On the surface, a two-goal deficit seems like a tall mountain to climb.
Media Center
Related Topics
Related Stories
Hempfield coach Julianne Bojanic doesn't see it that way. If you can get that first score, she believes, fortunes can change pretty quickly.
The Black Knights proved their coach's belief true Saturday when they rallied to knock off Manheim Central, 3-2, in the District Three Class AAA field hockey quarterfinals at Penn Manor.
Eighth-seeded Hempfield moved on to face No. 13 Hershey in the semifinals at a site and time to be determined Tuesday. Central is still alive for a state tournament berth and will go through the playback round.
In the other quarterfinal played in Millersville, third-seeded Cocalico lost to No. 6 Lower Dauphin, 5-1.
It sure didn't look like Hempfield was going to advance when the game reached halftime. The Knights trailed 2-0 and they didn't have a shot on goal.
The momentum dramatically shifted after Katy Fuhrman scored 6:59 into the second half. Suddenly, the Knights' deficit was one goal and that mountain appeared a lot smaller.
"Once we got the first one in, that really got the girls into it even more," Bojanic said. "Everything really started falling in place and we started playing the way we needed to play."
It took Hempfield only 10:49 to turn its 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Just four minutes after Fuhrman's goal, Lauren Brooks scored to tie the game. Six minutes after that, Laken Gehris pushed one home to put the Knights ahead to stay.
It was a swift turn of events and Central couldn't recover.
"The girls came out really flat after the half," Central coach Janelle Benner said. "We talked about that. We talked about coming out fired up and being ready to play because Hempfield was going to be ready to come at us in the second half. Instead, we were on our heels. We just gave it to them."
Central ran into some back luck along the way. Gehris' shot deflected off a Barons defender and over the head of goalie Molly Hershey. That score proved to be the difference.
At the end of the first half, Central was poised to continue its underdog run through this tournament. The 17th-seeded Barons, who knocked off top-seeded Dallastown in the first round, dominated Hempfield early.
Logan Hollinger and Sarah Bomberger scored goals in the final 5:38 of the opening half to create that 2-0 advantage.
Fuhrman's goal unsettled the Barons.
"Maybe that psyched them out a little bit," said Benner, whose team will face Conrad Weiser in a playback game Tuesday. "I'm not sure. They lost a little bit of confidence in the second half and they just couldn't gain it back."
Hempfield is seeking its first district title since 1989. The Knights have defeated Lancaster-Lebanon League rivals Warwick and Central on their way to the semis. It's a breakthrough for this collection of players.
"It's huge," Bojanic said. "The semifinals is big and it's definitely farther than any of the girls have gone. It has been a long time since we were in states, too, so this is an exciting way to keep the season rolling."
Lower Dauphin 5, Cocalico 1: Cocalico started fast, scoring the game's first goal 59 seconds into the first half, before fading against the defending district champions.
Bre White scored three goals to lead Lower Dauphin, which completely controlled play. The Falcons held a 25-5 edge in shots and a 15-4 edge in penalty corners.
"We didn't play as a team," Cocalico coach Krista Page said. "We stood, we watched and we didn't play together."
Liza Morgan scored the lone goal for Cocalico. The Section Two champs will face Cumberland Valley in a playback game Tuesday.
(2364)
