Mounts emerge in 95th Minute

Ephrata kept knocking on the door. To no avail.

Finally, the door opened.

In the 95th minute in overtime, Jorja Welsh headed in Emily Weidner’s corner kick service and the Mountaineers outlasted Manheim Central 2-1 Tuesday evening in Ephrata in a key Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two girls soccer match.

The game-winner came after a frenetic series of shots and saves in the Manheim goal area. Welsh took a shot, saved by Baron keeper Lillie Horst. The rebound came to Welsh who fired again. Saved by Horst. That rebound came to Weidner, with Horst knocking the ball over the end line for a corner kick. The 13th of the night for the Mounts.

Lucky number 13.

“It’s frustrating, but you have to stay focused” said Weidner, whose focus was laserlike all night. “I knew it was coming. We had a lot of bouncing (balls) around in the box. It was good to finally finish one.”

“I’m just happy we could finish the game,” Welsh said.

The finish, extended the first place Mounts to 5-0 in the section, 7-0 overall.

“It feels good that we are keeping consistent,” said Welsh. “Last year we were up and down.”

The ups kept coming fpr the Mounts who dominated the first half with three shots on goal and four corners to 1-0 for the Barons (2-2, 3-2). But the teams went into the half scoreless.

Off the opening tap of the second half, the Barons moved the ball inside the 10, taking a wicked shot at the left post, saved by the Mounts’ Sophia Gonzalez, one of five for the senior keeper. Ephrata coach Wes Deininger called it by far the best scoring opportunity an opponent had this season.

Five minutes into the half, Welsh got a ball through to Weidner, who found the back of the net. The advantage held up for 18 minutes as, try as they might, the Mounts could not create breathing room.

Manheim got the equalizer off a restart in the 64th minute when Gonzalez slapped down Hannah Adair’s 30-yard free kick at the near, right, post. Kaylee Neff was there to pounce on the loose ball, sending it into the back corner of the net.

Both teams had opportunities, Ephrata in the last 10 minutes of regulation and the waning seconds of the first OT; Manheim at the regulation horn when Gonzalez saved Adair’s free kick and with two minutes in the first OT when Gonzalez denied Summer Bates.

The last, best chance belonged to Welsh.

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