KINGSTON — Near the very end of another dynamic defensive display, two tremendously resilient teams began thinking about extending their fierce battle into overtime.
Madison Woods didn’t want to go there.
And because of it, Wyoming Valley West is going back to a district title game and into the state playoffs.
Woods perfectly played the rebound of a blocked penalty corner shot and slid it into the cage with 95 seconds remaining on Friday, lifting Valley West over Dallas, 2-1 and into the District 2 Class 2A championship game.
“It was just all adrenaline,” Woods said. “I just really wanted to score. There was only a little bit of time left.”
Time enough for the Spartans to make it to states.
The 11-2-2 Spartans will face 13-1-1 Crestwood — which beat Coughlin 3-0 in the other district semifinal Friday — for the District 2 title at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Wyoming Seminary football field. Both teams will then advance to the PIAA Class 2A playoffs under this year’s new state system which split field hockey teams into three classifications.
“It just feels amazing. Everyone is so happy,” said Valley West coach Linda Fithian, whose Spartans will make their sixth District 2 title appearance in the last decade and won three of the past five Class 3A district titles. “I’m so glad we have this opportunity to play another game. We’re used to Triple-A, where only one team goes to states.”
Both teams thought they were going to play longer.
With time winding down in a 1-1 district semifinal game where defenses were dogged and scoring chances were few, both teams began plotting their strategies for an extra session. Valley West managed just seven shots for the game, while Dallas got off eight.
“It was just a great, hard-fought game,” Dallas coach Kylie Fisher said. “I was thinking, ‘OK, what’s our overtime plan going to be?’ They got that goal and sent the momentum away from us.
“We just ran out of time.”
The Valley West coaching staff also figured they’d be spending more time on the field at Spartan Stadium.
“We’re thinking it’s the final few minutes, that was it,” Fithian said. “They (the Spartans) do have a lot of confidence, they’re very calming. We’re the opposite, jumping up and down. They knew they were going to get that goal.”
Especially with Woods coming to the rescue.
Valley West drew a penalty corner with under two minutes to play, and Foto Tsioles rifled a shot that Dallas’ stalwart goalie Melinda Ratchford blocked.
But Woods scooped up the rebound and whipped the winning score into the right side of the cage with 1:35 remaining, sending the Spartans into celebration.
“It was the girls who set up the corner,” Woods said. “I kind of followed it and it hit the goalie and came right to me.”
That Woods wound up in the right place at the right time was no surprise to the Spartans.
“Madison’s our captain,” Fithian said. “Very spirited.”
That aptly described the game, despite the low number of scoring chances.
Natalie Zasada finally broke through for Valley West by taking a pass from Mercedes Jasterzenski and connecting on the game’s first goal 4:04 from halftime, but the Spartans hardly felt safe.
“We never expect easy games. Ever,” Woods said. “We knew this was going to be a hard game.”
Dallas made it more difficult for Valley West when Jolee Treslar tied the game by weaving through a scrum of players around the cage and flipping in a goal with 13:59 to play.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” said Fisher, whose Mountaineers finished at 9-7. “They worked so hard. As the season went on, they progressed. It was kind of hard to see with that corner. There were two minutes left and they got a corner and you’re like, ‘Oh, no.’ Then the goalie makes a great save.”
In the end, though, Woods saved the Valley West season by relishing the opportunity to hit the winning goal.
“Of course I do,” Woods grinned. “It’s not fun if you don’t have a little pressure on you.”
District 2 Class 2A Semifinals
Wyoming Valley West 2, Dallas 1
Dallas`0`1`—`1
Wyoming Valley West`1`1`—`2
First half — 1. WVW, Natalie Zasada (Mercedes Jasterzenski), 4:04. Second half — 2. DAL, Jolee Treslar, 13:59; 3. WVW, Madison Woods, 1:35.
Shots — DAL 8; WVW 7. Saves — DAL 5 (Melinda Ratchford); WVW 7 (Nikkie Hartzel 3, Sydney Rusnock 4). Penalty corners — DAL 5; WVW 3.
