By Kenny Varner

WINGATE – Adding another chapter to its rivalry.

This time the Mifflin County girls soccer team went up against State College for the right to advance to the District 6 Class AAAA Championship game to play Altoona.

The Lady Huskies came in the higher seed while State College finished as the third seed.

Despite having a 1-0 lead going into the second half, the Lady Huskies fell to the Lady Lions 2-1.

“We played a solid game all night. They gave a good effort all night,” said MIfflin County coach Barrett Knepp. “We just came up short at the end. Thats kind of been our struggle all year was finding the back of the net. We’ve been solid defensively and stayed in games. We  just couldn’t find the back of the net much.”

With the win, State College advances to play Altoona while MIfflin County’s season came to a quiet end.

State College led in the shots on goal department by a 17-11 margin.

Both teams finished the contest with five corner opportunities each.

Mifflin County goalie Liberty Cook was a workhorse for the Huskies Monday night finishing with 10 saves while State College’s goalkeeper Evelyn Lenze finished with seven.

In the first half, both teams matched each other step-for-step. Mifflin County took their first possession and took deep into State College territory, forcing its first corner at the 39-minute mark.

After keeping the ball on the Little Lions side, the Huskies struck first.

On a free kick opportunity, Desi Hershberger set the ball on the 30-yard line and blasted an unassisted, goal with 35:10 still left in the first stanza.

Mifflin County continued its push at the backline of the Lady Little Lions but they could not penetrate or find an avenue to work the ball inside of their wall of defenders.

The same could be said of the MIfflin County defense as well as teammates Danelle Warfel, Lillie Markley, Hershberger and Kaitlyn Brytczuk also had their defensive game going, shutting out State College the entire first half of the game.

State College was sparked by the fast action of Natalie Ausherman who seemed to be leading the offensive push upfield.

The Mifflin County defense held in the first, keeping State College scoreless.

Going into the second, the Little Lions came out with a spirited effort, wasting no time tying the game.

Less than two minutes in, State College got on the board on a Kennedy Ayers unassisted goal at 38:52. It was the first shot for the Lady Littke Lions in the second half.

Before the Huskies could get back and settled in, State College was able to get back on the board and take the lead.

At 32:39, Ava Bathgate blasted goal number two for the Little Lions, making it a 2-1 contest.

The Lady Huskies refused to go and battled through the entire second half looking to find an open look or a crack in the Little Lions defense.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, the opportunity never came as the State College backline closed in even tighter, holding on to capture the win.

State College 2, Mifflin County 1

MC 1 0 – 1

SC 0 2 – 2

Scoring

First Half

MC – Desi Hershberger unassisted, 35:10.

Second half

SC – Kennedy Ayers unassisted, 38:52.

SC – Ava Bathgate unassisted, 32:39.

Shots on goal: MC –  11. SC-  17.

Corners: MC –  5. SC-  5.

Saves: MC – Liberty Cook 10 . SC-  Evelyn Lenze 7.