Rams top Lady Mounts

HERSHEY — Central Dauphin girls soccer coach Scott Orner agreed with the observation that his team appeared to be a second-half team.

He’ll get no argument from the Hempfield and Ephrata programs, both of whom fell to Rams’ scoring after intermission: Hempfield in overtime, Ephrata 2-1 Tuesday evening at Hersheypark Stadium.

“I don’t like it that way,” Orner said, “but, at this point of the year, you just want to get a win.”

The Rams (18-1-1) dominated the final 40 minutes of Tuesday’s District Three Class 4A semifinal, outshooting the Mountaineers (183-1) 6-2 in the critical half, enjoying a 4-0 edge in corners and a 13-5 advantage in scoring opportunities. Four of Ephrata’s five chances came in the final 10 minutes.

“I think they settled a little bit,” offered Mounts coach Wes Deininger, “and they were better in possession.

“You’ve seen that when a team gets momentum and gets more comfortable, sometimes it’s difficult to get a hold of the ball. That’s what it was for a long stretch.”

As out-of-balance the second half was, the first half was fairly evenly played.

CD got on the board in the 10th minute as wingback Lexi Johnson won a ball on the left side, carrying deep into Ephrata territory.

As she entered the penalty area, she crossed to Alex Murphy, who buried a 12-yard strike in the right corner of the net.

Undaunted, Ephrata came back a minute and a half later, drawing contact at the edge of the offensive third.

Maddie Root stepped to the free kick and, from 30 yards out, knotted the match on a beautiful strike.

The half ended 1-1, with each team having five scoring chances. CD held a 5-3 advantage in corners.

“The first half we were definitely able to break them down,” said Deininger. “Abbie (Wiest) was doing a fantastic job of holding the ball up. The second half we just couldn’t get it to her too often.”

The field tilted way uphill for the Mounts after the break as the Rams’ continual midfield pressure kept Ephrata from, (a) getting the ball out of its end, and (b) sustaining any attack the times it did.

“We knew Root’s their player,” Orner said. “As long as we contain her, we felt we could win the game.”

With just over 21 minutes to play, CD center mid Taylar Luckenbill won a 50-50 ball near the right midfield, took a couple touches and sent a lovely diagonal pass to Claire Owen on the left wing.

Without a Mountaineer near her and the pass catching Ephrata pushed up, Owens dribbled unmolested down the left side, cutting in and pounding the gamewinner home.

With time most definitely not on Ephrata’s side, the Mounts pressed for the equalizer and Mya Mahlandt sent an attempt over the frame with 9:56 left.

Tightly marked all night by center backs Alexa Romanchock and Alice Onyango-Opiyo — as was Root — Wiest shook free to test keeper Cassy Baker with eight minutes remaining. Baker was equal to the task.

The Mounts face Wilson Saturday in the 4A third-place game at a site and time to be determined for a berth in the PIAA tournament.

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