BRETT R. CROSSLEY/Talk Williamsport
Muncy’s Daniel Hall moves a ball up against Lourdes during a District 4 Class A soccer game at Balls Mills. Hall scored in the second half as Muncy defeated Lourdes, 3-1.
By BRETT R. CROSSLEY
WILLIAMSPORT–Adam Sandri tucked a ball into the far side of the net just 30 seconds into the second half of Lourdes’ District 4 Class A opening playoff game against Muncy.
The goal, which tied the game at one apiece, failed to hold up as a flurry of second half No. 8 Muncy shots gave it a 3-1 win over No. 9 Lourdes.
The win puts Muncy up against top seeded East Juniata Saturday at Midd-West in a match scheduled for 6 p.m.
Caleb Smith scored twice and Daniel Hall added another as the Indians offense looked strong throughout the night.
Lourdes finished with two shots on goal with Sandri’s standing as the break through.
For Lourdes, it was a tale of missed chances and spotty defense against Muncy that allowed the Indians to advance.
“We tried to move the ball a little better and spread guys out,” Lourdes coach James Sandri said of his team’s early second half success. “You got to give Muncy credit. They handled the ball well and had great foot work.”
Lourdes created a break in the first minute of the second half when Adam Sandri tucked a low shot through Muncy’s defense for a 1-1 tie.
Sandri barely turned around before being mobbed by teammates.
“We started slow,” Sandri said. “We wanted to speed it up the sidelines a bit and try to cross it. We got lucky and pulled the keeper out a little bit and we got our goal. We had some momentum there, but then they scored their second goal.”
The goal instantly put Muncy on it’s heels. The Indians controlled possession throughout the opening half, but only came away with the one goal despite posting 14 shots.
“We definitely needed to possess,” Muncy coach Steve Ertel said. “We just needed to continue to play and not think about the result. We needed to continue to press forward with effort.”
Muncy responded to Lourdes’ early second half goal when Smith scored his second goal of the game with a low shot under the keeper.
Lourdes spent most of the first half on the defense as Muncy’s offense pushed the tempo and controlled possession.
The Indians finished with 14 shots in the opening 40 minutes with Smith breaking through near the 25-minute mark of the first half. Smith, who found plenty of chances from distance, connected with a hard shot that slipped under Steve Reiner, who subbed in at keeper during the first 10 minutes of the half.
Lourdes one chance came in the middle of the first half when a loose ball rolled across the face of the Muncy goal. Sandri strained to get the ball, but just could not control it. The ball eventually rolled out for a goal kick.
Lourdes entered Tuesday’s game on a roll.
The Red Raiders won their final four games of the season to earn a spot in the Class A playoff field, defeating Mount Carmel, Tri-Valley, Weatherly and Carson Long after opening the season with a 3-7 record.
Muncy also entered Tuesday’s contest with a little momentum.
The Indians won five of their final six games to earn the No. 8 seed in the Class A playoffs. The run included a 12-0 win over Mount Carmel, an 8-1 win over Troy, and a 7-2 win over Meadowbrook Christian.
No. 8 Muncy 3, No. 9 Lourdes 1
LOURDES 0 1-1
MUNCY 1 2-3
Goals: M-Caleb Smith (unassisted) 25:39; L-Adam Sandri (unassisted), 40:36; M-Smith (unassisted), 52:31; M-Daniel Hall (Smith), 57:38.
Shots: Lourdes 2, Muncy 25. Shots on goal: Lourdes 1, Muncy 11. Corners: Lourdes 2, Muncy 5. Saves: Lourdes (Tanner Maneval, Steve Reiner) 8. Muncy (Josh Hall) 0. Fouls: Lourdes 11, Muncy 11. Cards: Lourdes none. Muncy none.
Next: No. 8 Muncy vs. No. 1 East Juniata at Midd-West, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
