Lehman, Seminary Eye 2a Championship
By STEVE SEMBRAT [email protected]
Wednesday, October 31, 2001 Page: 6B
Lake-Lehman and Wyoming Seminary have the luxury of knowing that no matter who
wins tonight’s District 2 Class 2A championship game, both teams advance to
the state playoffs.
Just don’t expect that to take any of the edge off what figures to be an
intense, emotional contest.
Lehman (18-1-1) and Seminary (18-0-2) meet for the title at 7 tonight at
Lackawanna County Stadium. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students.
“We’re definitely not looking past this game,” Lehman senior Lindsay
Boris said. “We want to have 19 wins after this one.”
So does Seminary.
“I’m excited. Our whole team is excited about it,” Seminary senior
halfback Andrea Paciotti said.
Call it a case of absence making the heart grow fonder.
Seminary made back-to-back trips to the title game in 1996 and ’97, both
ending in one-goal losses to Lehman. Seminary hasn’t been back since.
“It means a lot making it back because this is our senior year,” said
Paciotti, who was in eighth grade when Seminary last played for a title.
Lehman’s victories in ’96 and ’97 over Seminary were the second and third
of five consecutive district titles. That streak came to an end last season,
when the Black Knights were eliminated by Lackawanna Trail in the semifinals.
“We knew, right from the beginning, that we wanted to be in the district
final game and to make it on to states this year,” Boris said. “It’s
exciting to play under the lights.”
There is a huge perk for winning today in addition to the gold medals and
championship trophy. The victor will open states against the fifth-place
finisher from District 3 at a site close to home, probably King’s College. The
loser will have to hit the road to play the runner-up from District 3, which
shapes up to be a game in the Reading, Lancaster or Harrisburg area against a
very tough opponent. The first round of states is on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
And of course, it settles the argument of which team is best.
Seminary finished the regular season undefeated and uncrowned. A 1-1 tie
between the two teams on Friday, Oct. 19 gave Lehman the Class 2A title, as
Seminary finished with no losses and two ties in division play, and Lehman
finished with just one tie.
Seminary coach Karen Klassner felt that Lehman went for the tie in the
first meeting, as that was all the Black Knights needed to win the title.
Lehman insisted that wasn’t the case.
Tonight, there will be no question because there will be 30 minutes of
overtime, and then a penalty stroke shootout if necessary, to break the tie.
“I have a lot of confidence in us,” Paciotti said. “We work really well
together. If we play our game, we’ll be fine.”
District 2 Field Hockey Playoffs
CLASS 3A
Wyoming Valley West 4, Shikellamy 0
Coughlin 1, Delaware Valley 0
Tonight’s Final
Coughlin (10-5-0) vs. Wyoming Valley West (13-1-1), 5 p.m., Lackawanna
County Stadium, Moosic.
CLASS 2A
Lake-Lehman 4, Lackawanna Trail 0
Wyoming Seminary 1, Crestwood 0 (OT)
Tonight’s Final
Wyoming Seminary (18-0-2) vs. Lake-Lehman (18-1-1), 7 p.m., Lackawanna
County Stadium, Moosic.
Sophomore forward Anne Marie Janus and Wyoming Seminary will take on
Lake-Lehman tonight in the District 2 Class 2A championship game, set for 7
p.m. at Lackawanna County Stadium in Moosic.
