Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Field Hockey Playoffs start Saturday


The final week of the Lancaster-Lebanon League field hockey season wrapped up on Thursday, capping off a week in which three playoff spots were determined in four days, including two via tiebreaker.

But now the field is set for the 2016 league tournament.

2-3 Ephrata vs. 1-1 Penn Manor, 10 a.m. (At Penn Manor [directions])

Ephrata made the most of its first season in Section Two, finishing 8-6 in league play and 9-9 overall to claim the final spot in the playoffs via tiebreaker over Lampeter-Strasburg. Megan Mahlandt finished third in the final sectional leaders with 18 goals and two assists before adding five goals and an assist in the team’s last two games.

Penn Manor cruised to its 10th consecutive Section One title with an undefeated season (12-0 in Section One, 18-0 overall) and no doubt has its eyes set on a seventh straight championship game appearance.

The Comets claimed four of the top-five spots in the section scoring leaders heading into the final week of the season and have tallied 132 goals through 18 games. Sisters Emma and Brooke DeBerdine lead the way with 40 and 20 goals, respectively. Defensively, Penn Manor tied for the fewest goals allowed in the league (five).

The second game at Penn Manor on Saturday will feature Warwick vs Annville-Cleona, meanwhile the first round double header played at Ephrata will showcase Lancaster Catholic vs Donegal and Manheim Township vs Manheim Central.

The semifinals will be held as a doubleheader Tuesday at Warwick, beginning at 5:30 p.m., before the championship game on Thursday, Oct. 20 at Conestoga Valley at 7 p.m.