By Matt Corbett
SELINGROVE -- On the eve of Selinsgrove's first-ever appearance in a state final, facing the only team to defeat the Seals this season, you might expect them to adopt a wide-open, no-holds-barred approach. With everything on the line, it's time to go all out, right?
Not quite. Selinsgrove coach Cathy Keiser said the Seals won't change their approach for Saturday's PIAA Class AA championship game against Lehighton. After all, why tinker with success?
"The girls are very positive. We've built some confidence the last two games," Keiser said, referring to the Seals' consecutive 2-1 overtime thrillers over Archbishop Carroll in the quarterfinals and Donegal in last Tuesday's semifinal that propelled them into their first title game. "We're peaking right now, so it's all good."
District 4 champion Selinsgrove (23-1) and District 11 champ Lehighton (24-0) clash Saturday at noon at the Zephyr Sports Complex in Whitehall to decide the 2009 Class AA champion. The Seals opened states with a 3-0 victory over Southern Lehigh before their back-to-back, heart-pounding victories in the quarters and semis. Selinsgrove was within a half minute of losing Tuesday before senior co-captain Hope Burke sent the game into overtime with a goal with just 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Senior co-captain Ashtin Klingler then won it with a penalty-corner goal nine minutes into overtime.
Lehighton (24-0), currently ranked No. 3 in the country on the field hockey Web site TopOfTheCircle.com, advanced with a 2-1 overtime victory over Lancaster Mennonite in the first round, then edged District 2 champion Crestwood 1-0 in the quarters and defeated District 1 champ Villa Maria 3-0 in the other semifinal to reach Saturday's title tilt.
Beyond the attraction of a state final, there's another element of intrigue: The Seals and Indians clashed during the regular season, with Lehighton handing Selinsgrove a 1-0 loss for the Seals' only loss to date. That came on Oct. 17 at Lehighton, as both teams were readying for district playoffs.
"We played well, but we didn't play our best. For some reason we were tentative and just didn't play with a lot of emotion," Keiser said. "We think we can pick it up."
The Seals and Indians are no strangers. Saturday's clash will be the fourth between the two in the past two seasons. In 2008, Selinsgrove and Lehighton played to a 2-2 tie during the regular season on the Seals' home turf, and Selinsgrove defeated Lehighton 3-2 in double overtime during the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Lehighton coach Shawn Hindy doesn't expect any major changes for the state final.
"We learned a little bit about their style (during the Oct. 17 game), but we've played them four times the last two years, so we know them and they know us," Hindy said.
Lehighton is also seeking its first state championship -- not only in field hockey, but in any sport.
"Both teams want it a lot," Hindy said. "It will probably come down to the small things and executing the game plan. We'll see what happens."
The Indians are led by senior forward Abby Frey, who has 14 goals and nine assists on the season. Senior midfielder Corri McConville has 10 goals and 17 assists.
For Selinsgrove, senior forward Hope Burke has 35 goals and 22 assists, the top producer among six players who have double digits in goals. Junior forward Paige Bordner has 21 goals and seven assists, while Claire Steininger and Candice Smith have 16 and 14 goals, respectively. Midfielder Klingler has 12 goals and 17 assists.
Both coaches expect Saturday's title game to have a different look -- in particular, more intensity -- from their regular-season clash.
"I don't think either team played its best that day. It was played in freezing weather after a long (regular) season," Hindy said. "Some players were going through the motions. I think (Saturday's game) will be a whole different mentality."
Selinsgrove's Keiser said her Seals are looking forward to the rematch.
"They're all positive. We've built some confidence over the last two games, and we showed that we can come back," she said. "That loss wasn't a bad thing, because you need to play strong competition to be able to gauge where you're at. They're 24-0, so they have the target on their back. I like coming into the game as an underdog."
In that first meeting, Lehighton's Vanessa Rimbey scored with 7:32 remaining in the first half to provide the game's only goal. Lehighton finished with a 7-3 advantage in shots, while Selinsgrove had a 2-1 edge in penalty corners. Keiser said the Seals will need to intensify their focus if they hope to bring home the gold.
"We'll need to make the most of our scoring opportunities. In that first game we missed a few good chances," she said. "In the state playoffs you need to be focused on every ball. Our strategy hasn't changed. We know we just need to do a couple of things a little better.
"The seniors know this is their last game, so I know they're going to come out motivated to give their very best."
