And then there was one.
By virtue of defeating Mechanicsburg 2-1, Council Rock South remains the only District One team left in the PIAA State Class AAA Soccer Tournament.
District One champion Central Bucks South, the only other SOL team left in the tournament, fell to District Three bronze-medalist Dallastown, 1-0.
Lauren Heath paced the Golden Hawks with a pair of goals. She put the Wildcats on their heels just 1:07 into the contest with her first goal.
Dallastown tied it with about two minutes left in the first half.
“It was a justified 1-1 score at the half,” said CR South coach Tim Keddie. “We came out fired up and they took over play in the middle.”
Mechanicsburg’s style was to play the long ball. Their goal came after their center back launched an 80-yard ball behind the Hawk defenders.
It was like a Hail Mary pass in football.
Heath’s game winner came at the 10:14 mark of the second half. She received a pass from Jamie Vaniver about 30 yards out, sidestepped a defender and blasted the ball into the net.
Goalie Nicole Ulrick, who finished with three saves, preserved the win with a great save about halfway through the second half.
“It was absolutely unbelievable,” said Keddie. “It came off a cross and a girl headed it and it was heading into the net and she laid out a dive and actually caught it.”
The Golden Hawks will take on District Three champion Hershey, a 3-1 winner over Hempfield, Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.
• Central Bucks South ended its season at the same place it did last year.
The Titans gave up the only goal of the game on a semi-breakaway with five minutes left in the first half.
“That first half we looked really flat,” said South coach Joe Bocklet. “Second half we dominated and came out the way we normally play. We figured it would be a matter of time.”
Like last year against Emmaus, it was a game they could have won.
“They were good,” said Bocklet. “They fought hard. Last year was a big letdown. Emmaus shouldn’t have been on the field with us, but this year was a battle.”
South outshot the Wildcats 9-2.
With her height, South keeper Meghan Kaminski was able to nullify Dallastown’s main weapon, a thrower who could launch into the box.
“She was so tall she could get to everything and make that a non factor,” said Bocklet.
Despite the loss, Bocklet praised his team.
“This team was awesome to coach,” he said. “They really care about each other. Even now they’re talking about a sleepover tomorrow night. They’re upset, but they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about. They played hard. They only gave up two goals in the last eight games or so.”
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