SELINSGROVE -- Whether she was looking to clean up on rebounds or take advantage of free kicks, Selinsgrove's Megan Heddings had a nose for the ball and the goal Saturday.
Heddings scored twice -- once after a Kelsey Fisher shot was deflected, and the other time when she got the ball in space off a Brianna Brancato free kick -- as she led the Seals to a 2-1 victory over Midd-West in Heartland Athletic Conference Division I action.
"We were happy that we got Megan involved," Selinsgrove coach Matt Metzger said. "That's something that we've been working on."
Even before Saturday's results, the seeds were pretty much set for the upcoming District 4 Class AAA playoffs. The Mustangs (12-4-2, 10-4-2 HAC-I) will get the second seed and will face No. 3 Athens in the semifinals. The Seals (12-5-1, 10-5-1) will face fifth-seeded Danville for the right to go to the semifinals.
Milton has the top seed; the playoff seeds and matchups will be announced today.
"I'm very pleased going into districts with this result," Metzger said.
Taylor Folk scored for Midd-West. The Mustangs had to play without leading scorer Cheyenne Spade, who was injured in practice Friday. Since the Mustangs have more than a week off before the semifinals, Spade could be back in time for the playoffs.
"We had to rely on other people," Mustangs coach Gary Keister said. "Unfortunately, some of those people didn't play up to what we were hoping or expecting. Not necessarily the person that was subbing into that position, but the surrounding cast."
Selinsgrove avenged a 2-1 overtime loss last month. The score was 1-1 at halftime, and then Heddings, a freshman forward, scored her second goal in the 53rd minute. Brancato took the free kick from about 35 yards out, sending the ball over the Midd-West wall and right to Heddings on the left side of the box. She put a few touches on it and then sent the ball into the side netting.
"We gave up way too many direct kicks," Keister said, "whether it be corners or silly fouls."
Heddings tallied her first goal in the eighth minute to start the scoring. Fisher put a hard shot on from the right flank, and Midd-West keeper Brooke Keister made a diving deflection. But the ball came right to the foot of Heddings, who sent it into the back of the net.
"I always try to be there," Heddings said. "You never know what's going to happen: You never know if it's going to pop back out."
The Seals thought they had another goal in the 22nd minute, as Fisher got the ball on a breakaway and was 1-V-1 with the keeper. Her shot went just wide right before Gwyn Bower knocked it in. But she was ruled offsides.
The Mustangs equalized in the 19th minute, as Folk took a pass from Brielle Snyder and booted a shot past Seals keeper Cameron Weaver.
Midd-West had a good chance to take the lead in the 48th minute when Brittney Kuhns sent a corner kick -- the Mustangs' only corner of the day -- across the goal mouth, but no one was there to capitalize on it.
"We haven't scored on a corner kick all year," Gary Keister said. "I've even told them that if we score on a corner kick I'll buy them a steak dinner."
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