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KINGSTON &#8212; For the longest time, the scoreboard was stuck on last season, when Wyoming Valley West and Crestwood each scored a goal and the start of the season ended in a tie.But Foto Tsioles found a way to get things moving again for the Spartans, turning their attention to the future.Tsioles scored the team&#8217;s first two on Thursday, leading a four-goal charge that carried Valley West to a season-opening 4-1 victory over Crestwood in a rematch of last year&#8217;s District 2 Class 2A championship game.&#8220;It just confirms ourselves as a team,&#8221; said Tsioles, a senior captain. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been a young team for the past three years.&#8220;We&#8217;ve been waiting for this final moment.&#8221;The moment things changed for the Spartans came with 19:09 to play in the first half, it took Tsioles less than a minute to answer Crestwood&#8217;s goal with one of her own and knot the game.&#8220;We were very fired up,&#8221; Tsioles said.Still, Valley West didn&#8217;t score again in the opening half, and went into halftime tied with Crestwood at 1-1.The Spartans were well aware that was the same score the teams walked away with last year, when the 2016 season opener between the two ended in an overtime tie.&#8220;Of course I was worried,&#8221; Valley West&#8217;s Penn-bound senior co-captain Madison Woods said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t think our team was playing as well as we should have been playing. I think we all used that as motivation.&#8221;Things changed drastically in the second half.Just under five minutes in, Tsioles poked home the go-ahead score to trigger a three-goal spree in the span of 12 minutes that sewed up an opening-day win for Valley West.&#8220;Foto is such an awesome forward,&#8221; Woods said. &#8220;She&#8217;s also one of my best friends. I think all that has to do with the chemistry, as well as talent.&#8221;&#8220;Foto&#8217;s Foto,&#8221; Valley West coach Linda Fithian said. &#8220;She&#8217;s always inspiring.&#8221;The Spartans followed her lead, as Natalie Zasada gave Valley West breathing room with a crossing shot from in front of the net later in the second half, and Mercedes Jasterzenski ripped off a laser to set the final score with 13:14 remaining.&#8220;We love playing them,&#8221; Fithian said of the Comets. &#8220;It&#8217;s a great opener.&#8221;The Spartans believe it&#8217;s only the start of big things to come.Valley West returns all of its starters and most key components from a team that won the District 2 Class 2A title and made a return to the state playoffs last season.But Valley West is looking for much more from this season, beginning with its convincing win Thursday against a fierce rival.&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a precursor to how this season is going to go,&#8221; Woods said. &#8220;To come out strong right there gives us a lot of confidence for the season.&#8221;Crestwood was hardly discouraged.The Comets received 10 saves from new goalie Eryn Venesky, a junior making her first varsity start against a potent Valley West offensive attack. And they briefly had a 1-0 lead, when Emma Janosczyk angled the game&#8217;s first goal into the cage 8:39 into the season.&#8220;Just like last year, we knew it was going to be a challenge,&#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;That was our plan, to not get ahead of ourselves and maintain the mindset that it was a tie game the whole way and keep trying to get as many goals as we can.&#8221;Wyoming Area 5, Delaware Valley 4Lauren Parente scored three goals to give the Warriors just enough to win Erin McGinley&#8217;s debut as the Warriors&#8217; head coach in the season opener for both teams.Jalen Rhodes scored twice in the first half, hitting the season&#8217;s first goal, and added an assist as the Warriors built a 4-1 lead by halftime.Kara Gearhart scored two goals for Delaware Valley and tied the game with an unassisted tally midway through the first half.Parente assisted on the first goal by Rhodes, which put the Warriors up 9:15 into the game, and answered Gearhart&#8217;s second goal with her third midway through the second half to close Wyoming Area&#8217;s scoring.Kayla Kiwak finished with two assists in the victory.Wy0ming Valley West 4, Crestwood 1Crestwood`1`0`&#8212;`1Valley West`1`3`&#8212;`4First half &#8212; 1. CRE, Emma Janosczyk, 20:21; 2. WVW, Foto Tsioles, 19:09. Second half &#8212; 3. WVW, Foto Tsioles (Rina Tsioles), 25:04; 4. WVW, Natalie Zasada, 18:17; 6. WVW, Mercedes Jasterzenski (Cameryn Forgash), 13:14.Shots &#8212; CRE 4; WVW 14. Saves &#8212; CRE 10 (Eryn Venesky); WVW 3 (Nikki Hartzel 2, Sydney Rusnock 1). Penalty corners &#8212; CRE 2; WVW 5.Wyoming Area 5, Delaware Valley 4Delaware Valley`1`3`&#8212;`4Wyoming Area`4`1`&#8212;`5First half &#8212; 1. WA, Jalen Rhodes (Lauren Parente), 20:45; 2. DV, Kara Gearhart, 12:00; 3. WA, Parente (Rhodes), 10:44; 4. WA, Parente (Kayla Kiwak), 7:30; 5. WA, Rhodes (Kari Melberger), 3:10. Second half &#8212; 6. DV, Gearhart (Eileen Nikles), 23:18; 7. WA, Parente (Kiwak), 15:49; 8. DV, Morgan Johns, 9:46; 9. DV, Skyler Padgett (Addy Ross), 1:45.Shots &#8212; DV 18; WA 13. Saves &#8212; DV 8 (Mia Machado, Emily Fiesta); WA 14 (Ellie Glatz). Penalty corners &#8212; DV 11; WA 8.<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Paul Sokoloskipsokoloski@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</shirttailMeta></div>

Valley West rolls over Crestwood in WVC field hockey season opener