Much-improved Villa 'can't wait' for state final

In more than 40 years as Villa Maria Academy's field hockey coach, Maurene Polley says, she has never seen a team improve as much during a season as her 2011 squad.

"It's been surreal," Polley said of the Hurricanes' development. "In the beginning, I had to go to fundmentals. I pushed them hard, and they learned to take the pushing. Every one of them has improved. Now they even smile at me."

That pushing has put the Hurricanes (21-2) in the PIAA Class AA championship game for the first time since 1994. They will play defending state champion Wyoming Seminary (17-5-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Zephyr Sports Complex at Whitehall High near Allentown.

The Class AAA championship game between Hempfield, the fourth-place team from District 3, and Warwick, the District 3 runner-up, will follow at 1 p.m.

After missing a state title in a 2-1 overtime loss to Upper Moreland in 1991, Villa won crowns in 1993 and '94 but has not gotten past the semifinals since. They Hurricanes have won the last five District 1 championships.

"I'm a little surprised that we've come this far, but I can't wait," said Villa's Caroline Troncelliti, obviously eager to end the long dry spell. She leads the Hurricanes in goals with 40.

Wyoming Seminary, the District 2 champion, beat Upper Perkiomen, 1-0, for the state title last year. The Blue Knights are making their sixth appearance in the championship game since joining the PIAA in 1986. They have earned four state titles under veteran coach Karen Klassner.

"We weren't expected to be here [at the championship game]," said Klassner, who has six juniors and two sophomores in her starting lineup. "All the people off the bench are freshmen."

The Blue Knights are led on offense by senior Ashleigh Sebia, who has 34 goals and 22 assists this season. Senior Kristian Stefanides has contributed 13 goals and 14 assists.

The Knights will be without their regular goalie, senior Ellie McDougal, who has mononucleosis. Taking her place will be junior Hannah Dressler.

"Hannah has been in for all the playoffs and done a nice job for us," said Klassner, who is in her 40th season at the school near Wilkes-Barre.

"It's been a strange season for us. At one point, we had to evacuate the school [some students board there] because of flooding and some of our [day] students lost their homes. The [Lehigh] river crested at 40 feet and flooding cost us a game and practice time. Lately, we've been playing on all cylinders."

Wyoming Seminary nipped District 3 champ Palmyra, 2-1, in the semifinals. The Hurricanes had a relatively easy time in their semifinal, rolling to a 6-0 victory over District 4 champ Selinsgrove.

Goalie Maddie Joyce has yielded only one goal in the Hurricanes' three state-playoff games, and that came in a 5-1 win over District 3 runner-up Greenwood.

Contact staff writer Don Beideman at 267-815-0733 or dbeideman@phillynews.com.