to believe for 60 minutes we can control the game and play good field hockey. The seniors have played together now for several years. Nine of these kids played most of last year. They know each other’s tendencies. They communicate well with teach other, they’re supporting one another.”

Crestwood’s at the opposite end of the room.

The Comets graduated a senior class filled with Division I college players after their fourth straight trip to the PIAA Class 2A semifinals ended with an overtime loss to eventual state champ Twin Valley last season, leaving Crestwood surrounded by uncertainty this year.

“Just because of how young we were,” Crestwood coach Patsy Moratori said, “and how many people we had to replace from last year.”

A handful of kids coming back were key for the Comets, though, as forward Jordan Olenginski, point-producer Mackenzie Kile and this year’s top scorer Arden Morgans guided Crestwood’s offense through the season, while stellar defender Katie Karpinski and goalie Marlee Dillon made things miserable for opposing offenses.

The 15-5-1 Comets didn’t claim a crown in the revamped WVC Division 1 or the District 2 tournament — where they lost 2-0 to Wyoming Valley West, but may be peaking a the perfect time. They took down defending state champ Twin Valley in a PIAA opener, then clubbed West Chester East 5-1 in the quarterfinals.

“Even though we lost that game against Valley West, I thought that game gave them a lot of confidence,” Moratori said. “I think they knew they played well. It takes a good amount of skill, but a lot of luck to get here, too. I think it’s their determination. They really came a long way to play together as a team. Their determination has helped them a lot.”

The Comets will battle an equally gritty team in Merion Mercy, which upset fellow state semifinalist Villa Maria Academy and then beat Mount St. Joseph to win the District 1 title before advancing to the school’s first Final Four game since 2008.

The 19-4 Golden Bears used big goals by Caroline Stellar to build momentum through the postseason, and use a complement of scorers including Jame Natale, Allie Scannapieco, Margo Carlin and Kelsey Farkas to produce points. Meanwhile, goalie Shannon Bedrossian hasn’t allowed a goal during the first two rounds of states.

“I think everyone’s going to need to put their best game on the field,” Moratori said, “and play hard for 60 minutes.”

Holy Redeemer is enjoying every minute of its first PIAA ride.

The 16-1 Royals, who suffered their lone loss against Lehman in overtime during the District 2 Class A title game, are coming off an 8-0 bashing of Bellville Mennonite and ride a plethora of scoring options — from top shooters Leah Mullery, Kayla Kruk, Talia Kosierowski, Abby Shorts and McKenna Dolan to sneaky scorers Jessioe Ornoski, Emily Easton and Caton Fahey.

“We have a really great team,” McCormick said. “Every player has a great attitude, I knew that from our preseason testing and their attitudes make it so easy for me to coach them. I knew I had really great players. But sometimes, you get on that state stage, nerves get in the way.”

The Royals are facing one of District 11’s most dymanic players.

Clune hit a hat trick in three straight postseason games for Moravian Academy, including a four-goal, two-assist performance in a state-opening 6-0 win. She has 39 goals despite missing a handful of games of her senior season while taking college visits, and with 39 goals is three shy of matching the Moravian Academy mark of 42 that she set as a junior last season.

The 23-1 Lions also get scoring supplement from freshman Cassie Romanczuk, Cicily Redfern and Vivian Simnone, while a trio of goalies — Katie Keller, Caroline Spugnardi and Brienne Gable — have combined to shut out two PIAA opponents.

“I think we just have to play the way we’ve been playing,” McCormick said. “We have to have a strong offense.”

Lake-Lehman midfielder Makayla Adams (18) and the unbeaten Black Knights charge into the state field hockey semifinals against 25-0 Oley Valley at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehall High School.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316FHLehighton1CMYK-1.jpg.optimal.jpgLake-Lehman midfielder Makayla Adams (18) and the unbeaten Black Knights charge into the state field hockey semifinals against 25-0 Oley Valley at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehall High School. Sean McKeag | Times Leader

By Paul Sokoloski

[email protected]

FIELD HOCKEY

Class 2A

First Round

Merion Mercy 8, Gettysburg 0

Monsignor Bonner 4, E. Pennsboro 0

Crestwood 2, Twin Valley 1

W. Chester East 4, Southern Lehigh 3

Donegal 4, West Chester Henderson 1

Mt. St. Joseph 5, Lampeter Strasburg 1

Villa Maria 3, Wyo. Valley West 2

Selinsgrove 1, Manheim Central 0

Saturday’s Quarterfinals

Merion Mercy 4, Monsignor Bonner 0

Crestwood 5, West Chester East 1

Donegal 10, Mount Saint Joseph 1

Villa Maria 5, Selinsgrove 1

Tuesday’s Semifinals

District and Seedings in parentheses

• Crestwood (2-2) vs. Merion Mercy (1-1), 3 p.m. at Whitehall HS

• Donegal (4-1) vs. Villa Maria (3-2), 5 p.m. at Twin Valley HS

Class A

First Round

Lake-Lehman 4, Annville-Cleona 1

Lehighton 1, New Hope Solebury 0

Oley Valley 2, Chirstopher Dock 1

Newport 3, Line Mountain 2

Greenwood 3, Gwynedd Mercy 1

Moravian Academy 6, Bloomsburg 0

Holy Redeemer 2, Boiling Springs 1

Bellville Mennonite 2, Ellis 1

Saturday’s Quarterfinals

Lake-Lehman 8, Lehighton 0

Oley Valley 3, Newport 1

Moravian Academy 5, Greenwood 0

Holy Redeemer 8, Bellville Mennonite 0

Tuesday’s Semifinals

At Whitehall HS

District and Seedings in parentheses

• Lake-Lehman (2-1) vs. Oley Valley (3-1), 5 p.m.

Moravian Academy (11-1) vs. Holy Redeemer (2-2), 7 p.m.

Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski