Patience is rewarded
WEST VIEW — Penn-Trafford goalkeeper Sarah Kyper proved to be up to the challenge of halting Seneca Valley's attack.
For the first four shots, anyway.
The senior stopped SV's Karisa Fernandez four times in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
But of the Raiders' final seven shots, four of them ended up in the back of the net.
The flurry of offense, combined with another stellar defensive effort, gave the Raiders a 4-1 win in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium.
SV will face Upper St. Clair, a 1-0 winner over Pine-Richland, Saturday in the WPIAL finals at a time and site to be determined.
The Raiders (16-3-1) got their first goal with 40 seconds left in the first half when junior midfielder Aleisha Rees beat a diving Kyper to the goalkeeper's left.
Fernandez, SV's leading goal scorer entering the game with 17, added two more to her total — one in the 51st minute of play and another in the 63rd minute.
"You have to take your chances when they come, but you can't get frustrated," Fernandez said of her shots that were turned away early on. "Eventually, you'll get another shot."
In between Fernandez's goals, freshman midfielder Shayna Elser scored to make it 3-0 in favor of SV.
It was the second straight game in which the Raiders used a first-half goal as a springboard to a dominating second-half performance.
"We work so hard as a team. I think it's easy for other teams to become tired because we're very deep," said Fernandez.
The Warriors (18-3-1) entered the game winning 18 of their last 19 games and salvaging a tie in the other match.
They had given up just seven goals during that unbeaten streak.
"We knew from watching film that they were a defensive-minded team," said SV coach Dave Sylvester. "I was happy with those early scoring chances. Even though we didn't score at the time, it showed we were doing what we needed to do."
Until a late goal by Penn-Trafford's Deanna Rowe against backup goalkeeper Ashley Wack with 1:06 left in the game, the Raiders' defense completely turned away the Warriors' offensive push.
SV starting goalkeeper Keara Lydon was forced to make just one save in the game and that was on a weak roller seconds before intermission.
The great defensive play was turned in by several players, who included Catherine Messmer, Barbie Rohm, Becca Pecora, Logan Gamelier and Jenny Jergel.
The Raiders were by far the more physical team.
"That's just the way we play," said Sylvester.
"This was one of those games where we had to match their physical play, and we just didn't do it," said Penn-Trafford coach Achilles Vascillos. "It seemed that (SV) wanted it more than we did."
