Press "Enter" to skip to content

Wilson loses to Lower Dauphin in overtime in PIAA Class 3A field hockey final

MECHANICSBURG — It wasn’t the storybook ending that Wilson’s field hockey players had envisioned.

The Bulldogs lost 3-2 to Lower Dauphin on a goal with 25 seconds left in the first seven-on-seven, sudden-victory overtime period in the PIAA Class 3A final Saturday at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.

“I mean we gave it our all and I know our underclassmen are going to work so much harder next year to make our goal happen,” said senior Emma Staron. “It wasn’t the result that we wanted but I’m proud of how all played together.”

Wilson seniors were looking to come full circle. They were part of a team that beat Lower Dauphin in the state final when they were freshmen in 2019.

They were close to making it happen again.

The Wilson field hockey team poses with the trophy after finishing second in PIAA Class 3A. (BRIAN SMITH ??

“I think there were a couple of things we needed to do just a little bit better,” Wilson coach Kim Underwood said. “But both teams played great hockey today. Really good hockey today. And I know they’re sad right now. But I think eventually they’re going to hold their heads up and realize that we just finished second in the state, second in the state to a really good team. And our girls hung tough. They played smart. They played hard, a lot of good things today, a lot of good things. Lower Dauphin played a great game as well.”

The Falcons (26-0), who beat the Bulldogs in OT in the District 3 final two weeks prior, scored on their first shot of the game. Avery Pollock scored on a hard shot off a corner with 8:53 left in the first quarter.

Berks champion Wilson (24-3-1) took control of the game in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs tied it when Staron scored an unassisted goal with 9:38 left in the first half, then took the lead when Alexis Hoffman scored off an assist from Staron with 1:39 left in the first half.

Wilson's Sydney Stuhl competes with Lower Dauphin's Maddy Weaver for a loose ball near the LD goal during the PIAA 3A championship Saturday, Nov. 19, at Cumberland Valley. (Austin Hertzog - MediaNews Group)
Wilson’s Sydney Stuhl competes with Lower Dauphin’s Maddy Weaver for a loose ball near the LD goal during the PIAA 3A championship Saturday, Nov. 19, at Cumberland Valley. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons tied it with 11 minus left when Laney Johns scored off an assist from Katelyn Strawser.

Wilson pressured late, getting three corners in a span of a little over a minute that began with about four minutes left. The Bulldogs got three good shots on goal, but Payton Killian made saves on each.

That sent the game to OT, and Pollock — who assisted on the Strawser’s winning goal in OT in the district final — ended it with a blast from the right side of the cage.

“We did a lot of the things right, just sometimes the ball bounces the wrong way and the wrong thing happens but yeah, what a great game of hockey,” Underwood said. “We lost to a great team.”

Wilson goalie Catherine Wolf makes a save in the fourth quarter of the PIAA 3A championship against Lower Dauphin Saturday, Nov. 19, at Cumberland Valley. (Austin Hertzog - MediaNews Group)
Wilson goalie Catherine Wolf makes a save in the fourth quarter of the PIAA 3A championship against Lower Dauphin Saturday, Nov. 19, at Cumberland Valley. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Staron will take much from her four years playing field hockey at Wilson. She’s made friends and developed relationships that she said she is sure will endure.

“Our team is one big family and we work so hard and we’ve made so many memories that are going to last forever,” she said.

As the team gathered around the trophy, Underwood emphasized that finishing second in the state is still pretty good.

“It’s okay to be sad, you know, throughout the rest of the evening,” she said she told her team. “Go feel some love from your parents and realize that you’re still great people and that the sun comes up tomorrow the same no matter if we won or lost today.

“They’ll be fine. These girls will be fine. They have a lot of life and a lot of hockey ahead of them. They’re gonna be just fine. The seniors, a lot of them are heading off to do big, great things. And they’re going to remember what they learned here because really, that’s what it’s about. My goal is to develop women of character through the sport of field hockey, and I believe we do that, and I think these girls respond well to that.”


Source: Berkshire mont

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply