WHITEHALL, Pa. - Villa Maria experienced déjà vu Saturday in the PIAA Class AA state field hockey final.
For the second straight year, the Hurricanes came up short in the title game, losing to District 2's Crestwood, 1-0, at Whitehall.
All the Comets (23-2) needed was a goal after just 179 ticks of the clock. Crestwood converted the second of two early penalty corners when junior Marissa Surdy drove home the ball from the top of the circle.
The early score threw off Villa Maria (22-2), and the Hurricanes sank back into defensive mode.
"We were more worried about not letting them score another goal instead of focusing on scoring a goal," senior Olivia Bolles said.
But Villa coach Maurene Polley, who together with Crestwood coach Elvetta Gemski has 80 years of coaching experience, thought the early goal shouldn't have slowed her players or changed their mind-sets.
"We had plenty of time to recover from that," Polley said. "Plenty of time."
Shortly after the goal, Bolles, Villa's defensive flier, made a stop on a corner that denied the Comets any opportunity to convert in the ninth minute.
"Olivia's a good player. She's given us four good years," Polley said of her senior captain, who made plays on all ends of the turf. "She shouldn't have to carry the ball down the field," as she did Saturday.
Though Villa's defense kept the ball out of the cage for the remainder of the game - senior Meghan Murphy made a defensive save with 14 minutes remaining in the first half - the Hurricanes offense didn't attack.
Villa forced three straight penalty corners with seven minutes left in the first half but couldn't capitalize. And twice in the second half, the Hurricanes had consecutive corner opportunities.
"You've got to do your job," Polley said. "It's that simple. . . . If you're a scorer, then you've got to put the ball in the goal cage."
The Hurricanes appeared to have tied the score five minutes into the second half when Bolles hit a shot that freshman Abby Siana tipped in, but the goal was called off because of a Hurricanes foul just before the ball went in the net.
"There wasn't a second that we were not under pressure," Gemski said. "Many, many repeated penalty corners over and over again, and we were just able to prevent [a goal] from happening."
The win marks Gemski's fifth state title at the helm of Crestwood, located in Mountain Top at the northeast tip of the state.
"This has been a wonderful trip with this group," Gemski said.
Crestwood 1 0 – 1
Villa Maria 0 0 – 0
Goal: Marissa Surdy.
Saves: C-Dallas Kendra 13; VM-Erika Miller 10.
Contact Megan Soisson at msoisson@philly.com.
