STATE COLLEGE — The State College Area High School field hockey team might be on the cusp of a special kind of season.
The Lady Little Lions came up just a couple of shots short of upending defending state champion Lower Dauphin before the Lady Falcons managed to escape Memorial Field with a 4-2 victory on Friday, Sept. 1.
It was the first loss in three matches for State College. The Lady Little Lions were coming off a 6-1 win at Chambersburg on Wednesday, Aug. 30, on the strength of two Olivia Miller goals.
Miller’s penalty-corner goal in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter against Lower Dauphin had State within a score of the District 3 power. However, Lower Dauphin’s Lily Rost converted off a Katelyn Strawser pass for an insurance tally with 13:04 left in the match and there was no further scoring.
Strawser scored two of Lower Dauphin’s three first-half goals.
Down 3-0 late in the first half, State College got on the board on Ella Tambroni’s goal at the 5:01 mark of the second quarter. Lanie Herlocher got the assist.
Statistically, the contest was nearly even. State College only had one fewer shot on goal than did the Lady Falcons and also was awarded one fewer penalty corner. The Lady Little Lions’ Kiera Loviscky stopped nine shots. Lower Dauphin’s Kai Killiam made 10 saves.
Miller scored twice in the last 2:16 to stake State College to a 4-0 lead after one frame of the Chambersburg match. Addie Gagnon and Allie Peters netted State College’s first two goals — Victoria Castrano assisted on both.
Just 20 seconds after the Lady Trojans got on the board late in the third period, Tambroni answered unassisted.
Carly Erickson tacked on a goal for the Lady Little Lions with 14:23 left, Gagnon getting the assist.
State College was on the offensive most of the match, drawing 14 penalty corners to Chambersburg’s one. Loviscky and Sam Bundro only faced one shot the entire match in the Lady Little Lions’ goal.
