Meredith Michel, Nicole Wilkerson and Kirsten Ueberroth each scored a goal to lead Ephrata past Manheim Central 3-1 Friday to secure the Section Two field hockey title.

 

In a game originally scheduled for Wednesday, then postponed after Thursday's makeup date also got washed out, the teams squared off Friday on an indoor field at In The Net in Palmyra.

 

It is believed to be the first time a L-L League game was played indoors.

 

Michel got the initial goal for the Mountaineers (10-1-1 L-L, 12-5-1 overall) with an assist from Brooke Overly in the seventh minute.

 

Overly entered the circle down the right side and fed Michel, who one-timed it inside the left post for the 1-0 advantage.

 

Ephrata then carried the play and forced four straight corners. On the fourth one, Wilkerson shot from the top of the circle and the ball trickled past the goalie to make it 2-0.

 

Then with 3:28 left in the half, Overly went down the right side and fed Michel in front, who pushed it to the left post to Ueberroth.

 

Jillian Wolgemuth put the Barons (9-2-1, 13-4-1) on the board just 45 seconds after the break, but Central could not crack the Ephrata cage again.

 

The Mounts earned their first section crown since 2007, and will meet Section One third-place Hempfield (9-3, 12-5) in today's first round of the L-L League playoffs. That game is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Cedar Crest.

 

The noon game at Crest will feature the Barons taking on Section One champion Penn Manor (11-1, 15-2-1). The Comets are the reigning league champs and have won three of the past four L-L titles.

 

In today's other quarterfinal action, Section Three champ Lancaster Catholic (12-1-1, 14-3-1) faces Section Two third-place Elizabethtown (7-3-2, 11-4-2) at 10 a.m. at Ephrata. In the second game of that doubleheader, Section One runner-up Warwick (10-2, 13-4-1) meets Section Three runner-up Lancaster Mennonite (12-2, 15-3) at noon.