State College girls move on in D6 soccer playoffs

By Kenny Varner
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Updated: October 28, 2014

STATE COLLEGE – Two quick goals mixed with a strong defensive effort by the State College girls soccer team was too much for the feisty Central Mountain team to overcome in the opening round of the District 6 Class AAA playoffs Monday night at State College’s Memorial Field.

A third goal in the second half, insured the Little Lions on their chances of moving on as it held the Wildcats scoreless, 3-0.

“Unfortunately, costly errors in a two-minute span, we weren’t organized or disciplined enough to track back and to organize defensively. They ended up capitalizing on it. In a good situation a good team like that, their going to capitalize on it. We knew that coming in,” Central Mountain head coach Ryan Veltri said. “We’re disappointed in the fact that we battled but we didn’t battle like the first time we played them. It was a different type of situation that we brought ourselves into. I’m not sure if we psyched ourselves out or what but two goals that early causes problems.”

Senior goalkeeper Bryann Hilty ended her Central Mountain high school career, leaving everything she had on the field, collecting 15 crucial saves during the contest.

State College took the first possession of the game and went straight to the heart of the Central Mountain defense.

Moments later, the Little Lions picked up the first shot on goal that just missed, it was a blast by Taylor Campbell that hit the top crossbar, sending State College away empty.

However, the “Maroon and White” kept control of the ball and continued to work its way into the Wildcats back-third.

With 34:18 left in the first half, State College picked up its first goal of the ballgame.

After a State College throw in, Kelly Mejia sent a cross-shot to the corner of the goal, making it 1-0.

Before the Wildcats knew what hit him, the Little Lions were at it again.

Haley Crawford blazed her way down the field and was able to plastered a shot, upping the Little Lions’ lead to 2-0.

From there, the State College defense came out strong and refused to let a ball get into their back-third. The Little Lions clogged the running lanes and were able to clear out any thing that got near the goal area.

“They were pretty frustrated because they couldn’t even pass the ball. We had to win the middle third and we did not do that tonight. You don’t complete passes and you don’t win the middle third your probably get much of an attack,” Veltri said. “credit to them (State College) defensively and organizationally they knocked out everything we threw at them.”

But to Central Mountain’s credit, its defense stiffened in the rest of the first half and held the Little Lions to just a 2-0 advantage at the intermission.

State College held the advantage in shots on goal by a 18-0 advantage and also held the edge on corners by a 3-0 margin.

Hilty had seven early saves while State College’s Caitlyn Foschnacht was untested.

In the second half, the Little Lions gave themselves some more breathing room, posting a goal by Megan Fry.

With the score 3-0, that would be all the State College defense needed, shuting out the Wildcats and quietly ending their season.