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Judge appoints Keegan to Hazleton City Council

Letter to the Editor: It takes only one terrorist/refugee to endanger lives

<p>EMMAUS &#8212; They overcame penalty after penalty, an endless array of shots and a serious disadvantage in team speed.</p><p>In the end, though, the Crestwood Comets couldn&#8217;t survive the mission of Keely Lepage to make it to the big stage.</p><p>Lepage tied the PIAA Class 2A semifinal game late in the second half Tuesday, then scored the winner in the fifth minute of the second overtime to send Twin Valley past previously unbeaten Crestwood, 3-2 at Emmaus High School and on to what is believed to be their first state championship game.</p><p>&#8220;Our first time in a really long time,&#8221; Lepage said. &#8220;It&#8217;s awesome. I can&#8217;t even explain the feeling.&#8221;</p><p>The loss left Crestwood feeling a little frustrated.</p><p>It kept the Comets from reaching their fifth straight state championship game, and watched a season where they flip-flopped with Donegal as the state&#8217;s top-ranked Class 2A team in various polls end at 19-1.</p><p>Crestwood seniors Hannah Ackers, Lizzy Dessoye, Cara Jarmilowski and Ashleigh Thomas - who will head off to Division I college field hockey programs next season - along with fellow classmates Hunter Pitman, Nicole Paranich and Paige Zaleppa will depart with three state championship appearances after making four straight District 2 title games.</p><p>But they didn&#8217;t get that final state title they were craving to take away with them.</p><p>&#8220;Basically, they created a legacy here,&#8221; Crestwood coach Patsy Moratori said. &#8220;Nobody can take that away from them. Whether they won or lost (Tuesday), whether or not they won the state championship, we can&#8217;t take away all the things they <em>did </em>do. They&#8217;re upset now, but they forget they have a lot of wins and a lot of success.&#8221;</p><p>They nearly had a little more.</p><p>Thomas took a beautiful cross-field pass and knocked it into the cage just 3:31 into the game, then Pitman punched home another goal as the Comets carved out a 2-0 lead in the first half.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t feel comfortable, but I felt good,&#8221; Moratori said.</p><p>And why not?</p><p>Twin Valley was coming off its 20th shutout in 27 games with a state quarterfinal victory, and had surrendered just 14 goals all year.</p><p>&#8220;The first two goals were kind of surprising to us,&#8221; Lepage said. &#8220;But we knew they&#8217;re a good team. We just kept saying, &#8216;We&#8217;re a team, we can do it.&#8217; &#8220;</p><p>The District 2 runner-up Raiders did it with sheer speed.</p><p>Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Twin Valley threw a slew of shots at Crestwood. But a defense led by Paranich and a gritty game in goal by Marlee Dillon - who made 10 saves - kept fending them off.</p><p>&#8220;We definitely had a lot of opportunities,&#8221; Lepage said.</p><p>Finally, Twin Valley cashed one in.</p><p>It came off a penalty corner that began awkwardly - with the Raiders mishandling the inbounds pass and muffing an attempted shot - and finished with Kendra Jones finding the back of the cage for Twin Valley&#8217;s first score with 13:52 to play in regulation.</p><p>&#8220;It was like, if we get those opportunities, we can get those goals in,&#8221; Lepage said. &#8220;Once we scored that first one, we were like, &#8216;We can do it again.&#8217; &#8220;</p><p>It triggered a string of three unanswered Twin Valley goals to end the game.</p><p>A little more than two minutes after the Raiders&#8217; first goal, Lepage tied the game off another penalty corner with 11:36 to play.</p><p>Then things got really tough for Crestwood.</p><p>The Comets played through two yellow cards and a green card - a total of 12 minutes competing with a player short - from the end of regulation through the first, scoreless overtime period.</p><p>&#8220;I guess we were a little more physical than the officials wanted us to be,&#8221; Moratori said. &#8220;I thought we fought a lot adversity. We played down a lot, and we were able to come back.&#8221;</p><p>In the end, though, the Comets couldn&#8217;t recover.</p><p>Lepage took a quick pass from teammate Hannah Menge and, without hesitating, whipped a wicked one-timer into the back of the cage 4:26 into the second overtime, and a game where Crestwood managed just five shots - along with their state title dreams - was over.</p><p>&#8220;It looked like some of our faster players weren&#8217;t having a good stick day and some of our slower players were having a good stick day,&#8221; Moratori said. &#8220;The name of the game is speed. We made a couple mistakes.&#8221;</p><p>Make no mistake, though, Twin Valley earned its berth in Saturday&#8217;s state championship game against defending state champs Villa Maria.</p><p>&#8220;I knew the defense was all over to the right (side),&#8221; Lepage said. &#8220;Hannah hit me a perfect ball. I knew I had to make that shot.</p><p>&#8220;Fortunately, it went in.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Twin Valley 3, Crestwood 2 (2OT)</strong></p><p><strong>Twin Valley`0`2`0`1`&#8212;`3</strong></p><p><strong>Crestwood`2`0`0`0`&#8212;`2</strong></p><p><strong>First half &#8212;</strong> 1. CRE, Ashleigh Thomas 3:31; 2. CRE, Hunter Pitman 11:43. <strong>Second half &#8212;</strong> 3. TV, Kendra Jones 16:08; 4. TV, Kalee Lepage 18:24. <strong>Second OT &#8212;</strong>TV, Lepage (Hannah Menge) 4:26.</p><p><strong>Shots &#8212;</strong> TV 15; CRE 5. <strong>Saves &#8212;</strong> TV 3 (Oliva Hall); CRE 10 (Marlee Dillon). <strong>Penalty corners &#8212;</strong> TV 11; CRE 3.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood forward Jordan Olenginski (19) and Twin Valley&#8217;s Hannah Menge (9) fight for posession for the semifinals at Emmaus High School Memorial Field on Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Crestwood forward Jordan Olenginski (19) and Twin Valley&#8217;s Hannah Menge (9) fight for posession for the semifinals at Emmaus High School Memorial Field on Tuesday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood midfielder Lizzy Dessoye (17) tries to nab the ball from Twin Valley&#8217;s Kelee LePage (14) during Tuesday&#8217;s semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Crestwood midfielder Lizzy Dessoye (17) tries to nab the ball from Twin Valley&#8217;s Kelee LePage (14) during Tuesday&#8217;s semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood forward Jordan Olenginski (19) and Twin Valley&#8217;s Kara McClure (7) battle for control during Tuesday&#8217;s semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Crestwood forward Jordan Olenginski (19) and Twin Valley&#8217;s Kara McClure (7) battle for control during Tuesday&#8217;s semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood midfielder Hannah Ackers (5) passes the ball against Twin Valley&#8217;s Mikenna Allen (33) during the semifinals on Tuesday night at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Crestwood midfielder Hannah Ackers (5) passes the ball against Twin Valley&#8217;s Mikenna Allen (33) during the semifinals on Tuesday night at Emmaus High School Memorial Field. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood midfielder Lizzy Dessoye (17) chases after Twin Valley&#8217;s Riley Knapp (10) for possession of the ball during the semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field on Tuesday evening. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111815FHCrestwood5.jpg</photo4><caption4>Crestwood midfielder Lizzy Dessoye (17) chases after Twin Valley&#8217;s Riley Knapp (10) for possession of the ball during the semifinal game at Emmaus High School Memorial Field on Tuesday evening. </caption4><photoCredit4>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Overtime goal keeps Crestwood from state title game</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@civitasmedia.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

H.S. Field Hockey: Overtime goal keeps Crestwood from state title game