LOCAL SPORTS NOV 16, 2020 JON GERARDI Sports Editor jgerardi@sungazette.com WILLIAMSPORT GIRLS Williamsport dropped its PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal to state-ranked Parkland, 3-0. The Trojans entered ranked second in the state in the large school division by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association. Alex Marsteller scored twice for the Trojans and Parkland held a 12-4 shots-on-goal advantage. Adelia Engle recorded nine saves for Williamsport. The Millionaires trailed 1-0 as halftime approached, but Parkland scored with three minutes to play on a goal by Mary Gonzalez. “They scored with about 3 minutes to go in first half to make it 2-0 and then we came out and tried to put one in to make it a ball game, but they scored again in 65th minute mark to put it away, 3-0,” Williamsport coach Scott McNeill said. Sarina Beiter almost scored for Williamsport on a free kick from 30 yards out, but Parkland managed to prevent it from going in. “I’m terrifically proud. They’re just awesome. We’ve been through the injuries and so forth and everyone stayed together and believed in themselves,” McNeill said. “We get nine starters back next year and we got a crew of seventh and eighth graders coming up that have been playing travel team as well, so the program should continue to be solid.”

Williamsport girls win fifth consecutive District 2-4 Class AAAA championship NOV 7, 2020 BEN BRIGANDI Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport won its fifth consecutive District 2-4 Class AAAA girls soccer title Saturday. The championship came without a postgame medal ceremony, per District 2 rules this year, but after five of these things the Millionaires are looking for more anyhow. No, this team would like to break through and win its first PIAA playoff game, to be held next weekend at a time and place to be determined vs. the District 11 champion. The No. 4 seed Millionaires earned that berth by beating No. 6 seed Hazleton, 5-0, Saturday at Balls Mills Soccer Complex. Kailee Helmrich scored a career-high four goals, including one off a penalty kick in the first minute for Willamsport (9-5-2). It was unclear if this was a District 2 title game individual scoring record. Helmrich is a junior on a roster featuring two seniors, and none of them know anything other than seasons that end with district gold medals. While there was no ceremony Saturday, players were to receive the medals later on. “This is a really good year for us,” said Helmrich. “We weren’t sure we were going to have a season, we dealt with bumps on the way, but we’ve been motivated and on a win streak now. We were a fourth seed and we have motivation going into states this year.” The first score put Hazleton (2-12) into an early hole and it never really recovered. Helmrich scored all four goals in the first half before Mallory Pardoe added one in the second half. “Defensively, we picked it up in the second half and didn’t let the through runs happen,” said Hazleton coach Jim Paisley, who said his team backpedaled too much with balls in the air. “The offsides trap was working well, we didn’t work on it but the girls picked it up and we started playing better with the balls to the feet. In the first half, we were kicking it around.” Helmrich’s second and third goals, midway through the first half, came as she broke through defensive seams with shots on a wide-open goal. Her last one came in similar fashion just before the half, but with an assist from Pardoe. Pardoe rolled in her goal at the 63rd minute. Millionaire coach Scott McNeill has led the entire five-year run, building improvement with winter workouts that included middle schoolers and a summer league, though the latter didn’t happen this year. And losing would-be senior Katie Penman to an early college soccer enrollment added a little more uncertainty, but a culture built over time held up. Williamsport will enter states on a 6-0-1 run, outsourcing the opposition 17-1 in that time. The last loss was Oct. 10 at Lewisburg. “People said we weren’t going far with just two seniors and some injuries and everything else,” said McNeill. “We just put the time in and the work, and you enjoy being with these young ladies who are dynamite.” Those two seniors are Hannah Myers and Violet Lindsay. “It’s really nice for our seniors this year to keep the tradition going, and it gives us an extra boost,” said Helmrich. “Hopefully, we succeed in states. It’s really exciting and a lot of energy comes from it.” Williamsport 5, Hazleton 0 (District 2-4 Class AAAA championship) W-Kailee Helmrich (penalty kick) 2:00. W-Helmrich 18:00. W-Helmrich 31:00. W-Helmrich (Mallory Pardoe) 38:00. W-Pardoe, 63:00. Shots: W 7, H 6. Corners: W 2, H 0. Saves: W 5 (Adelia Engel, Sarah Spring), H 2 (Caitlyn Katchur). Records: Williamsport (9-5-2), Hazleton (2-12). Next game: Williamsport vs. District 11 champion, TBD, Saturday.  

