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Williamsport girls earn 3-1 win against Hazleton in District 2-4 Class AAAA playoffs

By Jon Gerardi 5 min read

In her own words, Brynli Carnevale's second and final goal was a bit of a chaotic sequence. Just 24 minutes remained in the District 2-4 Class AAAA quarterfinal matchup at Balls Mills against Hazleton and the Millionaires held just a one-goal lead in a close contest.

Carnevale and her teammates wanted to put one more in to get a little breathing room and shift momentum back away from the Cougars.

Williamsport fired a shot just in the 18 to Hazleton keeper Emma Zanolini who blocked it, but the ball stayed in play. There was a quick bounce and that's when Carnevale used her head, literally, to put in the goal to the near left-post and give Williamsport a two-goal lead once again.

"It was just really chaotic and I was just like this has to go in because it's a tight game," Carnevale said.

It went in and the goal helped Williamsport defeat Hazleton, 3-1, in Thursday's district quarterfinal matchup. The win guarantees Williamsport another home game on Tuesday in the District 2-4 Class AAAA semifinals at a time to be determined.

"It was huge (to put our third goal in). I talked to the girls at halftime about coming out strong and I thought we had a good start to the second half; it was just a ball came back out off the corner (for Hazleton's goal). Again, things we can learn from going forward which is great. The mentality to not sit in and try to defend for another 30 minutes was fantastic," Williamsport coach Beckham Sibiski said. "I said we've been in games for that throughout the season that have prepared us for the big moments. I'm super proud of Brynli to find the goal and obviously the pressure at the end of the game. It could have been more, but we'll take a win and keep moving."

Hazleton scored a goal ten minutes into the second half to cut the deficit to 2-1 and get a bit of a spark when the Cougars needed it. Thomas got just inside the corner of the 18 and sent her shot to the far-left post for the goal.

"They were working hard. We had a chance really early in the game. I felt like if we could have got that one, we could have had some momentum," Hazleton coach Matt Michelin said. "When we got that other goal and it became 2-1, we had some momentum and I started to see a little bit better body language on the field. Unfortunately, we kind of let one in there. But they played hard the whole game and I'm proud of them."

Once the Cougars scored to cut the deficit to a goal, Williamsport turned up the intensity and kept trying to get that goal to go in and help secure the win.

In the second half, Williamsport fired 17 total shots, 10 on target, and ended the game with a 16-10 advantage in shots on goal over Hazleton. In the second half, Williamsport's possession was key as the Millionaires rarely let Hazleton get counter attacks and chances. Hazleton had just three shots on goal in the second half.

"As the season's progressed, we found we could be a more possession-based team. We thought we'd be defending a lot more than maybe we have this season, but it's something that's come with time and experience for the girls," Sibiski said. "The composure that they've shown over the last three or four games to just say, 'hey, we can keep it rather than just go forward and find a pass.' That helps us, right? If we keep them from having the ball, they can't score, and they know that too."

"I think we knew to keep the ball, especially because they had two really good girls that could take it all the way down the field," Carnevale added. "We were just trying to keep it."

Williamsport scored 15 minutes into the game. Ella Brelsford sent in a direct kick into the 18 which Zanolini blocked, but it stayed in play and Carnevale was in the right spot, tapping in the ball into the open net for the go-ahead goal, 1-0.

Williamsport would punch in a huge goal right before halftime with 29 seconds left for a big 2-0 lead. Noel Veldhuis sent a pass to Maddi Schur, who drilled a shot from inside the 18 to the left post and a two-goal lead entering halftime.

The first half saw Hazleton with a narrow 7-6 edge in shots on goal, but Williamsport dominated the final 40 minutes, out-shooting the Cougars in the second half, 10-3.

"I think they sent a few more numbers forward, so it kind of opened up the game a little bit in both directions. We kind of neutralized their threats and exploded into spaces when we could get on the ball," Sibiski said. "Obviously Brynli's a threat to running behind as well as our wingers. It was all part of the game plan to threaten them in behind and I thought they did it really well."

While Hazleton lost, Zanolini played great in goal to keep Williamsport from running away with the game as her 12 saves kept the Cougars in it until the end.

"We played here last year and just thinking about how she played last year here vs. how she played this year here? She's taken such great strides," Michelin said. "This year she was first-team all-conference Wyoming Valley (keeper). All the coaches were raving about her. I can't say enough good things about her. The work she put in and effort she's been showing out there has been incredible."

Williamsport 3, Hazleton 1

W--Brynli Carnevale (Ella Brelsford), 25:43. W--Maddi Schur (Noel Veldhuis), 0:29. H--Jayla Thomas, 30:35. W--Carnevale , 24:07.

Shots: H 10, W 16. Corners: H 2, W 9. Saves: H 12 (Emma Zanolini), W 9 (Valerie Beiter).

Records: Hazleton (5-13), Williamsport (8-4-7). 

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