Font ResizeHowever, head coach Neil Bixler's smile meant he was thinking of it.
Despite Donegal's 3-0 triumph over his Lady Eagles on Saturday at Hershey High School, the smile indicated potential for a special postseason march still remains.
"On Monday, we'll have a practice and get ready because I think they know that, if they can get that one (Tuesday), then we're (in contention), you know," Bixler said. "They're taking six, I guess, is what I understand, so our goal is to be one of the six."
The bracket on the PIAA Web site indicates five teams from District 3 will advance to the PIAA Class AA tournament. If so, the Lady Eagles (19-1) will need victories on both Tuesday and Saturday to gain a berth in the state tournament.
That, of course, is best achieved by scoring goals, a task which proved impossible for the Lady Eagles in 60 minutes against the Indians (18-4), who managed their first victory over Bermudian Springs in the district tournament.
"They really stopped the ball well. We didn't do too bad at that there, either," Bixler said. "At the end of the day, their 10 were a probably little bit better than our 10. Not better, but the skill level was there. But I can't fault our effort. The girls really wanted it."
Donegal's skill level was personified by junior Laura
"We actually marked No. 5, Gebhart, wherever she went. We usually play with four on the front line, four forwards, and took one out today and marked her everywhere," Bixler said. "You sort of pick your poison when you do something like that. You give up some of your scoring potential."
For one half, it worked. Bermudian Springs withstood an early surge by the Indians and came into halftime in a scoreless draw.
That didn't please Donegal's sixth-year head coach, Jessica Shellenberger or, apparently, Gebhart.
"I don't think we're a team that needs to rely on one person, but at that moment, I think we needed to because everybody just wasn't putting it together," she said. "Laura put the team on her back and scored."
Gaining control of a downfield pass by the Eagles' Rachael Kotula, Gebhart charged back past the efforts of several defenders to stop her and beat Bermudian netminder Alexis Eisenhart with 21:56 left in regulation.
From there, Bermudian Springs gained two penalty corners, but could not cash either before another Indian took over. Donegal freshman Tammi Yoder scored with 13:36 left and then assisted a goal by senior Jenna Hunter with 9:57 remaining.
"They were really packing the middle of the field, so we were trying to pull the ball out to get them out of the middle," Shellenberger said after her 97th career win. "Move them out of the middle so we could attack them."
The three goals nearly doubled the number the Lady Eagles have allowed this season to seven, but Bixler said he expects his team to quickly regain their focus. After all, a state berth is still possible, starting with an elimination game against East Pennsboro at 4 p.m. Tuesday back at Hershey High School.
"They're upset today ... Once they think about it, I think they'll get their heads on (the task ahead)," Bixler said.
Top-seeded Oley Valley scored two goals in each half and rolled to a 4-1 triumph over Biglervile in a District 3 Class AA Tournament field hockey quarterfinal game on Saturday at Millersville.
The Lynx, who have lost only one game all season, gained two goals from Brittany Krall and one each from Bailey McKeon and Emily Lash, while forcing Biglerville netminder Holly Wilkinson to make 15 saves.
Biglerville (16-4) managed one shot on goal, but scored on the play as Ashleigh Guise assisted on Kelsey Showers' second-half score.
The loss sends Biglerville into an elimination game against Milton Hershey at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Manheim Township High School.
