Oley Valley is one victory from earning the third state field hockey title in its history.
Lackawanna Trail is seeking its first.
The two programs will meet Saturday in the PIAA Class 1A final at Cumberland Valley High School at 11 a.m.
“They’re in the state final, so I think any team that gets here is going to be ready to go, and a team that’s obviously hit their stride at this point in the season,” Oley Valley coach Tiffany Cappellano said. “I think we’re going to get a very aggressive game out of them. It’s probably going to be very fast like Tuesday night (a 4-3 win over West Perry in the semifinals) was.”
The District 2 champion Lions (17-4-2) won their seventh straight when they beat District 4 champ Lewisburg 5-0 in the semifinals to earn their first trip to the final since 1984 and second overall.
Lackawanna Trail jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and led 4-0 at the half.
Lena Ryon, a Central Michigan commit, had a goal and two assists, and Emma Thomas scored three goals.
Ryon leads the team with 40 goals and 17 assists this season. Greta Krimmel has 28 goals and 10 assists, and Thomas has 11 goals.
In states, the Lions have beaten Elco, the seventh-place team from District 3, 1-0 in the first round, then Bishop McDevitt, the third-place team from District 3, 3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinals.
The Lynx (26-1-1) and Lions share two opponents. Oley beat McDevitt 2-1 in OT in the District semifinals.
The other common opponent is Crestwood, both on the road. Lackawanna Trail’s last loss was 2-1 to the Comets on Oct. 16. Three days earlier, Crestwood beat Oley 4-3.
The Lynx are making their ninth state final appearance, fourth in the last eight years and third in the last five.
They won the championship in 1997 — when Cappellano, whose maiden name is Leister, was one of the team’s standouts — and in 2000.
They’re other appearances were in 1995, 2003, 2005, 2016, 2019 and 2021.
Taylor Vaccaro leads the balanced Lynx with 31 goals and 76 points. She also has 14 assists.
Morgan Snyder has 22 goals and 15 assists, Izzy Buehler has 21 goals and five assists, Mia Woodard has 16 goals and eight assists, Kadyn Rhoads has 14 goals and three assists, and Ava Walters has 11 goals and eight assists.
Molly Rothenberger and Olivia Scatamacchia anchor a defense that has allowed more than one goal in just five games this season and has 14 shutouts.
“We like to focus on ourselves,” Cappellano said. “We feel that if we focus on ourselves, if we take care of the things we can control, that the success will take care of itself. That’s kind of where our mindset is at right now.”
Source: Berkshire mont