BY JEFF FALK
The Palmyra boys’ soccer squad set lofty goals for itself this season. It is just now that the Cougars are beginning to realize the satisfaction associated with reaching them.
On Tuesday night at Hempfield’s Gerogelis Law Firm Stadium in Landisville, the Cougars mowed down Berks Catholic 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the District Three Class AA postseason. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Palmyra stormed out in the second half and received four goals from four different players.
The contest was orginally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed by the rarest of October snow falls.
The ultimate game-winner was notched by Michael Fuhrman, who collected a loose ball and deposited it into the Berks Catholic net, 16 minutes into the second half.
With the win, Palmyra, the fourth seed in the tournament, moved to 16-5 overall and into Thursday’s district semifinal opposite Mid-Penn Conference nemesis and top-seeded Gettysburg. Gettysburg, which defeated the Cougars 4-0 in the conference playoffs a week ago, edged West Perry 1-0 in its quarterfinal match.
Palmyra and Gettysburg will tangle at 7 p.m. at Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg. Twelfth seeded Berks Catholic, which is a conjuction of the former Reading Central Catholic and Reading Holy Name, ended its campaign at 10-6-3.
Facing a 1-0 deficit, Palmyra knotted the score on a successful penalty kick from captain and Mid-Penn Keystone player of the year Pat Hanosek. Berks Christian had assumed its one-goal advantage 16 minutes into the contest.
About seven minutes after the Fuhrman goal, Bret Haldeman gave Palmyra a bit of breathing rooom by converting a Bryan McCoy pass. With seven minutes to go, Rhine collected an unassisted tally.
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