Donovan’s hat trick sends Conestoga to title game
TREDYFFRIN » Just four days after scoring both of Conestoga’s goals in a District 1 quarterfinal win in overtime, Pioneer senior forward Chris Donovan continued his scoring binge, tallying a hat trick in a 3-0 district semifinal victory against Kennett Wednesday evening at Teamer Field.
The win advances the top-seeded Pioneers (200-1) into the District 1 Class 4A championship game against 19th-seed Council Rock North, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Great Valley High School. CR North defeated Central Bucks West in a penalty kick shootout Wednesday to advance to the finals.
Donovan, who scored the game-winning goal in the PIAA championship game last fall in Hershey, has scored all five of Conestoga’s goals in its last two games.
“Chris is the ultimate competitor and has great composure inside the box,” said Conestoga head coach David Zimmerman. “He is very calm under pressure and that’s part of what makes him such a dangerous finisher.”
Against a defensiveoriented Perkiomen Valley squad in the quarterfinals, Donovan was man-marked and still scored two goals in a bruising 2-1 defensive battle. Wednesday night’s game against Kennett (16-6) was a more wide-open contest, and that was what Zimmerman was anticipating from the Blue Demons, who had knocked off No. 4 Hatboro-Horsham and No. 5 Henderson on the road by identical 2-1 scores.
“Kennett is the best offensive team we’ve faced this year,” said Zimmerman minutes before Wednesday’s contest. “Their front four are very talented and extremely dangerous, particularly No. 13 [senior forward Nicholas Brison]. I think the key for us tonight will be to score first.”
That’s exactly what happened, as Donovan broke the scoring ice at 9:59 into the game with a header after a feed from junior defender Jack Murphy.