Elizabethtown edges Hempfield for L-L soccer title
LITITZ – David Shank's goal with 7:40 remaining was the difference as Elizabethtown defeated Hempfield 2-1 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys' soccer championship game at Warwick on Thursday night.
The contest was tied 1-1 when Adan Cabrera-Perez put a bouncing ball into the box. Shank was chasing the ball and got there before a Hempfield defender, heading it into the net for the winning tally.
“I saw the bounce go over, and I got behind the defender,” Shank said.
Although both teams had attack time in their offensive thirds during the scoreless first half, there were only a total of three shots on goal. The best scoring chance came when Shank got a through ball on the right side and sprinted 40 yards to get a shot off from 30 yards away. It went wide left.
“At half time, I told them I though we played a little nervous,” Elizabethtown head coach James Sostock said, “even though I felt we didn't have anything to prove since we won this two years ago.”
Elizabethtown (16-3-1) opened the scoring early in the second half when Kristopher Kochman picked up a goal on a rebound during a corner play. That put the Bears up 1-0 just 3:48 after halftime.
Hempfield (19-2) nearly tied the game with 28 minutes to go when Kurtis Rineer had a free kick from about a foot outside the box, to the left of the goal. His shot hit the football crossbar, just above the soccer goal crossbar.
But 10 minutes later, the Black Knights did even the score, though it started with frustration. A free kick to the right of the box resulted in a header that went wide left of the net. It did lead to a corner, but that was initially repelled. But before the ball was completely cleared out of danger, Colby Smith made a sliding kick to push the ball into the net. That made the score 1-1 with 17:45 left in regulation.
Austin Denlinger picked up the save in net for Elizabethtown with four saves. He also made a key defensive stop with 5:37 left recovering a ball to his right and colliding with a Hempfield forward while sliding. Denlinger's nose was bleeding after the contact and he had to briefly leave the game. Cole Baker came in for 31 seconds, not facing a shot until Denlinger returned.
The Bears had three shots and one corner, while the Black Knights had five shots and three corners.
Hempfield goalie Brady Ross had one save.