Shisler scores twice, Christopher Dock downs New Hope-Solebury in District 1-A semis
WARMINSTER — The Christopher Dock girls soccer team already had a 2-0 lead at halftime of its District 1-A semifinal contest with New Hope-Solebury Monday night. But there was no chance the Pioneers were going to slow down over the next 40 minutes.
“When you’re up 2-0, OK, the next goal’s so important because if they get one, then they’re back into it,’ Dock coach Ray Hess said. “You got to close them out with that third one, then that usually shuts the door for you.’
It took the top-seeded Pioneers less than seven minutes into the second half to final that third tally, as Mattasyn Shisler’s low cross found its way to Bailey Kratz who confidently poked it into the fourth-seeded Lions’ net.
“I just saw Bailey in the middle and just tried to get a direct shot, easy enough for her to hit it in,’ Shisler said. “I was hoping someone got it in and she did.’ Shisler collected a second goal in the final 10 minutes as the three-time defending district champs rolled past Bicentennial Athletic League rival New Hope 4-0 at William Tennent’s Alumni Stadium.
“Coming into this game, we were told to just completely forget how we beat them in the past, we just wanted to focus on this game,’ Shisler said. “Fresh mind set and just play our game, play our best.’
Christopher Dock took two games from the Lions in the regular season and after avoiding one dangerous miscue in the back, had little trouble advancing past New Hope to Wednesday’s 6 p.m. District 1-A final at William Tennent against No 2. Delco Christian, which beat No. 3 Calvary Christian 2-0 in Monday’s second game at Alumni Stadium.
“I thought we played very well. We’re going to have to play like that if we want to keep going on. “Hess said. “There’s no tomorrow’s, so you’ve got to play your best now.
“I thought we switched the point of attack well, we’re attacking, we went up the goal lines and we just couldn’t score. We scored on one, I would have liked to score a couple more on that.’
New Hope-Solebury’s best chance came with the contest still scoreless as Jessica Zimmerman intercepted a long cross-field ground pass by Dock keeper Emily Gordon and had a wide-open net, but pushed a shot just left.
The Pioneers took the lead a few minutes later as the Lions were called for a hand ball in the box on a corner at 26:06. Sharon Curtis stepped up to take the penalty kick and put enough on her shot to get it just to the left of New Hope keeper Hannah Reszka
