Mounts take control in Section Two

Callie Sweigart is an imposing force from her defensive position on the Ephrata field hockey team.

"She's an aggressive go-getter,'' Mountaineer head coach Candy Rosenberry said of her senior center back. "She's probably one of the hungriest players on our team.''

While Sweigart did not figure into the scoring during the Mounts' 2-0 L-L League Section Two win over host Lampeter-Strasburg Monday, her communication skills and calming demeanor are an integral part of the team's early success.

"She motivates us,'' junior midfielder Kendal Fletcher, who notched two assists, said of Sweigart. "(That kind of) communication really helps.''

In the end, the Mounts (4-0-0 L-L, 9-1 overall) finally helped themselves when they finally found their finishing touch.

Emily Beamesderfer converted a feed from Fletcher into Ephrata's first goal 19:21 into the second half, then Kelly Martin redirected another Fletcher feed into the cage to clinch the game with 5:22 left on the clock.

Until that point, the Pioneers defense had held strong against the ever-increasing offensive pressure of the Mounts.

"Our defense is definitely the foundation of our team,'' said L-S coach Kevin Hertzog, whose young Pioneers (3-1-0, 7-2-0) had some pre-game jitters and dropped their first league game of the year. "We have some really good defenders.''

No one stood out more than junior goalie Paige Charbonneau, who turned back eight of the 10 shots she faced, including going to the deck with splits and kick-saves on several occasions.

"Their goalie was a strong player,'' Ephrata's Fletcher said of Charbonneau.

The Mounts haven't had much trouble finishing off their scoring opportunities to date, and Rosenberry is blessed with a balanced scoring attack.

It's just getting that first goal that's been the challenge. Then it's sort of like a feeding frenzy.

"We have to feel it, taste it (the cage) to get us going,'' said Rosenberry. "Then, everyone wants to do it (score).''

While not everyone got into the scoring column, virtually everyone that stepped onto the field contributed for the Mounts. Those contributions came in various forms, but much of it centered on a passing attack and speed that, on this day at least, the Pioneers couldn't match.

That was most evident in the last half of the second half.

"The first 45 minutes or so was a whole lot of fun,'' said Hertzog. "Those last 15 minutes ...''

He didn't need to finish the thought.

The Mounts got the ice-breaker off field play, then converted the second goal off their 11th corner of the game.

Martin's goal was very pretty. She corralled Fletcher's initial shot from her station right in front of Charbonneau, then turned and pushed the ball around the L-S keeper and into the right corner of the cage.

Even Hertzog admired that shot: "That was a great goal. That was a beautiful play.''

It effectively sealed the win for the Mounts and put Ephrata in early control of the section race.

There still is a long way to go in the relatively young L-L League season and these teams will meet again Oct. 3 in Ephrata.

"We didn't lose the section and (Ephrata) didn't win the section,'' said Hertzog.

"Really, this doesn't mean that much,'' echoed Rosenberry. "There's still a lot of games left.''