CAMP HILL- Trinity started hot and stayed hot on a chilly Saturday morning, and in the process, took a 3-0 win over Mid Penn Capital foe East Penn. Goals from Kari Powell, Anne Durle, and Frances Murray allowed the Shamrocks to shut out and shut down the Panthers, who finished their season on Saturday morning, following the loss.
It took 36 minutes for a ball to reach the back of the net on Saturday morning, and when it did, it opened up opportunities for the Shamrocks throughout the game, despite good goalie play from East Penn’s Luka Strickland. Powell, the High Point University commit for girls soccer, despite being a star in the swimming pool, often leads the Shamrocks to victory.
“Our team is always trying to get that first goal and then we just get going. Getting first goals are very crucial, I’m glad it just a good team goal”, Powell said postgame.
Despite the early Saturday morning start, the game was played with plenty of passion. The Panthers played as any team would in a win or go home situation, against a very good Trinity #1 seed. But, unlike any other team in the District 3 2A tournament, East Penn has seen Trinity before, not only once but twice, and today’s meeting was their third season. Trinity came into the game as the heavy favorite, after a 14-2 regular season, and two previous wins over East Penn, 6-0 away on September 10, and another 6-0 at home on September 29, but Powell, along with the team, felt like they saw a new, more aggressive team today.
“I think they played a lot harder because it’s like life or death right now. You lose a game and you’re out, so they wanted it”, said Powell after the win.
With the win, Trinity clinches “insurance”. Trinity moves on to the Semifinals, played Tuesday against the winner of Boiling Springs and Susquenita, played at 4 PM today, Saturday. The loser of Tuesday’s semifinal games will be entered into the 3rd place game, who’s winner will go to the state tournament. Trinity will take home field advantage for the next game, regardless of the winner of Susquenita-Boiling Springs game.
“We have new turf, so that’s really nice. I like our home field, but we’ll play anywhere”, Kari Powell said postgame, and right now, the main goal is to play again next Saturday at Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Stadium for the District Championship.
As for East Penn, they close out the season with a final record of 10-8, after two District playoff games, one win at Eastern York, and today’s loss. East Penn’s Paelyn Bayer will compete at the next level next season, in Division I NCAA play at Towson University, where she committed on May 19 last spring.
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