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Consultant eyed for proposed Luzerne County 911 radio upgrade

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Red Cross issues immediate call for blood and platelet donations

<p>EMMAUS &#8212; The spirited leader of the Wyoming Valley West Spartans was forced to smile at the irony.</p><p>After spending a whole season championing the goal of settling for nothing less than a state field hockey championship, Karaline Stelma had to settle for winding up one game short of another PIAA title game.</p><p>&#8220;This season was a great season,&#8221; Stelma said. &#8220;I would have liked to go all the way. But, especially getting here, I&#8217;m OK with it.&#8221;</p><p>The Spartans did a lot more than OK, despite coming up short of their season-long vow.</p><p>Palmyra and Lauren Wadas prevented Valley West from accomplishing it, as Wadas scored the game&#8217;s first goal, then assisted on two scores off penalty corners as Palmyra returned to power, and the state finals by holding down Valley West, 3-1, in a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game at Emmaus High School.</p><p>&#8220;We played against a really good team,&#8221; Valley West junior playmaker Rina Tsioles said. &#8220;We had shots. They didn&#8217;t go in.&#8221;</p><p>Not that many, though.</p><p>The Palmyra defense limited Valley West to just six scoring chances and five shots on goal, surrendering the only goal when Tsioles hit a backhander to pull the Spartans within two goals with 10:10 to play. It was the only goal of the second half, and the Cougars didn&#8217;t allow Valley West any closer.</p><p>&#8220;We tried to have high pressure,&#8221; Wadas said. &#8220;We watched film on them, we tried to shut down their main players. And wanted to score.&#8221;</p><p>Wadas took care of the last part.</p><p>While everyone else was standing practically motionless, she alertly beat everyone to a ball meandering around the cage and swept it in midway through the first half to give the Cougars and upper hand they never lost.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s always important for us to come out scoring,&#8221; Wadas, a junior, said, &#8220;and especially to get a goal.&#8221;</p><p>She made sure the Palmyra pounded home a couple more.</p><p>Less than four minutes after scoring, she fed Anna Miller for a goal, then hit Nicole Shank for a score that gave the Cougars complete control, 3-0. Both of her assists came off penalty corners &#8212; something Wadas has worked to perfect.</p><p>&#8220;I really like to practice them a lot,&#8221; Wadas said.</p><p>Apparently, practice makes perfect.</p><p>And try as they may, the Spartans couldn&#8217;t make much of a dent in that large, early deficit.</p><p>&#8220;They had a very good defense,&#8221; said Stelma, who shrugged off a sore knee that hampered her through the season and left her limping off the field in the final minute of the first half. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t get some calls that we should have gotten, that kind of (hampered) us.&#8221;</p><p>The Spartans, who lost last year&#8217;s state title game in a tough 2-1 battle with Villa Maria, gained some life near game&#8217;s end.</p><p>With Stelma, back out to play the second half, serving as the point person, Valley West made a couple charges at Palmyra&#8217;s cage.</p><p>Tsioles finally cracked it, chasing down a loose ball near the top of the circle before smoking a backhander to pull the Spartans within 3-1 with more than 10 minutes to play and keeping alive the team&#8217;s comeback hopes.</p><p>&#8220;The whole time, literally,&#8221; Tsioles said, insisting the Spartans never lost faith they could rally back. &#8220;Even at halftime, it was only 3-0. You can score a lot of goals in 30 minutes, anything can happen.&#8221;</p><p>Nothing more did for Valley West, which finished 16-4-1 and with a third consecutive District 2 title and second straight run to the state semifinals.</p><p>&#8220;Even making it to the state playoffs is a big accomplishment,&#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;Yeah, we&#8217;re proud of that.&#8221;</p><p>Meanwhile, Palmyra is plenty pleased to return to the PIAA championship round against Donegal, a 2-0 winner over Twin Valley in the other Class 2A state semifinal.</p><p>It&#8217;s the fourth shot at state gold in five years for the Cougars. They claimed a share of the state crown after playing Penn Manor to a 1-1 tie in 2014, starting a run of three straight Class 3A title game appearances as a Class 2A school playing up (the Cougars lost to Emmaus 1-0 in overtime in 2015 and 5-1 in 2016) before missing states as a Class 2A school last season.</p><p>&#8220;Our regular season really helps prepare us for the postseason,&#8221; said Wadas, who was a freshman the last time the Cougars claimed a spot in a PIAA title game. &#8220;It&#8217;s always great to play in a district championship, and a state championship again.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>PIAA CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Palmyra 3, Valley West 1</strong></p><p><strong>Palmyra`3`0 &#8212; 3</strong></p><p><strong>Valley West`0`1 &#8212; 1</strong></p><p><strong>First half &#8212;</strong> 1. PAL, Lauren Wadas, 15:12; 2. PAL, Anna Miller (Wadas), 11:29; 3. PAL, Nicole Shank (Wadas), 6:00. <strong>Second half &#8212;</strong> 4. WVW, Rina Tsioles, 10:10.</p><p><strong>Shots &#8212;</strong> PAL 6; WVW 6. <strong>Saves &#8212;</strong> PAL 5 (Ashton Byrd); WVW 3 (Sydney Rusnock). <strong>Penalty corners &#8212;</strong> PAL 7; WVW 3.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rina Tsioles, second from left, is greated by teammates after scoring the Spartan&#8217;s lone goal of the night while dropping a 3-1 decision to Palmyra in a PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinal game at Emmaus High School on Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Rina Tsioles, second from left, is greated by teammates after scoring the Spartan&#8217;s lone goal of the night while dropping a 3-1 decision to Palmyra in a PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinal game at Emmaus High School on Tuesday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rina Tsioles (17) tracks down the ball before taking a shot on goal for Valley West&#8217;s only goal at 10:10 in the second half against Palmyra. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-4.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rina Tsioles (17) tracks down the ball before taking a shot on goal for Valley West&#8217;s only goal at 10:10 in the second half against Palmyra. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Emily Latoski (16) just misses an open shot against Palmyra in the Class 2A state semifinals Tuesday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Emily Latoski (16) just misses an open shot against Palmyra in the Class 2A state semifinals Tuesday night. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West goalie Sydney Rusnock (7) makes one of her six saves Tuesday against Lauren Wadas, who had a goal and two assists while leading Palmyra to a 3-1 victory in a PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinal game at Emmaus High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Wyoming Valley West goalie Sydney Rusnock (7) makes one of her six saves Tuesday against Lauren Wadas, who had a goal and two assists while leading Palmyra to a 3-1 victory in a PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinal game at Emmaus High School. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West forward Cameryn Forgash (5) dribbles past a Palmyra defender in the first half of a PIAA Class 2A semifinal battle at Emmaus High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_WVW-Palmyra-FH-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wyoming Valley West forward Cameryn Forgash (5) dribbles past a Palmyra defender in the first half of a PIAA Class 2A semifinal battle at Emmaus High School. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></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>

Palmyra holds off Valley West field hockey in Class 2A state semifinals