With time running out in the quest to earn a share of the program's first division title since 2001, the consummate playmaker on the Central York girls' soccer team did what she does best.

Collecting a loose ball about 30 yards from the Spring Grove goal, senior forward Kim Podolsky pushed the ball forward with her right foot and moved inside the box. With goalkeeper Amanda Guinn charging toward her, Podolsky let off a sliding shot just between her outstretched arm and the ground that bounced into the net with 6:44 left in double overtime to clinch a 2-1 victory.

"She kind of started to go down a little bit and I just saw a little opening," said Podolsky, who now has 58 career goals for the Panthers. "I just got it through."

The win improves Central to 11-0-1 over its last 12 games and ensures at least a tie at the top of the Division I standings with Dallastown. The Panthers (13-4-1, 10-1-1 Division I) will have the regular-season crown to themselves if the Wildcats tie or lose today against South Western.

"Central has fought hard for many years, and we haven't been here many years and that's a great feeling," Central York coach Liz Critchfield said. "I told each one of them that I love them to death and they deserved to win this game."

The Panthers scored first with a minute left in the first half when defender Casey Morrison dribbled the ball up the left side and fired a hard low shot just out of Guinn's reach and into the back of the Spring Grove

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net. Central had several other chances in the first half against the Rockets (12-5, 7-4 Division I), but was stymied by the strong play of Guinn, who finished with nine saves.

Continuing to create scoring chances for themselves in the second half, the Panthers hit the crossbar twice -- once on a shot from Podolsky at the top of the box with 28 minutes left and again 16 minutes late when Morrison fired an attempt from about 40 yards out.

Meghan Mahon seemingly changed everything with a shot from about 25 yards away that tied the game with 8:14 remaining and seized the momentum for Spring Grove. But the Panthers didn't let up and Podolsky made the play her team needed in the game's 94th minute.

"They have some great girls and when they had the opportunity, they finished," Spring Grove coach Emily Mahon said. "Unfortunately, we didn't."

The Rockets will still have a chance to defend their YAIAA tournament title next week, but will likely have to go through Dallastown and Central York teams they went a combined 0-4 against during the regular season. Central York, which finished second in last season's tournament, is the hottest team in the league going into this year's competition.

"I think we have a great chance," Podolsky said. "We made it to the final last year and didn't do as well as we had hoped, but I think we have a great chance this year."

smclernon@ydr.com; 880-1501