Hempfield, Mennonite, Donegal advance to state championship soccer games

It will be an all-Lancaster-Lebanon League affair in the PIAA Double-A girls’ soccer state championship game on Friday, when District 3 runner-up Donegal takes on reigning state Double-A champ Lancaster Mennonite at 5 p.m. in Hersheypark Stadium.

And in the nightcap, a third L-L League team will go for state gold when Hempfield takes on Lower Dauphin in the Triple-A finale at 7 p.m., also in Hersheypark Stadium.

So at least one L-L League team will win a state soccer championship this spring.

In Tuesday’s state semifinal round, Mennonite and Donegal each posted shutout victories:

Mennonite got a pair of goals from Katelyn Vanderhoff in a 3-0 win over Fleetwood. The Blazers knocked off Fleetwood in last year’s state-championship game, and this season, Mennonite dispatched Fleetwood in the semis.

Donegal got an early PK goal from Alecia McNiff on the way to a 2-0 win over Tulpehocken, as both L-L League teams beat Berks County teams in the semis.

You can read a replay of my live blog from those games here.

And in Tuesday’s wildest semi, Hempfield beat Emmaus 4-1 in penalty kicks after a pair of scoreless OT periods when regulation time ended with a 1-1 score.

You can read a replay of Keith’s live blog from that game here.

The Black Knights will take on District 3 foe Lower Dauphin, which needed double-OT to fend off Hershey 3-2 in the other Triple-A semi on Tuesday.

I will be blogging live from both state-championship soccer games from Hersheypark on Friday.

The link will be posted at lancsports.com.

Please check back here Wednesday for audio Podcast interviews with Lancaster Mennonite and Donegal players!