With his team needing a victory to keep its season alive, Chase Reifsnyder played one of the best games of his career.
The senior scored a career-high four goals to lift No. 8 seed Oley Valley to a 5-0 win over No. 9 Millersburg in the opening round of the District 3 Class 2A boys soccer playoffs on Tuesday night at Oley.
“(It was a) typical Chase Reifsnyder performance,” Lynx coach Shawn Meals said. “When we need something, he shows up.”
Reifsnyder scored the game’s final four goals, finding the back of the net once in the first half and three times in the second half. He entered as Oley Valley’s leading scorer with 12 goals and 11 assists.
“It feels pretty good,” Reifsnyder said about his performance. “It just feels good to win.”
The Lynx (13-8) took a 1-0 lead early in the first half on a goal by junior Josh Wagner. The score was set up by an Oley Valley corner kick, as the ball was sent into the box and, after several deflections, found Wagner, who finished.
The Lynx made it 2-0 midway through the half, as Reifsnyder scored his first goal. Junior Hunter Schlegel was credited with the assist.
Oley Valley poured it on in the second half, as Reifsnyder scored three goals in the span of eight minutes. The Lynx finished with 16 shots on goal.
Reifsnyder’s second goal was set up by an assist from junior Johnny Turchi. His third goal was off of a corner kick from senior Keal Brown, who earned an assist. Reifsnyder’s final goal came on a breakaway with less than nine minutes remaining, putting the finishing touches on a dominant performance.
“Today, we kept it hot,” Reifsnyder said. “We didn’t take more touches than we needed to, we made the passes we needed to and executed when we had to.”
On defense, Oley Valley allowed five shots by Millersburg (13-5-1). The Indians’ best chance to score came on a penalty kick with two minutes to go in the second half, but senior goalkeeper Tyler Drobek made the save.
“If they actually show up and play, they can play with the best in the district,” Meals said about his team. “It was a team effort defensively.”
The Lynx now turn their focus to the quarterfinals, where they will play at No. 1 seed Fleetwood on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Tigers had a first-round bye.
“Every time we play Fleetwood, there’s no need to give any motivational talks,” Meals said. “We’re next-door neighbors.”
The two teams met in the county quarterfinals earlier this month, with Oley Valley upsetting top-seeded Fleetwood 2-1 to crush the Tigers’ hopes of repeating as Berks champions. Saturday’s rematch will be Fleetwood’s first game since the loss.
“We definitely stirred the hornet’s nest in the first (matchup),” Meals said. “Be ready for a fight.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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