WILLIAMSTOWN — The Williams Valley girls’ soccer program is currently on its best run in program history.
The Vikings’ defense has been a huge part of it. That was the case Thursday.
The defense pitched a shutout, while goals from Rayanne Hawk and Caitlyn Pinchorski provided enough offense to lift the Vikings to a 2-0 victory over Schuylkill Haven in a District 11 Class A quarterfinal at Gerry Stauffenberg Field at Viking Stadium.
Thursday’s victory was the third for fourth-seeded Williams Valley (14-6) over the No. 5 Hurricanes (11-8) this season. The two met twice during Schuylkill League Division II play, with the Vikings winning 3-1 at Schuylkill Haven on Sept. 22 and 3-0 on Oct. 12.
The victory also put Williams Valley in the district semifinals for the first time since 2012. The Vikings take on top-seeded Pine Grove (19-2) on Monday at a site and time to be determined.
“Our forte the last two years, what’s been winning more of our games, is defense versus offense,” Williams Valley coach Gary Fetterhoff said. “We won a couple of games this year where we were out-possessed but our defense is just so solid back there with two seniors (Megan Schadle, Cassandra Schorr) and a senior goalie (Alyssa Schadle).”
The other two Class A quarterfinals are today, with No. 7 Tri-Valley (9-9) traveling to No. 2 Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (15-1-1) at 1 p.m., while No. 3 Minersville (16-3) hosts No. 6 Palmerton (9-9) at 3:30 p.m.
Williams Valley is a combined 27-12-1 the past two seasons and has reached the Schuylkill League playoffs with Division II wild-card finishes both years. The defense has been a big key to the success.
The Vikings gave up 25 goals in 2014 with 11 shutouts. So far this year, Williams Valley has allowed 29 goals with 10 shutouts.
“Last two years, Megan Schadle and Cass Schorr have been two of the best defenders in the league in my opinion,” Fetterhoff said. “They are two seniors and they wanted the game real bad. I thought they both played really good games.”
Fetterhoff had Megan Schadle mark Taylor Felty, the Hurricanes’ top offensive threat. The Vikings also welcomed Haylee Sweigert back into the lineup after she missed the last three weeks with a concussion. Those two joined Schorr and Nakahl Miller in back, while Aimee Walborn and Autumn Calnon also saw time on defense.
Keeper Alyssa Schadle finished the game with 10 saves.
“We knew Felty was their best threat, so I put my best defender on her,” Fetterhoff said. “We figured they were a pretty good defensive team, they have been all year, and we figured if we could shut Felty down for the most part, we could get a goal to two and beat them.”
The Hurricanes held a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal, but couldn’t get the ball past Schadle.
The Hurricanes had an excellent scoring opportunity during the 18th minute when Hanley Higgins got off a hard shot from about 25 yards. But Schadle stretched out to slow the shot down. The ball then fell into her arms for the save.
Schuylkill Haven also had two excellent chances in the 44th minute, starting with a Felty corner kick. Alyssa Gerber got off a hard shot from about 15 yards away that never got to the net. A follow-up try by Higgins hit the crossbar.
Williams Valley then counter attacked, leading to its second goal.
“We couldn’t finish,” Haven coach Chris Evitts said. “We could have easily had four or five goals. It would just not go in, no matter what we did. I tried to make adjustments.
“At one point I had three forwards, even four at the end, just trying for anything. It didn’t work out.”
Hawk got the Vikings on the board in the first half. An initial shot by Erica Wessner was batted away by Schuylkill Haven keeper Lily Leymeister, but the ball went to Hawk, who headed it in to make it 1-0.
Williams Valley’s second goal was set up by a Megan Schadle corner kick to Pinchorski at the far post. It took Pinchorski a few seconds to settle the ball and she scored from inside the 6.
Monday’s semifinal will be the second meeting between Williams Valley and the Cardinals this season. Pine Grove beat the Vikings 4-0 in the Schuylkill League semifinals Oct. 20.
Game Summary
District 11 Class A Girls’ Soccer Quarterfinal
Sch. Haven (11-8) 0 0 — 0
Wms. Valley (14-6) 1 1 — 2
WV — Hawk (unassisted), 4:26
WV — Pinchorski (M. Schadle), 44:02
Shots on goal: Schuylkill Haven 10, Williams Valley 7. Corner kicks: Schuylkill Haven 5, Williams Valley 4. Saves: Schuylkill Haven (Leymeister) 5, Williams Valley (A. Schadle) 10.