Blanking Gar Is Confidence Boost For O’reilly Queenswomen Face Another Key Wvc Div. Ii Game Today When They Host Northwest.

By STEVE SEMBRAT [email protected]
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 Page: 3B

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – What a rush.

An offensive thrust by Bishop O’Reilly junior defender Laura DeCesaris led
to a key goal as the Queenswomen knocked off GAR, 2-0, on Monday.
That victory gave O’Reilly a surge of confidence to its hopes of winning
the Wyoming Valley Conference Division II title.

“This was a really big win for us,” DeCesaris said. “This game and the
one (today) are really important.”

GAR and O’Reilly are two teams capable of taking the title in a wide-open
Division II race. Northwest Area is another, and the Queenswomen will host
them today in a makeup game. Hazleton Area, Bishop Hoban, Wallenpaupack and
Pittston Area could be factors as well.

“Getting this win is so going to give us confidence,” DeCesaris said.
“It was a great team effort.”

While that was true, it was also evident that DeCesaris was the best player
on the field in this contest for either team. The best of her plays came late
in the first half, when she stopped GAR’s Megan Krebs, one of the league’s top
forwards, with a solid stick tackle about 10 yards from goal with less than 30
seconds left in the first half.

DeCesaris decided to keep the ball and wound up taking it more than 50
yards upfield. She sent a pass to forward Meg Mathewson, who relayed a pass at
the left post to Ali Baur, who scored four seconds before halftime.

“Sometimes you get an adrenaline rush and you want to push the ball up,”
DeCesaris said. “We’ve been working on pushing the ball up the field like
that. Everybody made a really good play and that is what got us the goal.”

Mathewson made it 2-0 on a goal with 5:28 left in regulation. O’Reilly
keeper Kathleen Paley made seven saves, and stopped a penalty stroke with 4:17
left to preserve the shutout.

Meyers 5, Nanticoke 3

WILKES-BARRE – Katie Guesto scored two goals and had two assists to lead
Meyers past Nanticoke Area in a Division I game.

Jenera Quinones, Thea Mae Jorbina and Lindsey Conrad also scored goals for
Meyers. Amanda Prentiss, Lee Ann Rentko and Jenna Butzek scored for the
Trojans.

Crestwood 9, Tunkhannock 0

WRIGHT TWP. – Amie Survilla scored six first-half goals to lead Crestwood
past Tunkhannock in a Division I game.

Elizabeth Drazdowski assisted on three of Survilla’s goals. Julie Kuhns,
Samantha Parks and Christina Glenn added goals for the Comets.

WVW 4, Abington Heights 0

CLARKS SUMMIT – Nikki Maffei scored twice to lead Wyoming Valley West past
Abington Heights in a Division I and Class 3A game.

Melissa Stefaniak had a goal and an assist for the Spartans, Amanda Faust
scored the other goal, Sara Confer had a pair of assists, and Natalie Mitchell
made two saves to get the shutout.

Montrose 2, Hanover Area 1 (OT)

HANOVER TWP. – Christine Brown’s second goal of the game lifted Montrose
past Hanover Area in sudden-victory overtime in a Division II game.

Maria Deno’s goal with less than five minutes left in regulation tied the
score for Hanover Area.

Hoban 2, Elk Lake 0

WILKES-BARRE – Amanda Zavada had a goal and an assist as Bishop Hoban
defeated Elk Lake in a Division II game.

Julia Amendola also scored for the Argents, Kelly Puffenberger had an
assist and Caroline Suitch stopped 15 shots to earn the shutout.

Northwest 3, Wallenpaupack 2

SHICKSHINNY – Mandy Down scored the go-ahead goal with 13 minutes left to
lift Northwest Area past Wallenpaupack in a Division II game.

Amber Black and Kate Malischak also scored for the Rangers. Steph Wuchter
scored both of the Buckhorns’ goals.

Berwick 1, Pittston 0

BERWICK – Kim Galutia scored the only goal in the first half and keeper Ali
Michelletti made it stand up by making 17 saves as Berwick edged Pittston Area
in a Division II game.

Hazleton 29, Wyoming Area 0

HAZLETON – Laura Makuta scored eight goals and two assists and Sarah Bevans
had five goals and three assists as Hazleton Area defeated Wyoming Area in a
Division II game.

Trail 2, PME 1

SWIFTWATER – Sam Kropa’s goal in the second half lifted Lackawanna Trail
past Pocono Mountain East in a non-league game.

Kristen Snyder had a goal and an assist for the Lions.