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Manheim Township downs Hempfield to reach L-L girls' soccer final


MANHEIM – Manheim Twp. earned a trip to the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls' soccer finals on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over Hempfield in the semifinals at Manheim Central.

The Blue Streaks (17-1) will play Elizabethtown in the L-L championship game at 5 p.m. Thursday at Warwick.

Alison Heckman put Manheim Twp. up for good with a goal with 30:12 left in the second half, sliding a shot by the goalie and off the right post into the net. Cashlin Copley assisted on the tally that made it 2-1.

Hempfield (10-6-2) did not generate a shot on goal during the first 33 minutes of the second half, so Manheim Twp. had a chance to increase its lead. The Blue Streaks did not get many opportunities in that stretch either, but did go up 3-1 when Abi Dropik set up Aubrey Suydam for a shot in front of the net with 7:46 left in the game.

The game was a 1-1 tie at halftime. Sammy Helgeson opened up the scoring for Hempfield with a goal 5:41 into the game, tapping a ball out of the air into the net from the middle of the box. Anika Haski got the assist for playing the ball in from the left side.It was the third time this season that the Black Knights had taken a 1-0 lead on Manheim Twp., only to have the Blue Streaks come back to win all three contests.

“We knew they'd be out for blood,” Heckman said.

Sofia Gish evened the score with 25:12 left in the opening half by getting a touch on a loose ball with the goalie coming out of the goal mouth. Gish had to fight through two defenders and one teammate who were also in the box, but was the only once able to reach the ball that Heckman had placed.

“It was a great ball from Allison,” Gish said.

The Blue Streaks had a couple more scoring chances before halftime, including a 30-yard shot by Brianna Bracero that was well struck but wide left, and a play by Cashlin Copley in which she dribbled through four defenders only to have Hempfield goalie McKenna Zerbe stop the shot.

Delaney McKnight finished with four saves for Manheim Twp. stopping each shot she saw after Helgeson's goal.

Zerbe had five saves.

Manheim Twp. had eight shots on goals and no corners. Hempfield finished with five shots and two corners.