Lions survive second half surge from Lackawanna

Hazleton, Pa. - The Lady Lions were back in the win column on Wednesday night following a 4-2 win over Lackawanna College. Hazleton dominated possession on the Lackawanna side of the field, building a 3-0 lead at halftime but came under fire in the final stanza as the Falcons reeled off a pair of unanswered scores early in the period. Hazleton clung to a one goal lead until the 72nd minute when a long goal by junior Camille Principe (Lake Harmony, Pa.) pushed the margin back to two and sealed up the win. 

Hazleton got off to fast start and continued to pound the Falcon defense throughout the first half. Just over three minutes into the action, senior Breann Fetterman (Mountain Top, Pa.) launched a long hooking shot from outside the 18 over the outstretched arms of the Lackawanna keeper to break the ice. Hazleton remained on the attack, firing 10 shots over the next 25 minutes and by the 26th minute the broke free for their second score. Senior Ariel Rowlands (Dorrance, Pa.) made a well timed run up the middle of the field, collecting a pass from senior Lauren Degler (Oley Valley, Pa.). Rowlands settled the ball and fired low left to give Hazleton a 2-0 cushion. With the half winding down, Hazleton had one good attack left in them, this time coming from leading goal scorer, sophomore Emma Wyllie (Benton, Pa.). Following a foul, Wyllie collected a free kick amidst a sea of players and tucked the ball in the net to send Hazleton into the break with a healthy 3-0 advantage. 

Desptie the 3-0 lead, this one could have gotten out of hand without some stellar stops by the Falcon netminder Sophia Andreoli. Andreoli made 12 stops in the first half and continued to hold off Hazleton from blowing the game open. That effort would pay dividends as the Falcons responded with a goal in the 50th minute. Falcon, Alexa Smith dribbled all the way from midfield, shrugging off defenders in the process and connecting on a shot inside the 18 to trim the lead to 3-1. Lackawanna came up with another score via the penalty kick, making it a game with 30 minutes remaining. Despite finishing the night with a 52-12 advantage in shots, Hazleton was just one defensive lapse away from surrenduring the lead. Ten minutes of tense action ensued until Principe came up with the clutch score, notching the insurance goal from 35 yards outs. Principe sent in the ball from the right side caromming off the left post and across the line allowing Hazleton to nurse the final 17 minutes off the clock and win by a two score margin. 

Next up: Hazleton finishes up the first portion of the their season with a 3-1 record and now gets 10 days off before their next contest. The Lions retake the field on Saturday, September 21 when they travel to Clarks Summit University for a 1:00 p.m. matchup.