Millionaires tie with Braves in double overtime, 1-1, in girls soccer   LOCAL SPORTS SEP 22, 2020 JON GERARDI Sports Editor jgerardi@sungazette.com   MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Williamsport goalie Adelia Engel makes a save late in the second half at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday against Shikellamy. The Millionaires tied the Braves, 1-1, in double overtime.   Williamsport junior Adelia Engel stood next to the team’s bench after the game as she got ice put onto her knee. After the day she had in goal, it was no surprise. Engel made countless diving stops and blocks against Shikellamy and needed that ice to help her knee out. The Millionaires tied Shikellamy in a thriller Monday at the Balls Mills Soccer Club, 1-1, in double overtime, and Engel was solid throughout the second half and both overtime periods to prevent the Braves from scoring a possible game-winner. “She’s given up a couple of soft goals this year. This is her first year starting. She’s a good midfielder as well, but we needed her to go into goal,” Williamsport coach Scott McNeill said. “When she’s on, she’s really on. That’s what I learned.” Engel was on Monday, recording 15 saves, six of which came in the two overtime periods to prevent the Braves from stealing a win. Williamsport had its chances in the final 13 minutes to put in the go-ahead goal, but couldn’t sneak a goal in. Mallory Pardoe had a great pass sent to her with 12 minutes, 30 seconds and sent it to her right, but Shikellamy goalie Cassi Ronk blocked it with a great stop. Just 90 seconds later, it was Sarina Beiter who got inside the 18 and had an open look toward the goal and fired an excellent shot that hit off the left post, missing by just inches. “Either one of those could have been a game-winner. I thought Shikellamy got a little bit tired, they’re a ball possession team. We like to go when we get the ball and attack right away and counter attack quickly,” McNeill said. “They’re undefeated, so this is a good outcome for us after getting spanked Saturday (by Central Columbia, 6-0).” Kailee Helmrich had a chance to score with 9:27 remaining in regulation as she tried to shake two Brave defenders, but had her shot to the left stopped by Ronk. Sophia Flowers scored for Shikellamy with 11:47 to play in the first half when she got inside the 18 and took a shot to her left. Engel stopped the shot, but the ball squirted out from under her hand and rolled in for the goal. The Millionaires tied the game with 20:31 to play when Kendall Hennigan sent in a ball that hit off a Shikellamy defender and bounced past Ronk into the goal. Williamsport had a lot of pressure on Shikellamy in the second half, out-shooting the Braves, 7-2, after being held to just two shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. But in both overtime periods, Shikellamy kept Williamsport from getting any dangerous opportunities and didn’t allow a single shot on goal in either 10-minute period. In the first overtime period, Shikellamy’s Feathers fired a shot from 25 yards out that she tried to sneak under the crossbar and sent it just a tad too high with a minute remaining. In the second overtime period, Feathers got the ball from just outside the 6 and had a great shot, but it was Engel who dropped low and prevented the game-winner from going in. Wiley Egan had a great chance with 4:03 remaining in the second overtime period as she got inside the 18 down the left-side of the field, but her shot ricocheted off the left post. “Since we didn’t finish, I thought our defense and Adelia in goal played outstanding. I told them you bent a few times and got beat a few times, but you recovered really well,” McNeill said. “We basically let them come and bunkered down in the box and when we could clear it, we cleared it. Sometimes that’s the strategy you need to do.” Williamsport 1, Shikellamy 1 (2 OT) S–Sophia Flowers, 11:47. W–Kendall Hennigan, 20:31. Shots: S 17, W 5. Corners: S 3, W 1. Saves: S 4 (Cassi Ronk). W 15 (Adelia Engel). Records: Williamsport (2-1-1), Shikellamy (4-0-1).