by Bill Rudick

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SPRINGFIELD – Despite dominating the ball for the first 40 minutes of the game, Kennett could not find the back of the cage. And midway through the third period of the first round, the PIAA Class 2A field hockey game against Archbishop Carroll was still scoreless.

The Blue Devils (15-7-1) eventually took the lead, scoring a pair of goals in the final five minutes of the third period and then adding a third score in the fourth period to defeat the Patriots, 3-0.

Kennett will now advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals and face Elizabethtown, which beat District 1 champion Gwynedd Mercy 2-0, at a time and place to be determined.

“This is part of Kennett history,” longtime Kennett coach Meghan Shumway said. “I’ve been here 19 years and this is the first time we’ve won a game in the state tournament. “When we got the first one, you saw the confidence grow from there.”

Approaching the six-minute mark of the third quarter, Kennett finally got the break they were looking for with the departure of Margo Schwarz. Reaching the circle, Schwarz’s shot sailed towards the net, giving the Blue Demons a 1-0 lead.

“I saw one of my girls wanted to pass the ball to me, I just passed it and we made the connection,” Schwarz said. “From then on, I was able to get through the defenders and get to the goal. It felt so good. The work we’ve put in over the last few weeks, and even all year, is paying off. It’s really exciting to win the state playoff game.”

Kennett, who was given a penalty corner with 2:11 to play in the period, struck again. Co-Captain Maggie Schultz put the ball in and then slid towards the post. When Kennett began overwhelming Patriot goaltender Fiona Conboy (13 saves) with close-range shots, Schwarz grabbed a rebound and scored her second goal of the game.

“We keep telling the girls we have to play the full sixty minutes,” Archbishop Carroll coach Deanna Golden said. “We had a short break, but the two goals we scored in a few minutes were the only difference in this match. “I remain proud of the effort these girls made.”

The Blue Devils put the final nail in the coffin midway through the final period. Kennett was awarded a penalty kick as he pressed the cage once again. Stella Houghton prepared and fired a shot over Conboy’s left shoulder and into the net behind the cage.

“This was my third stroke this year,” Houghton said. “I’m just trying to read which way the goalkeeper is leaning and getting around him. I’m only a junior, so the last time we did states (2021) I wasn’t here yet. It’s all very exciting. The whole school was very supportive. “We can’t wait to see how far we can take this.”

Even though the season is over for the Patriots, that doesn’t change what a solid season it was for the young team.

“We started the season 0-6 playing a brutal schedule against some of the best programs in the country,” Golden said. “Finishing with a district championship and playing in the state tournament is a testament to this team’s hard work. We don’t have a lot of full-time field hockey players, so for them to improve like that was remarkable. We will definitely miss our four seniors who have been huge contributors to the program. But the younger players have something to look forward to.” There’s a lot.”

Kennett 3, Archbishop Carroll 0

Kennett 0 0 2 1 – 3

Archbishop Carroll 0 0 0 0 – 0

Kennett goals: Schwarz (2), Houghton.

Goalkeeper Saves: Mack (W) 2; Conboy (AC) 13.