BY JEFF FALK

ANNVILLE – How and exactly when it occurred was hard to put a finger on. But in the midst of a very entertaining and competitive match, something clicked for the Annville-Cleona girls’ soccer team – the light went on.

It was so profound that not only did it change the course of the outcome, it has the power to change the direction of the Little Dutchmen’s entire season.

On Monday evening at Annville-Cleona High School, the home side came all the way back from an early two-goal deficit to stun rival Northern Lebanon 3-2 in overtime. The Little Dutchmen netted the game-winner 1:12 into the first extra session on some individual hustle from Morgan Dancause.

After the Vikings were unable to clear a dangerous ball in their box, Dancause pounced on the opportunity. She collected the loose ball, and from in close with her right foot, booted inside the near post.

It was the first and only shot of overtime.

The result pushed the Little Dutchmen to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in Section Three of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Northern Lebanon dropped to 2-3 on the fall and 1-3 in the circuit.

“Morgan had been working hard all game,” said Annville-Cleona head coach John Myers. “She fought through their defense and found a way to put it into the back of the net. If she works hard, everything will come, right?”

“I think we found a way to beat them,” continued Myers. “I think we figured out where their weaknesses were. We also figured out where their strengths were, and shut them down.”

“It was a defensive breakdown, an error,” said Northern Lebanon head coach Lindsey Rayman. “They capitalized. I thought we could’ve won. They were a beatable team.”

While the contest was evenly-matched and hard fought throughout, it may have been that the Little Dutchmen played better as the action wore on. Down a goal at the break, Annville-Cleona tied the score at two 11:13 into the second half.

From the middle of the field, Annville-Cleona’s Trinity Seaman play a ball to teammate Hannah Campbell on her right wing. From 20 yards out, Campbell smashed a right-footer low, inside the far post.

“I thought we found a fire to keep going this season. That’s what we needed,” said Myers. “We needed a win against a quality opponent. My team needed to find a fire, needed to find a fierceness.

“I don’t think we’ve had a win against a quality opponent, until tonight,” Myers continued. “We needed this comeback, and we have a tough week ahead. That was an important win to get our week started.”

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” said Rayman. “The first half was really ugly soccer. You can have all the opportunities you want, but you’ve got to finish.

“We didn’t play well,” added Rayman. “Just because we were up 2-0 doesn’t mean we played well.”

With the Little Dutchmen struggling on the pitch and on the scoreboard, it was Danacause who lit the fire 16 minutes before halftime.

Sent ahead on a breakaway, Danacause dribbled right and got the Viking goalie to go with her. And when she did, Danacause slid the ball back, against the grain, and into the middle of goal.

“We’ve got to played our game,” said Myers of his club’s two-goal deficit. “If we do that, it’ll happen. If we get one goal, it’ll happen. You’ve got to get one goal and fight your way back from there.”

“We played better in the second half than we did in the first half,” said Rayman. “We played much better on Saturday. It was a quick turnaround. We didn’t capitalize on all of our opportunities.”

Already up a goal, the Vikings made it 2-0, with 22:28 left in the first half.

Initially, Viking Jenna Wentling clanged a 30-yard free kick off the right post. The always dangerous Brianna Seip was there to collect the rebound and deposit it inside the left post.

“They played hard,” said Myers of the Vikings. “They’re a hard fighting team. Both girls up front (Seip and Taylor Batz) fight hard to get the ball, and they fight hard to get them the ball. They’re well coached. They’re a good team. That’s why this was an important win for us.”

“We had three injured starters,” said Rayman. “It changes the whole thing. It would’ve been a different game for sure, if they could’ve played.”

Northern Lebanon struck quickly, scoring the first goal of the game on the first shot, off the first corner kick, 2:49 in.

From the right corner, Wentling boomed a ball into the middle of the Little Dutchmen goal mouth. Batz was there, unmarked, and simply guided it onto the net.

“We are fundamentally changing the way we play,” said Myers. “When you don’t have a state championship sprinter up front, it changes things. It’s about these guys working hard. We’re playing possession soccer. Morgan (Danacause) has found the patience to give up the ball to teammates. That’s something she’s really had to work at.”

“We want to improve on our record from last year,” said Rayman. “We want to get better as a team. People have got to play different positions because of the injuries, and that makes it difficult.”

Thanks to ten in the first half, Northern Lebanon out shot Annville-Cleona 17-15. The Vikings took seven corner kicks compared to the Little Dutchmen’s one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to https://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/photo-gallery/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017 Northern Lebanon Girls’ Soccer Schedule

Date	Teams	Score
9/01 4:00 pm	Wyomissing at Northern Lebanon	0 1
9/06 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Annville-Cleona
9/08 4:00 pm	Lancaster Catholic at Northern Lebanon	2 1
9/12 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Lebanon Catholic	7 0
9/14 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Lancaster Mennonite	2 4
9/16 7:00 pm	Elco at Northern Lebanon	7 1
9/19 7:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Donegal
9/21 4:00 pm	Pequea Valley at Northern Lebanon
9/27 7:15 pm	Annville-Cleona at Northern Lebanon
9/29 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Lancaster Catholic
10/02 7:00 pm	Lebanon Catholic at Northern Lebanon
10/04 4:00 pm	Lancaster Mennonite at Northern Lebanon
10/06 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Elco
10/09 7:00 pm	Donegal at Northern Lebanon
10/11 7:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Pequea Valley
10/12 7:00 pm	Susquenita at Northern Lebanon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 2017 Annville-Cleona Girls’ Soccer Schedule

Date	Teams	Score
9/01 4:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Lancaster Country Day	9 0
9/06 4:00 pm	Northern Lebanon at Annville-Cleona
9/08 4:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Pequea Valley	0 3
9/09 4:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Northwestern Lehigh	0 4
9/09 4:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at North Schuylkill	4 0
9/12 7:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Donegal	0 5
9/14 4:00 pm	Lancaster Catholic at Annville-Cleona	1 0
9/16 10:00 am	Annville-Cleona at Lebanon Catholic	9 1
9/19 7:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Lancaster Mennonite
9/21 7:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Elco
9/23 10:00 am	Oley Valley Area H.S. at Annville-Cleona
9/27 7:15 pm	Annville-Cleona at Northern Lebanon
9/29 4:00 pm	Pequea Valley at Annville-Cleona
10/02 7:00 pm	Donegal at Annville-Cleona
10/04 7:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Lancaster Catholic
10/07 10:00 am	Lebanon Catholic at Annville-Cleona
10/09 7:00 pm	Lancaster Mennonite at Annville-Cleona
10/11 4:00 pm	Elco at Annville-Cleona
10/12 7:00 pm	Annville-Cleona at Donegal