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SELINSGROVE — Bloomsburg’s goal entering the season was to secure a spot in the state tournament.
After doing so earlier in the week, its goal then shifted on Thursday. With chants of “back-to-back,” the Panthers signaled their new objective was to win a second consecutive District 4 Class A field hockey title.
It wasn’t easy, but the mission was accomplished nonetheless as the Panthers defeated Line Mountain, 3-2, winning the penalty stroke round, 3-1.
The win gives the Panthers a home state playoff game when it hosts District 2 runner-up Wyoming Area on Tuesday.
“That’s big. We played Wyoming Area already so we know what they’re already about — they’re a quality team,” Bloomsburg coach Chuck Baker said. “I think we’re going to give them a great game and we’re rolling right now.”
The home-field advantage came in a situation that Baker says is “a great way to win, a terrible way to lose” — penalty strokes after double overtime couldn’t decide a winner.
The Panthers were successful on three straight strokes.
“We practice [penalty strokes] and you know you want to get the goalie to move. If you get the goalie to move, you’re going to be very successful,” Baker said. “You have to get them moving side to side so they can’t make the save.”
Kassie Bond struck first, drawing Eagles goalkeeper Taylor Deiter outright, and hitting the center of the cage. Gracie Brosious then rolled left before hitting the center of the cage to give the Panthers a 2-0 advantage.
Line Mountain was unsuccessful after Bond’s penalty shot but did close the deficit in half when Laney Yeager hit the left side of the cage.
Andi Gutshall, though, was up to the task of putting medals around the Panthers’ necks, tripping Deiter up and sinking her shot into the left corner.
Baker was quick to point out the effort Hailey Leisering had in goal during the pressure-packed situation — during her first district championship game too.
“You hate to leave it all on your goalie’s shoulders, but we were very confident in Hailey and the job she’d do in there,” Baker said. “The girl lives, eats and sleeps field hockey and we were confident with her in there that she would make the stops. We just had to get past their goalie.”
Leisering, who shares playing time with Nadja Hartmann was called back into action in the fourth quarter after the Panthers surrendered a two-goal lead in a nearly 6-minute span. She kept the game tied in regulation, and held her own in overtime against the Eagles three shots and three corners.
Yeager struck first for Line Mountain, ending Bloomsburg’s scoreless streak at 166 minutes to start the playoffs. The Eagles weren’t satisfied, keeping all the pressure on the Panthers' defense to the tune of four corners and five shots before an injury timeout.
Coming out of the break, the Panthers were caught off guard, allowing the Eagles to run right down the field and draw Hartmann out from goal. Terri Reichard, fed the ball from Ainsley Derck, tied the game on an empty cage.
The Panthers’ speed didn’t overwhelm the Eagles any, and in fact, may have worn themselves down in the long run.
“We didn’t make it easy, but they’re a heck of a team,” Baker said. “They played so hard and kept getting more intense as the game went. We kind of got out of our element in the fourth and let them dictate the game, allowing them to tie it up.”
Bloomsburg capitalized on a pair of first-half corners, something Baker wanted to see in the two days since it last played.
After the Panthers’ initial shot from a corner bounced off Deiter, Fogelsanger finished the drive for the game’s first goal just over 12 minutes in.
They did much of the same for their second goal, this time with Brosious drawing Deiter’s attention on a lift pass. After the deflection, Courtney Shuman was in the right place to double the Panthers' lead.
“We’ve been pushing the corners very hard and being very aggressive with them,” Baker said. “We need to do that as we keep moving forward if we want to make a run in the tournament. But I’m so happy with what this team has done.”
Baker said that winning the district championship would be the gravy to making the state playoffs. Little did he know that he would have to take the time to cook a Thanksgiving meal to enjoy said gravy. But he wouldn’t trade the time or the experience in after the number of players that contributed to Thursday’s win.
“There were moments where every player shined and that’s what you need,” Baker said. “You need 11, 12, 13, sometimes 14 people working as a unit.”
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