JEFFREY REINHART

STATE FINAL: Mennonite vs. Fleetwood, Friday at Hersheypark Stadium, time is TBA (probably 1 or 2 p.m.)

HERSHEY — Greetings from Chocolate Town. I just arrived and got a cozy seat up in the press box for today’s PIAA Double-A girls’ semifinal pitting L-L League champ Lancaster Mennonite against Districit 3 neighbor Wyomissing. Speaking of Wyomissing, they were the first team out and about on the A-Turf field, which is looking good. As I speak (4:41) Mennonite’s players are spilling out of the locker room and getting acclimated with the stadium. The winner goes to the state spring championship game, set for Friday back here. Game time today is 5:30, and I’ll weigh in with some news and notes up until that time. I have the rosters. I have a good seat. So stay tuned for more updates …

4:56 … Video Killed the Radio Star – sweet warm-up song. Wyo is to my left and Mennonite to my right, going through pre-game stretching drills and whatnot. … The one thing I’ve always liked about Mennonite’s sports teams are the warm-up jerseys the kids make and wear. Blazers are going with red t-shirts this afternoon. Nothing like a little team bonding, right. … No flashy warm-ups for Wyo, which will be wearing blue shorts and white shirts with blue lettering. … By the way, Hersheypark is open, and what a backdrop, with all the roller coasters buzzing around and the people screaming. Nice. … More to follow. Might hit the little boys’ room before we get started. …

And the blast-from-the-past warm-up music just keeps getting better. Everybody have fun tonight. Everybody wang chung tonight.

To this day, all those years later, I still have no clue what that means.

5:04 — Looks like some of my press buddies have decided to join me. Here they come!

5:10 — When you walk into the men’s room inside Hersheypark Stadium, it’s like stepping back into the 50s. Wowzer. I swear these urinals have been here since the place opened.

5:12 — Both team are still going through their pre-game routine. Digging the multi-colorful cones the teams set up to dribble around. Mennonite is practicing breakaways and give-and-gos. Admit it: You gotta love the soccer terminology. Clock is ticking … 8:49 until game time. Can you feel it?

5:19 — Captains are at midfield for the big meeting with the referees. Handshakes all around. Ground rules. Everyone smiling. Hard to believe that in 3:10, everyone in that semi-circle will do battle.

5:21 — This must be one of those Jock Jams discs. I don’t know about anyone else in the stadium (all 200 of them), but I’m stoked. Let’s play some soccer.

5:23 — Teams are taking the ‘pitch’ for the starting lineups … Mennonite first, then Wyo. Then the anthem, so I better get ready to stand up. It’s almost game time …

5:29 — Game on! I’ll post updates when I can … goals, key plays, corners, etc. Cool, we’re starting one minute early!

