The YAIAA girls' soccer quarterfinal was still scoreless midway through the first half, but Central York's Chelsea Clemens was already feeling a sense of urgency.

Eastern York was looking strong on the slick Spring Grove turf against the top-seeded Panthers, who couldn't seem to put much together in the early going. A steady rain continued to fall, and Central struggled winning balls and connecting on passes.

"We all knew that we wanted it so bad," Clemens said. "I guess the rain affected a little bit how we started moving, but once we got moving and we got into the flow, we just took off."

The Panthers dominated the final 15 minutes of the half -- which included a goal from Clemens on a corner kick and another score from Kim Podolsky on a break up the middle -- and maintained their advantage the rest of the game to earn a 3-1 victory.

With the win, Central York (14-4-1) advances to play Dallastown in tonight's semifinals at Susquehannock and extends its unbeaten streak to 14 consecutive games. Thirteen of those games have been wins. The only tie came last week against the Wildcats.

"I feel real strong and confident," Central York coach Liz Critchfield said. "I think the girls have confidence, too. Dallastown is definitely strong and they have something to prove to us."

The Golden Knights (11-6) pulled to within one goal seven minutes into the first half when Kate Prowell collected the ball at the top of the Central box and fired the ball

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across her body into the left corner of the net. The Panthers limited Eastern's chances the rest of the way, and the Knights finished with only five shots on the net.

Alicia Vandermark provided Central with an insurance goal in the game's 65th minute, collecting the rebound when a booming Clemens shot from about 40 yards away hit the crossbar and quickly firing the ball inside the left post.

Eastern was left to wonder what would have happened had it struck first.

"We definitely had great opportunities early in the first half," Eastern coach Chrissy Crumling said. "But against a great team like this, we have to capitalize on those opportunities. We have to put a ball in when we have those chances and we have to get them thinking a little differently, mentally, maybe down a little bit, by putting a goal in.

"We could feel it when they got the goal. Their confidence was like: 'OK, we got this.' Then we got on our heels and just started to play defense instead of attacking."

That pivotal first goal began with a Dani Miller corner kick. Clemens got her head on the ball, which then deflected off a pair of Eastern defenders back to her feet. She immediately let off a shot into the back of the net to give Central the lead for good.

"I had that whole left side to myself," Clemens said. "I thought if I just finished and placed it well, I knew I would have the goal and we would be up and it would motivate everyone to want to push forward and keep going."
smclernon@ydr.com; 880-1501