Deer Lakes finally gets its opportunity to take on Quaker Valley
Deer Lakes narrowly missed out on its goal of playing for the WPIAL Class 2A championship. The Lancers were knocked out of the district playoffs by eventual champion Shady Side Academy in the semifinals before rebounding with a win against previously unbeaten Charleroi in the consolation game.
Being the third-place winner was nice, but what Deer Lakes really wanted was to be the team that played Quaker Valley for the title, which is what Shady Side Academy did.
It may be a week later than they hoped for, but the Lancers are still getting a crack at the Quakers Saturday in the PIAA quarterfinals.
“Iwould say that we are definitely looking forward to this matchup,” said Deer Lakes coach Jordan Wiegand. “We were looking for this earlier and didn’t get the chance.”
A.J. Dorman and a dominant defense are big reasons whythe Lancers are still alive. Dorman netted a hat trick in the 7-1 triumph against Charleroi. His score in the second overtime against Fairview Tuesday night lifted Deer Lakes to a 1-0 victory in the PIAA first round.
Thanks to stellar defensive play and goalie Jesse Grey-shock, Deer Lakes has outscored its opponents, 91-15, with10 shutouts.
The Fairview game was no breeze, thanks to blistering 45 mph winds coming off nearby Lake Erie at Dollinger Field.
“It really changes your approachto a game, especially in soccer when you’re kicking into the wind,” Wiegand said. “Along ball might die down in front of you. Another ball might run 50 yards past you. It took us a while to adjust to that.”
Many of the district title matches went into extra periods or even shootouts. Quaker Valley and Shady Side Academy had their match decided by penalty kicks after two overtimes. Deer Lakes, meanwhile, had the weekend off, which ended up being an advantage Tuesday when its match went into overtimes.
“Unlike the other teams that fought hard for a WPIAL title, it’s hard to not imagine thatwe were pretty well rested and healthy heading into this game,” said Wiegand. “We still had some fresh legs heading into this match.”
The Lancers (19-1-1) have had to pivot away from their goal of winning the WPIAL title. When that was no longer a possibility, they set their sights on states.
“When you fall short, your goals shift,” said Wiegand. “Why not go for something big? That’s the state championship. We immediately directed our goal to that.”
Seton LaSalle
The Rebels saw their 2017 season come to an end with a 3-2 loss to Brockway. On Tuesday, they got their revenge andthen some.
The Rebels picked up a 1-0 victory against the District 9 champion thanks to a score 25 minutes into the first half by junior Ethan Gardner. He hooked in a corner kick for his 13th goal of the season. Goalie Sam Reinhart made four saves to preserve the shutout.