Mifflin County Field Hockey win thrilling OT victory over State College

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: October 20, 2021

Photo by Kathy Reed

By Kenny Varner

LEWISTOWN – They WILL meet again!

Two teams all too familiar to each other battled Wednesday when State College traveled to Mifflin County.

After falling 1-0 early in the season, the Lady Huskies were looking to tie the season series.

It took almost four and a half periods to do it but the Huskies battled back from an early deficit to defeat the Little Lions 2-1 in another exhausting thriller between the two.

Hailee Sheetz, who was hurt in the fourth, came back in the game in the overtime contest giving the Huskies the morale booster it needed.

With 10:49 showing in the overtime period, Mifflin County posted a hit barage in front of the State College cage. The ball came to Sheetz and she proceeded to hit an open Adria Hartzler for the game-winning blast.

With the assist, Sheetz put her name in Mifflin County lore as she scored her 100th career point of her career.

“This season we had a few games we were down one or two goals and came back to actually win. This is something the team does very well,” said Mifflin County coach Ashley Suydam. “Despite being down, we were able to push through. It’s tough, we are missing two of our starters that are probably going to be out the rest of the season so we had to adjust. We have a freshman goalie in. All the girls have pushed hard and worked together. They are doing exactly what we are asking.”

Early on, the Huskies pushed the ball into the Little Lions side of the field but State College goalie Molly Schreiner held the Huskies at bay. Turning them away on numerous occasions early on.

State College shifter the field late in the first quarter and reversed the pressure, now putting it on the Huskies defense.

It looked as though the game would be tied going into the second as the clock dropped to below a minute.

However, State College worked their way inside and Rachel Foster smoked an unassisted goal with :49 left, ending the scoreless tie.

In the second period, both teams exchanged run after run at each other but defenses were up for the task, heading into the intermission with State College ahead by one.

Coming out of the intermission, Mifflin County came out on a mission.

They took ahold of the tempo and started to move down the field more often and in longer spurts.

Despite neither team scoring in the third, there was a feeling the tide was turning in the Huskies favor.

In the fourth, Mifflin County continued playing at a faster pace, pounding the ball down into State College’s circle.

A blast by field general Monica Drunkenmiller soared to the bottom corner of the box, tying the game and possibly changing the entire outlooks on both sides.

Neither team could score the rest of the regulation and the ball game went into an overtime stanza.

In the remaining time in the contest, Sheetz was hurt in a big scuffle for the ball at the State College cage.

She was helped up and stayed out for a breather.

In overtime, After taking the initial ball down to the State College territory, Sheetz showed her will power as she jogged onto the field after her early injury.

Minutes later she would get the ball and send it to Hartzler for the assist when Hartley lit up the cage with the Huskies second score and the game winner.

“She wanted to come on and that’s just a testament to who she is,how hard she works and how much she loves the game,”said Suydam.

Mifflin County and State College will meet again Monday at Bald Eagle Area high school to see who will advance.

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