Media Center
Related Topics
Related Stories
It was a mad dash, one for which Jenna Hunter will always be fondly remembered by her Donegal field hockey teammates.
A swift senior forward, Hunter dodged a defender, then pulled the goalie out of position before firing in the game-winning goal to lift the Indians over Oley Valley 2-1 in overtime to capture the District Three Class AA field hockey title Saturday at Milton Hershey.
It was Donegal's first district championship since 1990 and, along with the 1972 crown, just the third in school history.
"Jenna played it perfectly," Donegal coach Jessica Shellenberger said of Hunter's game-winning burst, which began just across midfield and ended when she pushed the ball into the cage.
"A million thoughts ran through my head," said Hunter, one of only two seniors who start for the Indians (21-4). "I saw I got the goalie off her angle, and I was going to put that ball in [the cage] no matter what."
It was a dramatic conclusion to a well-played district final, the last for longtime Oley Valley coach Donna Long, who led the Lynx to six district titles in nine finals appearances during her 23-year coaching career at the Berks County school.
Long said that she thought it was a pretty game by both teams, and that Donegal "for three-quarters of the game, had us on our heels."
After a scoreless first half, Donegal broke out on top 6:37 after intermission when Mary Lynam lunged for a ball that Olivia Leaman had fired toward the cage on a penalty corner. "I knew it was a great insert and a great shot [by Leaman], and I was low and I just put my stick on it and put [the ball] in," said the sophomore forward.
"It was a very well-executed corner on their part," Long said of Lynam's goal.
While a penalty corner gives the offense an advantage in the number of players in the circle, Donegal's goal actually came while the Indians were playing a man down. Junior midfielder Laura Gebhart was issued a yellow card, and she actually was allowed to return to the game after her five-minute penalty just as Lynam finished off that corner.
The Lynx (23-2), whose only previous loss was to Wilson in the Berks League final, got back into it when Brittany Krall converted a penalty stroke with 7:52 left to even the score.
That sent the game into the first of two possible 15-minute, sudden victory overtime periods. The Indians, who hadn't been extended to overtime all year, were nonetheless confident going into the extra period.
"We practice it a lot, and we know we're fast, so we were pretty sure we could win it in overtime," said junior goalie Jess Garber, who made stopped three of the four shots she faced. "When I saw Jenna go, I was like 'Yeah, we got this.' I just knew she'd score."
"I just thought to myself that I was going to put this ball in," Hunter said, "and if not, I knew one of my teammates would be there to clean up my scraps."
There were no leftovers for her teammates this time, as Hunter found the cage and the Indians got their title.
• While Donegal got the gold, Lancaster Mennonite ended up fourth, losing a 1-0 decision to Palmyra in the third-place game on Stefani Day's penalty stroke with 7:23 left to play for the Cougars.
In the fifth-place game, Milton Hershey overwhelmed East Pennsboro 5-0 to earn District Three's final berth for the state tournament.
Donegal will open PIAA play at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hershey High School against District One third-place finisher Springfield-Montco. Mennonite will play District 11 champ Lehighton at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehall.
pkauffman@lnpnews.com
(2621)
