Fleetwood escapes to state AA quarters with 1-0 win over Scranton Prep

HAMBURG>> It had all the makings of your classic “‘hang-around” game.

You know the type of game: One team decisively carries play for long stretches but can’t take advantage. The other team, after spending most of its time on its heels, finds an opportunistic moment and steals a win from seemingly nowhere.

Fleetwood’s Kenzie Henninger made sure her club — the former — didn’t fall victim to the latter.

Henninger happened upon a loose ball off a leg from just outside the box with 7:37 to play and drove a strong shot home to send Fleetwood to a 1-0 win over Scranton Prep in the first round of the PIAA Class AA girls’ soccer playoffs at Hamburg High School. The game had been postponed from Tuesday night due to inclement weather.

Henninger’s marker lifted her Tigers (20-1-3) to the AA state quarterfinals on Saturday, where they’ll take on Lansdale Catholic — winners over Southern Lehigh — at a site and time to be announced.

It didn’t seem at the start as though it would take a goal in the 73rd minute to diffuse the threat, but that’s what the District 3 champions needed to sidestep Scranton Prep.

A mess of a backline from the Classics during the opening 20-minute stretch saw them narrowly avert disaster. The Tigers could not take full advantage of seemingly constant miscommunication between Prep’s centerbacks, fullbacks and goalie AJ Hendershot, and so the scoreboard remained empty.

“The beginning of the game, we were all over them and that was one of the things we talked about,” Fleetwood head coach Mike Boyer said. “Start early and attack their back line. And we did it very well. And after about 15 minutes, it just stopped. We just slowed things down and were holding onto the ball too long.”

The reduced pace allowed Prep to gain some footing after what, frankly, was a nervous start.

Led by forward Cara Griffith and her sublime passing touch, the Classics steadied themselves and clawed back into the contest. A nifty give-and-go inside the box with under 30 seconds to play in the first half nearly resulted in the first goal of the game, but Griffith whiffed on the return pass just as she lunged for the shot, from point-blank range, in front of Tigers’ keeper Jenna Hawkins.

“They have an all-state striker in Griffith, and obviously that was something we were concerned about,” Boyer said. “You give that girl a couple of opportunities … we were very fortunate she didn’t hurt us.”

Much of the second half settled into a battle for possession, as neither side seemed to be able to mount much of an attack.

Henninger’s late game-winner appeared randomly, off a rejected entry pass into the box. The ball, struck by Kortney Rentschler, caromed out to Henninger from roughly 20 yards out. She struck it strongly and confidently. Hendershot had no shot.

Fleetwood is back in the state quarters for the first time since the spring season of 2012, the last season that girls’ soccer was competed during that time of year.

“We talk about having a young team, but when it comes to this point in the season, it doesn’t matter,” Boyer said. “Everybody’s been playing long enough that they know their job, even if they’re a freshman.”

 

PIAA Class AA First Round

at Hamburg

Scranton Prep –  0  0 — 0

Fleetwood –  0  1 — 1

Second half

F – Kenzie Henninger (Kortney Rentschler), 7:37

Shots on goal

F 5, SP 4

Corners

F 4, SP 1

Saves

F (Jenna Hawkins) 4, SP (AJ hendershot) 4

 

 

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