Unionville ousted by Palmyra

night.

How shocking was the defeat? The Indians (20-3) had 21 shots on goal compared to the Cougars eight and had six corners. Unionville’s lone goal came from Katie Anderson off a corner with 11:19 to play in the first half.

Palmyra goalie Cheyenne Sprecher shut down Unionville throughout the night, finishing with an astonishing 16 saves. The Indians got plenty of good looks, but Sprecher was there to make a save and keep Palmyra in the game.

“She had an outstanding game, but it’s up to us to get the ball in the net,” said Unionville head coach Erin Curtis. “I thought we played really well and have nothing to be ashamed about.

“We played an outstanding game. We controlled the ball and kept possession, but they had some nice goals in there and their goalkeeper had some great saves.”

Unionville’s early 1-0 lead was short-lived after Kylie Bomgardner netted the equalizer 1:21 later to tie the game at 1-1 with 9:52 to play in the first half.

The Indians outshot the Cougars 13-3 until Dembrowski’s goal late in the second half, the only time the Cougars gained consistent pressure against the Indians defense.

Sprecher made the save of the game with a diving attempt from her backside with 16:04 left, but also made contact with a Unionville defender prior to the play.

“That could have been a game-changer,” Curtis said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way that time.”

Unionville’s season ended in the state quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, but lose just three seniors. The Indians will be favored to return to the state playoffs once again.

“It’s a difficult loss,” Curtis said. “We had a great season and did a great job. Today, it was two good teams on the turf. It could have gone either way.”