ANNVILLE – They’ve got the speed, the skills, the moves.
They’ve got the focus and desire.
The goal is clearly in sight.
The Little Dutchmen are making a run.
On a mostly cloudy Wednesday evening at Annville-Cleona High School, the Little Dutchmen girls’ soccer team’s fall run got a little more dangerous, with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Lancaster Catholic. Rowan Ulrich netted the decisive goal for Annville-Cleona, through a determined individual effort with 1:29 remaining.
Off a good hard run down the right side of the field, Ulrich unleashed a drive that clanged off the crossbar. Undeterred, Ulrich stayed with the play, scooped up the rebound and drilled home a 15-yarder for the game-winning goal.
Bri Blouch drew the assist on the play.
“I want the girls to play the best they can every game,” said Annville-Cleona head coach Jim Blouch. “We’re trying to improve each game. It doesn’t always happen. Some days are tough. But we’re a hustling team. They never let up.
“I think with the season, so far so good,” Blouch added. “What has pleased me is that, for the majority of the time, the girls play the passing game. We’re not teaching kick and run.”
With the outcome, Annville-Cleona improved to 8-3-1 on the year and 6-2 in Section Four of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. While it doesn’t appear that the Little Dutchmen will win the section championship, they’re still very much alive for a Lancaster-Lebanon League playoff berth.
Yesterday’s result should also strengthen Annville-Cleona’s standing in the District Three Class AA power rankings. The Little Dutchmen are currently 14th in a classification that takes ten teams for its postseason tournament.
The setback dropped Lancaster Catholic to 3-10 overall and 3-5 in the circuit. Back on September 17 in Lancaster, Annville-Cleona had edged the Crusaders by a similar 2-1 count.
“She didn’t put her head down,” said Blouch of Ulrich’s game-winner. “She got right back into the play and put the second one in. I was proud of the comeback.
“You’ve got to give them (his players) credit,” added Blouch. “They kept in it. That was the most important thing. They didn’t give in. Fortunately, we came out on top. We had a number of opportunities to capitalize on. They (the Crusaders) had their chances as well.”
Ulrich’s winning tally came eight minutes after Lancaster Catholic had tied the match at one.
Annville-Cleona had protected its 1-0 edge for 38 minutes, before Crusader Alyssa Korenkiewicz produced the tying tally. Korenkiewicz jumped on a loose ball deep in Little Dutchmen territory, and with her right foot from in-close, lofted a ball under the crossbar.
“I think they were pressing at that point of the game,” said Blouch of the Crusaders. “They had momentum. They capitalized on a mistake. They did what they were supposed to do.”
The Little Dutchmen assumed their 1-0 lead17:27 into the first half on a well-placed 35-yard shot from Sage Sherk. Moving to her right off an Emma Hearsey feed, Sherk used her right foot to arc a ball over the outstretched hands of Lancaster Catholic goalie Sophia Williams.
“She (Sherk) has a really good hard shot from distance,” said Blouch. “She got ahold of it and put it over the keeper, and it resulted in a goal.
“This keeps us in the running for second place in the section,” continued Blouch. “At the beginning of the season, I thought we could make a run for the section. My hopes were to win the section. It doesn’t always happen. But we’re hanging near the top.”
The play of the game was fairly even, and that fact was represented in the final statistics. Annville-Cleona out shot Lancaster Catholic 12-11, but the Crusaders enjoyed a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.
“I’m glad for the girls,” said Blouch. “I don’t think I want to measure the girls’ success by if we make the playoffs or not. My goal for them is to play up to their potential.”