FIRST HALF

Early corner for Mennonite is broken up in the box by Wyo. … Mennonite’s Ally Brown makes a nice run but fires wide left — goal kick Wyo. I didn’t give her a shot on goal. Man, I’m a tough scorer. Sorry, Ally. … Gotta love the red spikes worn by Mennonite’s Katelyn Vanderhoff. … Another good chance by Ally Brown, who whistled a shot from the top of the box — it missed high and wide, but that’s the first shot of the game. … Vanderhoff got her red spikes on the ball in the box off a nice feed from Ally Brown (she’s been active, if you haven’t noticed), but she got tangled up in traffic. All Mennonite early, gang. … Let the subbing begin — two fresh players in for Mennonite. … Wyo finally made a run on a nice though ball. Goal kick, Mennonite. … Shot by Joanna Cote for Mennonite — corner, Blazers.  Mennonite’s Kori Wenger gets a shot on the rebound, but misses high. Mennonite leads in shots, 2-0. … Wyo first shot with about 27:30 to go, save by Blazers’ Laura Gochnauer. … Shots are now 3-2, LMH. … Wyo’s Courtney Hamsher collides with Mennonite goalie Laura Gochnauer, who went down. Trainers are out, but she’s up and looks fine. She’ll stay in the game. Tough kid. … 23:16 to go. … Shot by Mennonite’s Kelsey Gorman from the top of the box. Save by Wyo goalie Hayley Zinn. … Under 20 to go, still 0-0. … Gooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll (I’ve been waiting all day to type that) Wyo goal by Leanne Mould, lefty boot in the box off a set up from Courtney Hamsher. 1-0 Wyo. … Goooooooooaalllllll Mennonite answers immediately — Lisa Wingard scores in the box off a feed from Taylor Wenger. We have a 1-1 game. … Corner Mennonite at 15 minutes –Vanderhoff great shot at a header in front but she directs it wide right. Still 1-1, 14:39 to go. … Coming up on 10 minutes … plenty of good midfield action going on. No chances for a while. … Hamsher sweet shot from the top of the box, sprawling save by Gochnauer. Hang a star next to that one. 8:06 to go … This is a really good game. Honest. I’m not just saying that because I’m sitting here typing and typing and typing. A lot of good, skilled players down there. This is really good soccer; 6:17 to go … Gorman header on goal, nice save Zinn. Still knotted at 1. … HUGE save by Zinn on Ally Brown (who else?) shot right on the doorstep. Sweet cross from Gorman, who put it on Brown’s foot. Wow. … Bethany Engle whistles a shot for Mennonite — just wide. Goal kick, Wyo; two minutes to go — SUPERB game. … Shots are coming hot and heavy for Mennonite — Vanderhoff fires, nice stop Zinn. … Half.

HALFTIME — Mennonite 1, Wyomissing 1. Goals by Wyo’s Leanne Mould (19:12) and Mennonite’s Lisa Wingard (18:31). Shots: Mennonite 9, Wyo 7; Corners: Mennonite 3, Wyo 0; Saves: Mennonite 5, Wyo 5.

HALFTIME ENTERTAINMENT SONG …. YMCA!

SECOND HALF

Game on! … Wyo first shot of the half — wide with 38 minutes to go. … Gooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaallllll Mould, her second, from Hamsher, her second assist. Sweet cross through the box to Mould on the doorstep, who chipped the shot past new Mennonite keeper Dani Zeamer at 35:08. Wyo leads 2-1. … All Wyo early in the second half; plenty of runs and chances — and the lead. … Mennonite struggling to get anything going — I don’t think they’ve crossed the midfield stripe this half. … Gooooooooooaaaalllllllllll (is that getting old by the way?) Mennonite ties it at 2 on a sweet, sweet, sweet goal by Katie Ruth, who took an unbelievable cross from Vanderhoff and buried it. Incredible goal at 25:45. … Another great chance for Mennonite — Steph Miller fires wide right; 19:54 to go. Terrific game. … Gooooooaaaaaalllll Mennonite takes a 3-2 lead on a goal by Kori Wenger at 17:11 off drop pass from Ally Brown (there’s that name again; give her a star). Sweet goal, and Mennonite takes its first lead. Awesome game. … Mennonite needs a solid D effort from here on out after Wenger’s goal. That clock can’t tick fast enough for the Blazers. … By the way, Fleetwood knocked off Holy Redeemer 3-1 in the other Double-A semifinal earlier today, so the winner here gets Fleetwood — which beat Mennonite in the District 3 semifinals, by the way. … Goooooooooaaaaaaallll Mennonite gets some insurance: Bethany Engle takes a super cross from Vanderhoff and one-times a goal, giving the Blazers a 4-2 lead with 11:05 to go. … Wilson and Central Dauphin are warming up on the far left side. The Bulldogs and Rams will square off in a Triple-A semi following this game (I will not be blogging that game, by the way). … 2:02 to go on a clock stoppage. Looking good for Mennonite, which played a spectacular second half (after a slow start after the break). … Final minute … looks like a Mennonite-Fleetwood state final on Friday.

FINAL: Mennonite 4, Wyomissing 2

Final stats soon … sit tight. Have to venture down and do some interviews.

Mennonite 4, Wyomissing 2

CORNERS: Mennonite 4, Wyo 1.

SHOTS: Mennonite 14, Wyo 12.

SAVES: Mennonite — Gochnauer 5, Zeamer 1; Wyo — Zinn 6.