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MMI Prep girls volleyball comes close, but falls to Blue Ridge in district final

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Court Briefs

<p>SCRANTON &#8212; All of the excitement leading up to the game fogged Dallas coach Nikki Pekarski&#8217;s brain so much that, well, she wore Scranton Prep purple to the district championship.</p><p>The Mountaineers girls soccer players were quick to point it out. One senior, Daniella Pace, offered her blue No. 29 t-shirt jersey.</p><p>No word yet whether Pace will get her shirt back for the state playoffs.</p><p>Dallas won its second straight District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Scranton Prep. The Mountaineers earn an automatic bid to the PIAA state tournament.</p><p>&#8220;I knew that if we kept playing that fast-paced soccer we would eventually tire them out,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what they kept doing. Eventually that happened and we got some goals in.&#8221;</p><p>The Mountaineers came from one goal back with four unanswered goals to win Pekarski her second title in as many years at the helm.</p><p>Facing a one-goal deficit, Dallas center-mid Emma Sweitzer continued her stellar playoff run with a game-tying goal 51 seconds before halftime. Sweitzer took possession of a Megan MacNeely throw-in to the center of the box, and she found the inner right post with her left foot for an equalizer.</p><p>&#8220;We had to get a goal in before the half,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;When that goal came under a minute before the half, I was a little&#8230; if we didn&#8217;t get that goal before the half, I was afraid that we weren&#8217;t going to get this.&#8221;</p><p>The late first half goal set up a momentous second half for Dallas. Kanisha Cheshire swung momentum in the Mountaineers&#8217; favor with a 35-yard direct kick with backspin that caused the Classics&#8217; keeper difficulty. Cheshire&#8217;s 53rd minute put Dallas ahead 2-1 and proved to be the game-winning goal.</p><p>&#8220;She&#8217;s really tall so I didn&#8217;t think it was going to go past her,&#8221; Cheshire said. &#8220;When that shot went past her, I was so excited that it went in.&#8221;</p><p>Sweitzer finished with a pair of goals. Her recklessness and speed on the pitch gave problems to the Prep defenders. She capped the victory by outracing both a Classic defender and goalkeeper to an Ali Francis ball into the box and punching it into net with her right foot. Her 64th minute goal was essentially the nail in the coffin and punched the Mountaineers&#8217; ticket to their fourth fall soccer state playoffs.</p><p>&#8220;Emma just brings it all,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;When she goes, she goes. She doesn&#8217;t stop. She&#8217;s been like that all of these district playoffs &#8212; she hasn&#8217;t missed a beat. Her tempo and the speed, it&#8217;s really difficult for anyone to match. Her and Ali work great together up there. She is only going up from here.&#8221;</p><p>Francis scored on a penalty kick goal in the 59th minute. The junior striker finished with a goal and an assist. Francis missed a second goal in the 42nd when she hit both the post and the crossbar on a bang-bang play.</p><p>Sarah Krokos finished with 12 saves on the afternoon.</p><p>Dallas welcomes the District 3 runner-up in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Tuesday.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Girls Soccer</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 3A Final</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Dallas 4, Scranton Prep 1</strong></p><p><strong>Dallas`1`3`&#8212;`4</strong></p><p><strong>Scranton Prep`1`0`&#8212;`1</strong></p><p><strong>First half</strong> &#8212; 1. SP Catie Collins, 27th minute; 2. DAL Emma Sweitzer (Megan MacNeeley), 40th. Second half &#8212; 3. DAL Kanisha Cheshire, 53rd; 4. DAL Ali Francis (PK); 5. DAL Sweitzer (Francis), 64th.</p><p><strong>Shots</strong> &#8212; DAL 13; SP 13. <strong>Saves</strong> &#8212; DAL 11 (Sarah Krokos); SP (Elisa Penetar). <strong>Corner kicks</strong> &#8212; DAL 5; SP 2.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dallas&#8217; Megan MacNeely, center, battles Scranton Prep&#8217;s Val Germain, left, and Catie Collins in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dallas&#8217; Megan MacNeely, center, battles Scranton Prep&#8217;s Val Germain, left, and Catie Collins in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dallas&#8217; Ali Francis, right, and Scranton Prep&#8217;s Ava Buttner chase down the ball in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Dallas&#8217; Ali Francis, right, and Scranton Prep&#8217;s Ava Buttner chase down the ball in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dallas&#8217; Olivia Delevan, right, defends Scranton Prep&#8217;s Meredith Purcell in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Dallas&#8217; Olivia Delevan, right, defends Scranton Prep&#8217;s Meredith Purcell in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dallas goalkeeper Sarah Krokos watches the ball enter the goal after a Scranton Prep score in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL110218GSOC-Dallas-Prep_4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Dallas goalkeeper Sarah Krokos watches the ball enter the goal after a Scranton Prep score in the District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship game. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Jay Monahan</p><p>for Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader Sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dallas pulls upset of Scranton Prep in district girls soccer final