After going two weeks without playing a game, Wyomissing returned to the pitch Saturday in the quarterfinals of the District 3A Class 2A boys soccer playoffs.
The No. 4 seed Spartans (15-4-1) regained their form and shut out fifth-seeded Greenwood 1-0 at Flannery Field in Wyomissing. With the win, the Spartans advance to the district semifinals for the first time since 2017.
“I thought we played well,” Wyomissing coach Eric Miller said. “(It was) very much a playoff game, where not everything is clean, not everything goes exactly the way you want.”
The Spartans’ lone goal came off the foot of senior Tyler Lentz on a penalty kick late in the first half. After the Wildcats committed a foul inside the 18-yard box, Lentz stepped up and fired the penalty kick into the top corner of the net.
“We’ve been practicing penalty kicks, (and) I’ve been focusing on making a routine for myself and executing it in games,” Lentz said. “It’s a stressful time, but it’s an easy opportunity to score a goal for the team.”
The Spartans played solid defense throughout, especially in the second half. Wyomissing limited Greenwood’s offensive attacks, holding it to just four shots on goal.
“The work-rate and communication was great,” Miller said. “The team as a whole did really well defensively.”
The game was largely even early in the first half, as neither side created many scoring opportunities. The Wildcats possessed the ball in the midfield with accurate, short passes.
After having a bye in the first round of districts, the Spartans were playing in their first game since they lost in the BCIAA playoffs on Oct. 16. As a result, Wyomissing did not look as sharp as usual early in the first half.
“It’s hard to go two weeks without playing a game when you’re used to playing three or four a week,” Miller said. “We finally then settled into our game and started playing our style as a result.”
The Spartans’ play improved in the second half. Wyomissing moved the ball with accurate passes and played tight defense in the final 40 minutes.
“Scoring a goal allowed us to feel more settled into the game and more relaxed,” Lentz said. “Going into the second half (ahead) 1-0 definitely allowed us to relax and have a good time out there.”
The Spartans will play at No. 1 seed Lancaster Mennonite in the semifinals on Tuesday, time to be determined. A semifinal win would give Wyomissing an automatic bid to the PIAA playoffs.
Source: Berkshire mont
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