Raiders drop Lady Mounts

For Ryelle Shuey, Julia Nelson, Jennifer Axarlis and Jordan Rosengrant, the senior core of the Elco girls soccer team, their regular season careers have been an unparalleled success. The postseason, not so much.

Still looking for their first L-L tournament victory, they led their teammates onto the pitch at Lancaster Catholic Saturday morning with a purpose.

“We were very prepared and excited to play,” said Shuey, whose hat trick and assist paced the Raiders to a 4-1 victory over Ephrata.

The Raiders will look to keep the momentum in Tuesday’s semifinal, facing Hempfield in the first game of a doubleheader at Manheim Central, first touch at 5:30 p.m.

The Black Knights advanced with a 4-0 victory over Annviille- Cleona.

Manheim Central and Conestoga Valley meet at 7:30 in the second semifinal.

Central scored a 7-2 victory over Lancaster Mennonite while CV advanced with a 2-0 win over Lancaster Catholic.

“When we stepped off the bus,” Shuey said, “everyone had their mind set on the game.”

Shuey scored twice in the first six minutes and the Raiders (16-0-1) never let Ephrata get established.

“We never really got into a rhythm,” offered Mounts coach Wes Deininger, “and they took us out of a lot of things early.

“They just played more physically and with a lot more effort. They dictated the game early and continued the rest of the way.”

A matchup that promised intrigue became much less so from the jump.

On the first trip down the field, the Raiders’ Natalie Swingholm’s kick was deflected over the end line for a corner kick.

Rosengrant served the restart into the box, Shuey headed it into the net and the Raiders were in business 88 seconds into the match.

Five minutes later, Swingholm and Emma Fox battled each other for the ball, just outside the keeper’s box.

“They were all in a bundle,” Shuey said, “and I found myself at the top of the 18.”

“We were scattered,” said Deininger, “and somehow we all lost sight of her.”

Fox did not and played the ball to the onrushing Shuey, who drilled it between keeper Jocelyn Umana and the right post for a 2-0 lead.

Ephrata (16-2-1) did not get its first shot on goal until the 29th minute and missed its best opportunity of the first half when Reagan McCarty hooked a corner kick over the crossbar in the 37th minute.

The Mounts broke the shutout with five minutes to play as Abbie Weist drilled a low liner from 32 yards out.

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