Hurricanes Storm Toward State Title With 6-0 Win

HERSHEY—Thinking about how she would spend her 17th birthday, Villa Maria junior Olivia Bolles never dreamed she would celebrating it with several hundred of her closest friends following a 6-0 Hurricanes victory over Selinsgrove. The win catapulted her squad into the Pennsylvania State championship field hockey game.

“Wow, this is amazing,” said Bolles. “I knew in the beginning of the year that we could do some special things this year as a team, but never imagined this. ... I could not ask for a better present. All of these people came out here to watch us. The crowd was awesome for us.”

Villa Maria started the second half clinging to a one-goal edge, thanks to a tally at the 20:19 mark by senior captain Caroline Troncelliti. After intermmission, they banked four more goals in a span of 12 minutes.

With less than two minutes expired in the second half, Kristen Walheim followed up a shot by Lauren DeValle, who also assisted on Troncelliti’s first half goal, pushing the ball past Seals goal keeper Gabby Pagana extended the Canes’ advantage to 2-0.

Following a second goal by Troncelliti and a lift shot by senior captain Sam Mueller that found the back of the Selinsgrove net, the rout was on and head coach Maurene Polley got an opportunity to spell a few of her starters and give some underclassmen valuable playing time as the clock hit the ten minute mark.

“This is unbelievable, we are in the state final,” said Mueller, who also assisted on the first goal of the game. “I am so excited, this is so unreal. I knew in the beginning of the season that we work hard to try to get to the state playoffs, but as the season progressed we have just kept improving.”

It’s no accident that Villa has hit their collective stride at the right time of the season. Since the post season started, they are now 6-0 and have outscored the opposition by a 25-1 advantage since taking to the turf following a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed in the District One class AA bracket.

“I think we are actually a much better team on turf than grass,” added Mueller. “We have a lot of team speed and it really shows on the turf. We have really been hitting on all cylinders.”

All year, one word has been mentioned over and over again when discussing the Villa team and its five consecutive District One titles—Legacy.

“We have talked all year about making our mark,” said head coach Polley. “I don’t think in the beginning of the season that we were by any stretch the most talented team I have coached, but over the course of the year they have continued to work and have far exceeded any team in recent memory when it comes to playing together as a unit.”

“We may not have that one superstar player as in years past,” added Polley. “But every one of these girls brings something to the team and as a group they are the best I have seen in a very long time.”

Villa Maria tacked on two more goals late in the second half on a great move by Megan Parsons to increase the lead to a five spot, before Walheim closed out the scoring with an assist from Parsons with 14:00, then it was time to empty the bench and play some rag time until the final gun.

Villa, who has almost singlehandedly eliminated all of district three in the state playoffs, will battle the winner of District Three champion Palmyra vs. District Two champ Wyoming Seminary at 11:00 am in Allentown.

It has been almost 20 years since the Hurricanes claimed back-to-back championships in 1993-1994, which was the last time they reached the final. If indeed they leave the turf of Whitehall-Coplay High School hoisting the PIAA State trophy high above their heads, a new word may be associated with the 2011 Hurricanes—Legendary.

Selinsgrove          0            0      — 0

Villa Maria            1            5      — 6

20:41   VM            Troncelliti from Mueller

28:19   VM            Walhein from DeValle

25:47   VM            Troncelliti from DeValle

23:45   VM            Mueller

14:39   VM            Parsons

14:00   VM            Walheim from Parsons

The Hurricanes path to the state final

District One playoffs

First round bye

Octorara                      win 6-0

Springfield (M)            win  2-0

Upper Perkiomen            win  4-0

State playoffs

(3-6)            Manheim Central             win 2-0

(3-3)            Greenwich                    win 5-1

(3-2)            Selinsgrove                   win 6-0