Pictured above: Wyoming Area first-year coach Bree Bednarski (right) and assistant Lexi Crossley celebrated after the team’s district championship win.
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
LEHMAN TWP. – Wyoming Area scored the game’s first goal less than three minutes into the second quarter, then played like it had been in that spot before.
The Lady Warriors held Bishop McDevitt without a penalty corner for the last 17 minutes, without any shots for the final 37 and without a shot on goal for all 60 minutes Tuesday on the way to a 1-0 victory in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association first-round Class A field hockey game.
Wyoming Area advances to play West Perry Saturday in a noon state quarterfinal at Central Columbia High School near Bloomsburg.
The Lady Warriors have made their first four state tournament appearances during the last five years and won a first-round game each time. They have also won pair of quarterfinal games for a 6-3 state record. The only state playoff miss since 2017 came under COVID adjustments in 2020 when Wyoming Area’s second-place district finish normally would have qualified but the tournament was alter to a champions-only format.
“They are stressful games,” first-year Wyoming Area coach Bree Bednarski said after her team’s third straight, 1-0 victory in the district and state playoff process, “but we trust our girls. They’ve really been working hard for us.”
The defense of Alyvia Yatsko, Addy Dragwa and Krea Bonita shut down Bishop McDevitt with help from defensive midfielder Samara Campenni as well as from the rest of the midfielders and forwards controlling possession.
Wyoming Area takes an unscored upon streak of 216:06 into the quarterfinals after Alexys Moore gave the team the only goal it needed on a precisely executed penalty corner play with 12:26 left in the half.
Lyla Rehill and Nina Angeli moved the ball through the circle from left to right where Moore was set up for the shot.
“As soon as Nina got the ball, it was a wide-open shot for my angle,” Moore said.
Wyoming Area improved to 20-2 with 16 shutouts, including another 1-0 win over Lake-Lehman in the regular-season finale to force a first-place tie in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1. The Lady Warriors lost a playoff for the title to Wyoming Seminary, 2-1, for their only defeat and only goals allowed in the last seven games.
