MINERSVILLE — Minersville wasted little time in setting the tone.
When it was over, the Miners attack was just too much for Palmerton to overcome.
Abby Schoffstall scored four goals, while Marlena Purcell had a hat trick and three assists, to lead the Miners to a 9-3 victory over the Blue Bombers in a District 11 Class A girls’ soccer quarterfinal Friday afternoon.
Rachel Sterner also scored twice for the third-seeded Miners (17-3). Her first came 58 seconds into the game off a Purcell corner kick.
Minersville built a 6-0 lead 3 minutes into the second half before Monica Wood scored three unanswered goals to pull the No. 6 Blue Bombers (9-10) to within 6-3. But the Miners put in the final three goals to put the game away for good.
Next for the Miners is No. 2 seed Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (16-1-1) in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Monday at Northern Lehigh High School. The Spartans beat No. 7 Tri-Valley 5-1 in a quarterfinal Friday.
The other Class A semifinal
has No. 4 Williams Valley (14-6), a 2-0 winner over Schuylkill Haven on Thursday, taking on top seed Pine Grove (19-2) at 5 p.m. on Monday at Blue Mountain High School’s Eagles’ Nest.
“We wanted to win for Rachel,” Purcell said about Sterner, a senior who was playing her last home game for the Miners. “We worked really hard and we didn’t want to lose, especially on our home field. We had to come out strong.
“Getting that goal that early in the game really set the mood.”
With their performances Friday, Schoffstall now has 41 goals on the season, Sterner 20 and Purcell 16. Friday was also the 11th time this fall the Miners have scored five or more goals in a game.
Minersville’s defensive focus was shutting down Wood, a midfielder who came in with 27 goals on the season and was named to the Colonial League’s first-team, all-star team.
That responsibility fell on sophomore midfielder Emily Kriston. Stopper Rebecca Daukaus also helped out on Wood if she went into Daukaus’ area.
“(Wood) was big concern coming in here and as you can see, she can turn a game around quick,” Minersville coach Jeff Rinaldo said. “We got out of that after the first half because we were winning the game and controlling the ball. But as soon as we left her, you saw what happened. Then we got back into it and started controlling the game again.”
By the time Wood got going, the Miners were up big.
Purcell had a hand in the Miners’ first two goals, first setting up Sterner on a corner kick.
“I try to put the ball right around the 6,” Purcell said. “Actually on the first goal, I think (Kriston) tapped the ball away from the goal keeper and got it available for Rachel to shoot it.”
Purcell then scored on a direct kick just outside the 18 in the 8th minute to make it 2-0, as the ball took one bounce and went between Palmerton keeper Kaylie Haskins and the post.
Purcell’s third goal during the 57th minute might have been one of more important of the game. Palmerton was starting to build some momentum, but Schoffstall set up Purcell, who then took a run at the goal and fired the ball into the back for the net from about 10 yards out.
“We passed really well,” Purcell said on the keys to Friday’s win. “Just staying positive, especially when they came back. Teamwork, we pulled some people off the bench and they worked hard.”
District 11 Class A Quarterfianl
Notre Dame-ES 5
Tri-Valley 1
EAST STROUDSBURG — Kennedy Brown had a hat trick to lead the No. 2-seeded Spartans to a win over No. 7 Tri-Valley.
Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg built a 3-0 halftime lead. Wendy Header scored Tri-Valley’s only kick during the 51st minute on a penalty kick to pulled the Bulldogs to within 3-1.
TV (9-10) 0 1 — 1
NDES (16-1-1) 3 2 — 5
NDES — Brown (unassisted), 3:04
NDES — Owl goal, 10:06
NDES — Brown (Kissel), 18:66
TV — Header (penalty kick), 50:20
NDES — Martinetti (Kissel), 65:00
NDES — Brown (unassiseted), 78:26
Shots on goal: Tri-Valley 4, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg 14. Corner kicks: Tri-Valley 4, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg 8. Saves: Tri-Valley (Horn) 9, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pellack) 3.
Game Summary
District 11 Class A Quarterfinal
At Minersville Area High School
Palmerton (9-10) 0 3 — 3
Minersville (17-3) 5 4 — 9
Min — Sterner (Purcell), :58
Min — Purcell (unassisted), 7:14
Min — Schoffstall (Sterner), 15:04
Min — Schoffstall (Oshman), 27:52
Min — Purcell (Daukaus), 38:29
Min — Schoffstall (Purcell), 42:21
Palm — Wood (Malsch), 45:10
Palm — Wood (Leister), 50:45
Palm — Wood (Leister), 53:09
Min — Purcell (Schoffstall), 56:51
Min — Schoffstall (unassisted), 60:26
Min — Sterner (Purcell), 76:41
Shots on goal: Palmerton 6, Minersville 14. Corner kicks: Palmerton 1, Minersville 3. Saves: Palmerton (Haskins) 6, Minersville (Wigoda) 3.