Pine Grove was out to put a poor performance in its first loss of the season a week ago behind it, plus win a division title in the process Monday.
When the Cardinals started to play their type of possession soccer in the second half, they took control and did both.
Steph Aungst continued her big season with two goals and an assist to lead Pine Grove to a 4-3 victory over Blue Mountain in the Schuylkill League Division I girls’ soccer tiebreaker game at Pottsville’s Alumni Field.
Aungst, a junior midfielder, scored the first goal of the game for Pine Grove (18-1) in the 21st minute, then added the go-ahead goal on a 20-yard direct kick in the 49th minute to break a 2-2 halftime tie.
Aungst then set up Rachel Edge in the 58th minute to make it a two-goal advantage. Olivia Benner pulled the Eagles (15-3-1) to within a goal in the 60th minute, but Pine Grove was able to hold on and win its second consecutive division title.
The Cardinals won the first regular-season meeting between the teams 3-1 on Sept. 22. The Eagles grabbed the rematch 2-1 a week ago at the Eagles Nest, snapping Pine Grove’s 34-match, regular-season winning streak that started in 2014.
It also forced Monday’s tiebreaker game.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be last year because we were the underdogs,” Aungst said about winning the division title. “We didn’t expect Blue Mountain to be this good, but they were a lot better than we anticipated. When we showed up for our second game (against the Eagles), we really didn’t bring it. This game, we knew we had to.”
Both teams had already qualified for the league playoffs, with the Cardinals’ victory setting tonight’s Schuylkill League semifinal matchups at Tamaqua High School. Blue Mountain will take on Division II champ Minersville (16-2) at 5 p.m., while Pine Grove will face Division II wild-card Williams Valley (13-5) at 7 p.m.
Tonight’s winners meet at 5 p.m. Saturday at Tri-Valley’s Bulldog Stadium for the championship.
Pine Grove coach Jason Brown wasn’t pleased with the Cardinals’ possession during the first half and let them know it at halftime. With the message received, Pine Grove ended up playing its best soccer of the night during the opening 20 minutes of the second half and took control of the game with two goals.
“We were really panicky in the first half and we knew we didn’t play well in the second game, so we were like ‘Maybe they will beat us,’ ” Aungst said. “Then our coaches told us to, screamed at us, to play possession and we just went out there and did our game.”
Aungst finished the regular season second in the league’s point-scoring race behind Minersville’s Abby Schoffstall. After her performance Monday, Aungst now has 23 goals and 15 assists on the season.
Aungst’s go-ahead goal was set up when Mackenzie Hasenauer was tripped up just outside the 18 on a run towards the goal. Aungst took the direct kick from about 20 yards out and scored with a low shot that ended up in the far corner of the net.
“I was aiming far corner,” Aungst said. “I saw they were protecting their near post and their keeper went near post, so I am like I’m going to bend this into the top corner.
“I wanted to just place the ball. Hasenauer got a good run for us and I wanted to take advantage.”
Aungst then set up Edge about 9 minutes later by sending in a cross towards the Eagles’ goal. Blue Mountain keeper Lianne Derrick and Edge were both going for the ball, but it was Edge who got there first and put the ball into the net for her 21st goal of the season.
“There was more of a sense of urgency, too,” Brown said about the second half. “We were panicking in the first half. We weren’t really stepping to the 50-50 balls. In the second half they came out and played much harder and we started winning possession, forcing them to make bad decisions. Instead of winning off the player, we were winning off the pass, which is what we wanted to do.”
Benner’s unassisted goal off a Pine Grove defensive mistake made it a one-goal game, but the Eagles could never get the equalizer. Brown also moved Edge back on defense after her goal to help defensively, packing in an extra player around the goal.
“They put away their opportunities,” Blue Mountain coach Mike Burcik said. “They did that little bit. I thought it was a well-played game by both teams. I thought it could have went either way.”
Aungst scored the game’s opening goal off a long throw-in by Caitlin Seiverling. Blue Mountain’s Abigail Kramer tied the game in the 24th minute, while Sydney Riegel gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the 28th minute. The goals were assisted by Angelica Kaledas and Sam Puzzi, respectively, on long crosses to the front of the net.
Mariah Lesh tied it just before halftime, taking a through ball from Edge, dribbling up the field about 35 yards, and scoring from about 10 yards out.
Both teams come right back and play tonight, but it’s the Eagles who have to deal with coming back after a loss.
“(Tuesday) gets you a chance of playing again,” Burcik said. “You want to be playing in the finals and tomorrow is the game that gets you there.”
Game Summary
Schuylkill League Girls’ Soccer
Division I Tiebreaker, at Alumni Field
Blue Mountain (15-3-1) 2 1 — 3
Pine Grove (18-1) 2 2 — 4
PG — Aungst (unassisted), 20:24
BM — A. Kramer (Kaledas), 23:15
BM — Riegel (Puzzi), 27:18
PG — Mar. Lesh (Edge), 38:32
PG — Aungst (direct kick), 48:41
PG — Edge (Aungst), 57:18
BM — Benner (unassisted), 59:01
Shots on goal: Blue Mountain 10, Pine Grove 6. Corner kicks: Blue Mountain 2, Pine Grove 6. Saves: Blue Mountain (Derrick) 2, Pine Grove (Kaufman) 7.