Lewisburg boys face Tulpehocken in state quarterfinals today
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Going into overtime is always a high-energy situation. Once you get to double overtime, the nerves are dialed up even more.
Going to a shootout in the state playoffs with the season on the line? That stress and anxiety gets ramped as high as it can.
There isn't a more high-stress, pressure-packed situation in soccer than a penalty kick shootout in the playoffs, but Lewisburg came up and delivered in that exact situation on Tuesday without any worries.
Jack Kohl had the game-winning PK on the fifth and final attempt, giving Lewisburg a dramatic 5-4 win over District 2 champion Lake Lehman on the road to advance the Green Dragons back to the state quarterfinals.
"PKs are always hard. It is very hard to replicate in practice," Lewisburg coach Ben Kettlewell said. "They all wanted to take the PKs and Gabe (Pawling) was confident in goal."
Now, Lewisburg is extending its run as the defending state champions for another game as the Green Dragons face District 3 runners-up Tulpehocken, who stunned 21-win Northwestern Lehigh in an exciting contest, 2-1, in the first round of the state tournament.
Lewisburg and Tulpehocken play this afternoon at noon at East Pennsboro High School in Enola.
Northwestern Lehigh, the District 11 champion, was in the top-5 in the state rankings.
"(The boys are) very excited to get to practice another day. It was a tough matchup, so getting the results is good, no matter how it comes," Kettlewell said.
Tulephocken is 17-3-2 and have both a potent offense (82 goals) and a stingy defense (22 goals allowed) through 22 games.
The Trojans have scored two or more goals in 19 games this year and the only team to have beaten Tulpehocken this year was Wyomissing, who beat the Trojans twice in the regular season in back-to-back games, 4-1 and 2-1, before getting the best of the Trojans in the District 3 title game, 3-0.
Of the 22 goals allowed, nine have come at the hands of Wyomissing, who are in the state quarterfinals as well after beating Northern Lehigh, 4-0, in the first-round of states in Class AA.
Lewisburg is always up to the challenge of whoever is lined up against them on the pitch. The Green Dragons every year are one of the state's best teams -- they're in the top 10 again this year in the state rankings -- and play great against every opponent.
It's why the Dragons' have allowed eight goals all year and have recorded four consecutive shutouts in the postseason.
"Our back line is huge for us and we can keep the ball," Kettlewell said. "It igves us many advantages both offensively and defensively."
Lewisburg's defense has been outstanding this year, something the Green Dragons historically are always known for, and in goal, Gabe Pawling is as good as you can want from a keeper. The senior goalie
"Gabe is a special player, he helps our team limit (the opponent's) quality chances," Kettlewell said. "He does so many things out there that allow all of us to be more confident."
Pawling has 16 shutouts this season.
Offensively, Lewisburg is led by a number of talented players in Jack Kohl (12 goals, five assists), Keegan Crosby (10 goals, 13 assists), Daedrian Campbell (10 goals, 14 assists), Eli Abunassar (10 goals, 11 assists), Everett Good (eight goals, seven assists), Dylan Vogel (seven goals, four assists) and Riley Gulden-Luthi (five goals, four assists).
"We are a team,w e try to focus on staying connected," Kettlewell said. "We don't rely on just one player."
And that's been evident all season long.