Keiser lifts Wildcats past Trinity

April 20, 2008

April 20, 2008

Megan Keiser’s overtime shot on the Trinity goal nearly missed its target. The shot rang off the goal post.

But close was good enough this time for the Mechanicsburg forward — the ball glanced off the post and into the Shamrocks net to lift the Wildcats to a 3-2 victory in their booster club tournament Saturday.“

It bounced off the post, a goal is a goal,” said Keiser. “It was our fifth game this week and it was a big win for us.”

Mechanicsburg shut out Central Dauphin East 4-0 in the opening round game while the Shamrocks knocked off Hamburg 3-2. Hamburg scored in overtime to edge the Panthers 2-1 in the consolation game.

Mechanicsburg took an early 1-0 lead in the title tilt as Ariel Arnold split two defenders and beat the keeper to a loose ball and knocked it home.

Trinity (8-2-1 overall) rallied and scored the tying goal less than two minutes later as Allison Insley sent in a ball from the left wing and Katie Lenz hit it with the outside of her foot past Wildcat keeper Nikki Keiser to even the game.

Jodie Zelenky had a chance to give the Wildcats another lead as her low kick short-hopped Shamrock keeper Heather Schultz but the rebound shot was wide-left. Zelenky did figure in the next goal as her corner kick was nodded home by fellow freshman Ali Matisse to give the Wildcats a lead at the 15-minute mark.

Mechanicsburg had two opportunities early in the second half as Zelenky fed Megan Keiser who in turn fed Zelenky, but both shots were just outside the post as Schultz had no chance on either shot.

Defender Jen Siler cleared a ball from behind the keeper as a cross came through the crease.

In the second half, Rachael Holt drew the unenviable task of marking Wildcat star Alex Brandt. While the Wildcats didn’t assign anybody in particular to mark Lenz, the defense was constantly reminded to mark her when she was in the area. Lenz had a great chance to equal the game late as she beat her defender and went in one-on-one with Mechanicsburg goalkeeper Nikki Keiser. The goalie forced Lenz to take a shot from the side and her low kick beat Keiser, but clanked off the goal post and caromed out to Payge Alexander, who cleared it out of danger.

Alexander missed the start of the game because she was in Maryland playing in a state Cup game, but arrived in time and proved to be a constant thorn in the side of the Shamrock attack.

Moments after Lenz hit the post, Alicia Mirando tied the contest, slipping a cross from Insley into the net and sending the contest to overtime.

Alie Zelenky had a key defensive play for the Wildcats, redirecting a blast by Nicole Mahaffey over the end line for a Shamrock corner.

At the other end of the field, Schultz came up with the save of the game moments later as she sprawled out to tip a shot by Arnold wide left.

Keiser, who is headed to East Stroudsburg to play soccer, ended the contest as she ricocheted a ball off the post and into the cage. The play was set up by Brandt who turned the corner and dribbled the baseline and sent a ball across the crease area.

“It was a good game back and forth. They are used to playing forty minutes and we are not,” said Shamrocks head coach Terry Mull. “That was their fifth game this week. It was a good game for us-a challenging game for us and we are not going to see speed like that in the AA tournament.”

“This was a good win for us,” said Mechanicsburg head coach Tony Lougee. “It has been a long week. It is our fifth game but we’ll take it.

“I think we did what we needed to do tonight. It was great for our kids to come back in overtime to get that goal.”

Mechanicsburg (11-4) clinched a District 3 tournament bid by winning the tournament opener against C.D. East. Jodie Zelenky tallied a goal and added two assists. Megan Keiser, Alex Brandt and Ali Matisse scored for the Wildcats who held the Panthers to one shot on goal.

Trinity used goals from Katie Lenz, Alicia Mirando and Caroline Ruminski to build a 3-0 lead and held off a Hamburg squad that tallied two goals in the middle of the second half. They had several opportunities to score the equalizer but couldn’t capitalize.

Mechanicsburg travels to Hershey on Tuesday. Trinity returns home to host Camp Hill on Monday.

2008 Booster Club All-Tournament Team

Alex Brandt, Mechanicsburg; Ali Matisse, Mechanicsburg; Jodie Zelenky, Mechanicsburg; Megan Keiser, Mechanicsburg; Cara McCormick, Trinity; Katie Lenz, Trinity; Alicia Mirando, Trinity; Rachael Holt, Trinity; Gillian Dolen, C.D. East; Nicole Miller, C.D. East; Mollie Delp, C.D. East; Sami Given, C.D. East; Jenna Moyer, Hamburg; Kelsey Neppes, Hamburg; Denise Thomas, Hamburg; Haley Vollmer, Hamburg.

By Jeffrey Kauffman; Sentinel Reporter

Posted by admin | Filed Under Wildcats News, Current News 

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