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<p>UNION TWP. &#8212; Winning the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title seemed to do something for Northwest.</p><p>Sydney Franchella did the rest.</p><p>Franchella had a hat trick by halftime Tuesday, on her way to a five-goal game that carried the Rangers past Lackawanna Trail, 6-3 in a District 2 Class A field hockey quarterfinal at Northwest High School.</p><p>&#8220;It really motivated us to think we can do this,&#8221; Franchella said. &#8220;We can be the top dogs.&#8221;</p><p>The Rangers easily topped a Trail team they beat twice in the regular season, on their way to capturing a division crown, then shredded the belief that it&#8217;s tough to beat the same team three times in the same season.</p><p>&#8220;It is difficult,&#8221; Franchella, Northwest&#8217;s star scorer, insisted. &#8220;We just pulled together as a team.&#8221;</p><p>Trail pulled ahead with Jordan Spencer&#8217;s goal just over 16 minutes in, but it only ignited an outburst from Franchella.</p><p>She scored two goals barely three minutes apart, then added a sharp shot 2:04 from halftime to give Northwest a 3-1 lead and herself a quick hat trick. Franchella then added her fourth goal just under three minutes into the second half for a three-goal Rangers advantage.</p><p>&#8220;We can always count on Sydney,&#8221; Northwest coach Ashley Lawson said. &#8220;She is so dependable. Every one of our girls can score. We had four different kids making assists tongiht. But Sydney&#8217;s the key. She doesn&#8217;t ever quit.&#8221;</p><p>Neither did the Lions, though.</p><p>Lackawanna Trail scrapped back within two goals twice over the final 13 minutes &#8212; when Belle Coleman scored with 12:28 to play and Liz Litwin chopped home a shot with 7:25 remaining.</p><p>Both times, though, the Rangers roared right back.</p><p>Milana Straub&#8217;s scoring shot restored Northwest&#8217;s three-goal advantage to 5-2 and Franchella&#8217;s final scoring smash set the final score with 6:20 to play.</p><p>&#8220;I think it was really important,&#8221; Franchella said of Northwest&#8217;s quick answers to the pressure Trail employed. &#8220;We were probably scared, but we knew we had to come back even harder and just play our game.&#8221;</p><p>Now, the Rangers are game for a true challenge.</p><p>They&#8217;ll head into Thursday&#8217;s District 2 semifinals at Klassner Field, where they face a powerful Wyoming Seminary team that torched Northwest 11-1 in the same round last season on the way to a District 2 crown and state silver medal finish.</p><p>The Rangers could hardly wait to get back for another crack this week.</p><p>&#8220;It means everything,&#8221; Franchella said. &#8220;We&#8217;re coming for Sem. It&#8217;s going to be a good game. We want it very badly. We&#8217;re going to try hard to get that championship.&#8221;</p><p>They plan to try with a team effort that boosted Northwest&#8217;s confidence Tuesday.</p><p>Straub finished with a goal and an assist, Emily Culver and Lauren Okuniewski each had two assists and Brianna Walker assisted on Northwest&#8217;s first goal as the Rangers found a lot of different ways to complement Franchella&#8217;s scorching scoring stick.</p><p>&#8220;Oh, this was big,&#8221; Lawson said. &#8220;This was definitely a big win. To win the division, that&#8217;s been in their minds for the whole year, that was always a goal. They wanted to get to the (district) semifinal game. I said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t underestimate a team like Trail, they&#8217;re a very good team, they&#8217;re so fast.&#8217; They (the Rangers) did a good job with that.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Class A quarterfinals</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Northwest 6, Lackawanna Trail 3</strong></p><p><strong>Lackawanna Trail`1`2 &#8212; 3</strong></p><p><strong>Northwest`3`3 &#8212; 6</strong></p><p><strong>First half &#8212;</strong> 1. LT, Jordan Spencer (Sam Baltrusaitis), 13:47; 2. NW, Sydney Franchella (Ariana Walker), 9:41; 3. NW, Franchella (Milana Straub), 6:13; 4. NW, Franchella (Emily Culver), 2:04. <strong>Second half &#8212;</strong> 5. NW, Franchella (Lauren Okuniewski), 27:03; 6. LT, Belle Coleman (Baltrusaitis), 12:28; 7. NW, Straub (Culver), 11:19; 8. LT, Liz Litwin (Bella Jacoe), 7:25; 9. NW, Franchella (Okuniewski), 6:20.</p><p><strong>Shots &#8212;</strong> LT 6; NW 11. <strong>Saves &#8212;</strong> LT 5 (Lilly Rejrat); NW 3 (Cassidy Gray). <strong>Penalty corners &#8212;</strong> LT 1; NW 3.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lackawanna Trail&#8217;s Maggie Martin passes the ball as Northwest&#8217;s Ariana Walker (back) tries for a block in a District 2 field hockey quarterfinal at Northwest High School. - </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail5_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lackawanna Trail&#8217;s Maggie Martin passes the ball as Northwest&#8217;s Ariana Walker (back) tries for a block in a District 2 field hockey quarterfinal at Northwest High School. - </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Northwest&#8217;s Lauren Okuniewski and Bella Jagoe of Lackawnna Trail get ready to go for the ball in a District 2 Class A playoff game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail4_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Northwest&#8217;s Lauren Okuniewski and Bella Jagoe of Lackawnna Trail get ready to go for the ball in a District 2 Class A playoff game. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scoring the first goal for Northwest ,Sydney Franchella (8) gets the ball past Lackawanna Trail defender Liv Rosengrant Northwest went on to win the PIAA Class A Playoff game  6-3 with Franchella scoring 5 of the goals  V</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail2_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Scoring the first goal for Northwest ,Sydney Franchella (8) gets the ball past Lackawanna Trail defender Liv Rosengrant Northwest went on to win the PIAA Class A Playoff game  6-3 with Franchella scoring 5 of the goals  V</caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail1_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Northwest Milana Straub (24) reacts with teammate Sydney Franchella after answering a Lackawanna Trail goal with one of her own in the Rangers&#8217; 6-3 victory during a District 2 Class A field hockey quarterfinal at Northwest High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_nw_trail1_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Northwest Milana Straub (24) reacts with teammate Sydney Franchella after answering a Lackawanna Trail goal with one of her own in the Rangers&#8217; 6-3 victory during a District 2 Class A field hockey quarterfinal at Northwest High School. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Northwest beats Trail for 3rd time, advances to District 2 semifinals</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Franchella fires up Northwest, Rangers roll into field hockey semifinals