| Date | Opponents | Outcomes | |
| 8/30 4:00 pm | Berks Catholic at Annville-Cleona | Nonleague | |
| 9/07 4:00 pm | Annville-Cleona at Lebanon | 13 3 | League |
| 9/08 7:00 pm | Annville-Cleona at Northern Lebanon | 2 3 | League |
| 9/11 10:00 am | Annville-Cleona at Oley Valley Area H.S. | 0 0 | Nonleague |
| 9/13 6:30 pm | York Catholic at Annville-Cleona | 2 1 | Nonleague |
| 9/17 4:00 pm | Annville-Cleona at Lancaster Catholic | 2 1 | League |
| 9/18 10:00 am | East Pennsboro at Annville-Cleona | 1 3 | Nonleague |
| 9/21 4:00 pm | Pequea Valley at Annville-Cleona | 1 0 | League |
| 9/24 4:00 pm | Annville-Cleona at Lancaster Country Day | 2 0 | League |
| 9/27 7:00 pm | Lebanon at Annville-Cleona | 0 9 | League |
| 9/29 5:00 pm | Northern Lebanon at Annville-Cleona | 0 2 | League |
| 10/02 6:15 pm | Annville-Cleona at Brandywine Heights | 3 2 | Nonleague |
| 10/06 4:00 pm | Lancaster Catholic at Annville-Cleona | League | |
| 10/08 4:00 pm | Annville-Cleona at Pequea Valley | League | |
| 10/11 4:00 pm | Lancaster Country Day at Annville-Cleona | League |
| AA | School | W | L | T | Rating | TWP | OWP | TWPW | OWPW | TWPL | OWPL |
| 1 | Wyomissing | 13- | 0- | 0 | 0.768885 | 1.000000 | 0.486411 | 12.10 | 112.75 | 0.00 | 119.05 |
| 2 | Boiling Springs | 9- | 2- | 0 | 0.692184 | 0.819820 | 0.536184 | 9.10 | 105.95 | 2.00 | 91.65 |
| 3 | Bishop McDevitt (3) | 7- | 1- | 1 | 0.666501 | 0.812500 | 0.488057 | 7.15 | 91.95 | 1.65 | 96.45 |
| 4 | Trinity (3) | 10- | 2- | 1 | 0.663494 | 0.788462 | 0.510755 | 10.25 | 102.10 | 2.75 | 97.80 |
| 5 | Susquenita | 10- | 1- | 0 | 0.648829 | 0.905263 | 0.335408 | 8.60 | 67.35 | 0.90 | 133.45 |
| 6 | Eastern York | 9- | 3- | 1 | 0.644681 | 0.753676 | 0.511463 | 10.25 | 104.85 | 3.35 | 100.15 |
| 7 | Middletown | 7- | 2- | 2 | 0.638972 | 0.713043 | 0.548439 | 8.20 | 101.90 | 3.30 | 83.90 |
| 8 | Bermudian Springs | 10- | 2- | 0 | 0.605625 | 0.792453 | 0.377280 | 8.40 | 72.40 | 2.20 | 119.50 |
| 9 | Kutztown | 11- | 3- | 0 | 0.601374 | 0.764286 | 0.402261 | 10.70 | 90.75 | 3.30 | 134.85 |
| 10 | Northern Lebanon | 10- | 4- | 0 | 0.583465 | 0.705882 | 0.433843 | 9.60 | 99.35 | 4.00 | 129.65 |
| 11 | Camp Hill | 5- | 3- | 2 | 0.574849 | 0.605769 | 0.537058 | 6.30 | 94.20 | 4.10 | 81.20 |
| 12 | Pequea Valley | 9- | 4- | 1 | 0.572739 | 0.663121 | 0.462272 | 9.35 | 106.60 | 4.75 | 124.00 |
| 13 | Tulpehocken | 8- | 4- | 2 | 0.553537 | 0.625000 | 0.466194 | 8.50 | 111.70 | 5.10 | 127.90 |
| 14 | Annville-Cleona | 7- | 3- | 1 | 0.521922 | 0.644737 | 0.371815 | 7.35 | 71.50 | 4.05 | 120.80 |
| 15 | Hamburg | 8- | 6- | 1 | 0.502382 | 0.503623 | 0.500864 | 6.95 | 115.95 | 6.85 | 115.55 |
| 16 | Millersburg | 7- | 5- | 1 | 0.431953 | 0.487500 | 0.364063 | 5.85 | 69.90 | 6.15 | 122.10 |
| 17 | James Buchanan | 2- | 7- | 0 | 0.386141 | 0.206897 | 0.605218 | 1.80 | 106.70 | 6.90 | 69.60 |
| 18 | Kennard Dale | 2- | 10- | 0 | 0.382492 | 0.200000 | 0.605538 | 2.40 | 115.90 | 9.60 | 75.50 |
| 19 | Biglerville | 4- | 6- | 0 | 0.381678 | 0.340000 | 0.432617 | 3.40 | 88.60 | 6.60 | 116.20 |
| 20 | Schuylkill Valley | 3- | 12- | 0 | 0.372412 | 0.205298 | 0.576662 | 3.10 | 127.50 | 12.00 | 93.60 |
| 21 | Lancaster Catholic | 3- | 9- | 0 | 0.370143 | 0.242647 | 0.525971 | 3.30 | 108.35 | 10.30 | 97.65 |
| 22 | Lancaster Mennonite | 1- | 11- | 0 | 0.324260 | 0.096491 | 0.602644 | 1.10 | 116.25 | 10.30 | 76.65 |
| 23 | Oley Valley | 0- | 10- | 1 | 0.260218 | 0.037500 | 0.532428 | 0.45 | 96.05 | 11.55 | 84.35 |
| 24 | Littlestown | 1- | 11- | 0 | 0.237582 | 0.066176 | 0.447077 | 0.90 | 88.70 | 12.70 | 109.70 |
| 25 | Hanover (3) | 0- | 12- | 0 | 0.187159 | 0.000000 | 0.415909 | 0.00 | 82.35 | 13.80 | 115.65 |
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