Whether that be Loyalsock’s back line making plays and getting in the way of open looks, or keeper Ava Deknecht coming up with big stops, Loyalsock was doing everything it could to ensure that the Warriors didn’t let an equalizer slip into the back of the net in the final 10 minutes of Saturday night’s game.

And the Lancers did exactly that.

Despite Montoursville pressing late and having chances, Loyalsock held on for a thrilling 3-2 win at home in a rivalry game against the Warriors (2-4) to secure a big win early in the season, the second win for Loyalsock (2-4).

“This is the way we’ve been trying to play all season and this is the first time we’ve done what we’ve been trying to coach them and it worked. We’re ecstatic,” Loyalsock coach Mark Pysher said. “It was a good game and it was a tough win. This was a turning point for us last year when we beat Montoursville, so hopefully it’s a trend and we’ll keep going on and get into playoff contention.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Khaya Bennett (17) reaches past Loyalsock's Iyana Sewell (8) race for the ball during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

Montoursville scored with nearly 27 minutes to play until halftime when Faith Berwanger sent in a shot from just outside the high high near the upper 90 for a 1-0 lead. But Loyalsock kept pressing and 10 minutes later, broke through to tie it.

Mackenzie Miller got off a left-footed shot inside the 18 to the far right post to tie the game with 16:18 until halftime. It was the first of three goals for the junior in Loyalsock’s victory.

“Losing Lauren O’Malley — who was also No. 18 — it was really showing how much it hurt us at the beginning of the season and Mackenzie wanted to fill that roll and tonight she did,” Pysher said. “Hopefully that’s going to be the trend and she’s going to keep doing that more and more. She obviously can do it, so hopefully it stays that way.”

Montoursville tied up the game midway through the second half when senior Kenna Bennett was sent a corner and was able to bury a shot to make it a 2-2 game.

But that would be Montoursville’s final goal despite heavy pressure late in the game.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Zowie Rinehart (3) and Montoursville's Faith Berwanger (2) race for the ball during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

“This was a tough game for us. We just couldn’t find our way tonight and that happens when you have a young, inexperienced team. At times you flounder, and tonight was one of those nights unfortunately,” Montoursville coach Vic Gorini said. “We were coming off the high of that Hughesville victory, so it’s unfortunate to kind of fall flat here tonight. That’s the nature of having a young team without a lot of experience, you have a hard time finding consistency sometimes.”

“Molly Boyer, who’s also a sophomore, she’s strong and she knows that she needs to hold her ground. The Bennetts are a force to be reckoned with and Molly did a good job,” Pysher said. “In another year or two hopefully she’ll be another standout. Of course Addie (Bastian) who’s gotten hurt twice already this year, she’s a tough kid. She’s going to give you everything she’s got.”

Miller put in her final goal on a header at the corner of the 6-yard box just three minutes after Bennett scored on a solid corner kick from Madison Perry which Miller sent to the near-right post for the 3-2 lead which held on thanks to a superb defensive effort.

Deknecht ended the day with five saves and had two huge saves in the second half. One came when Bennett had a 1-v-1 look with the sophomore from 14 yards out and Deknecht dove for an excellent stop low.

Then, with 5:20 to play in the game, Montoursville’s Khaya Bennett received a corner kick inside the 18 near the 6 and had a great chance off a header, but Deknecht once again grabbed it and prevented a possible momentum-shifting game-tying goal. She ended the game with seven saves.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville players celebrate a goal by Faith Berwanger during the first period of a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

“Ava was getting there. She’s still young, she’s still got quite a bit to learn, but she’s getting there and she’s getting better. I’m very happy, I can’t even find the words for how well we played tonight,” Pysher said. “This is the level we need to play at every game. We just played Line Mountain the other day and we did not play like this. If we had, it’d have been a totally different game.”

Montoursville’s last shot attempt came with 3:40 to play when Kenna Bennett got a loose ball near the 6 and tried chipping in a high shot under the cross bar, but sent it just over the bar and out of harm’s way.

“We made some switches out of the back and tried to get more offensive presence up there, but we just struggled in the midfield area tonight and our back line struggled to kind of clear the ball,” Gorini said. “All around it was a challenging game for us. We just struggled all together with our possession and what we usually do well. It just didn’t click tonight.”

In the first half with 19:40 to play, Loyalsock’s Perry had a chance from outside the 18 to score when she sent a low shot to the left post, but Montoursville keeper Abby Strassner had a good diving stop to block it and keep the game at that point 1-0. Strassner ended the game with four saves for the Warriors.

In the back-and-forth game where Montoursville held a lead early, then tied it midway through the second half, Pysher was happy the Lancers didn’t get rattled or hang their heads and continued battling and playing their style of soccer to reclaim a lead.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Elyse Boyle, right, moves the ball past Loyalsock's Olivia Alberts (11) during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

“That’s something we’ve been talking about. There’s no quit. We can struggle, we can be hurt, we can cry, but we don’t quit,” Pysher said. “Unfortunately there were times we did struggle and we didn’t play good soccer, we started playing kickball. But tonight we stuck with it and we played the right way.”

For Montoursville and Gorini, he knew that a rivalry game against Loyalsock would be tough, as all league games in the HAC are.

“I mean it’s that way in every game we play across the league, there aren’t many weak teams. Any time you show up and don’t have your head on right and a sub-par performance, you’re susceptible to getting beat and that’s what happened to us unfortunately,” Gorini said. “It was a real unlucky night. We’d like to play the game again, but you have to move on.”

Loyalsock 3, Montoursville 2

M–Faith Berwanger, 26:53. L–Mackenzie Miller, 16:18. L–Miller, 7:44. M–Kenna Bennett, 20:06. L–Miller (Madison Perry corner kick), 17:18.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock goalie Ava Deknecht (1) plays during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

Shots: M 9, L 9. Corners: M 6, L 2. Saves: M 6 (Abby Strassner), L 7 (Ava Deknecht).

Records: Montoursville (2-4), Loyalscok (2-4).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Faith Berwanger (2) and Loyalsock's Natalie Pearson (4) battle for control during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Kenna Bennett (18) attempts a tackle around Loyalsock's Madison Perry (21) during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Iyana Sewell (8) and Montoursville's Marleigh Bainbridge (9) battle for control during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville goalie Abby Strassner (31) attempts to block a shot on the goal during a high school girls soccer game at Loyalsock on Saturday.