By Dylan Edelman History has been made. In Whitehall, the Wilson Field Hockey team captured their first PIAA State Title with grit and grace. The stage was set. Wilson would be facing their most notorious rival to date, the top-seeded Lower Dauphin Falcons. Only two weeks prior, the defending champions, Lower Dauphin, defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 at the District 3 3A title game in Hershey. It was the Falcons’ record 14th District 3 title. While Wilson realized they still had a chance at the state title, they put forth a fantastic effort with a 1-0 win over the 12-time PIAA champ Emmaus at the 3A semifinal in Hamburg. Morgan Kaufmann scored the single goal in the first half, assisted by forward Madi Herb. The team’s determination and unyielding defense against the Hornets earned the Bulldogs their spot in the state championship. It was cold and breezy as the Bulldogs and Falcons took the field in Whitehall. In the first five minutes, Dauphin senior, Emma O’Neill scored, but that didn’t shake the Bulldogs. For the remainder of the game a combined effort from Wilson’s defense and goalie, Bryn Underwood, held off any more Dauphin attempts to score. In the last few minutes of the game, after three straight penalty corners, the Bulldog’s offense was ready to pounce. On the third corner, Reagan Underwood passed to Kaufmann, who scored with only 2:45 left in regulation. The game was tied. Momentum was on Wilson’s side. They dominated most of the two seven-on-seven overtimes, but they could not make a goal and neither could Lower Dauphin. It was time for the first one-on-one shoot out in PIAA Field Hockey history. Prior to this season, other ties in PIAA title games were decided by penalty strokes, as reported by Reading Eagle. Ready to face their next challenge, the shootouts, Wilson went out feeling confident. In a one-on-one shoot out, each team has five opportunities where a shooter has 10 seconds to take the ball from the 25 and score against the goalie. Wilson’s Reagan Underwood and Morgan Kaufmann both scored on their attempts. Goalie, Brynn Underwood, was able to stop two attempts on the goal, but Lower Dauphin’s Sofia Pendolino ended up scoring, seemingly give the Falcons a 3-2 lead. For a moment, both teams were celebrating. The call on the field was that the shot came too late, after the 10-second limit, so the next goal for either team would decide the game. It was a pivotal moment for Wilson senior, Emily Horace. She could score and finish off the game, or miss and extend the shoot out. Emily charged straight ahead as Lower Dauphin goalie, Brandelynn Heinbaugh, came far out of the box to try to stop the shot. With a pivot and a turn, Horace faced a wide-open goal and pushed the shot in, scoring the winning shot on the tenth and final try. Elated, Wilson teammates rushed the field, mobbing Horace in celebration. After surviving a 1-1 tie through regulation, Horace’s shot gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 advantage in penalty shots and a 2-1 victory.
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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