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Beyond the Byline: Snowy night was no fantasy

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<p>WHITEHALL TWP. &#8212; More than a half of an hour before their final practice of the season was supposed to begin, Kelsey Reznick was practicing dead-on shots at the goal.</p><p>Hannah Maxwell was working on a new move.</p><p>Both of them made their extra efforts pay off with a state championship.</p><p>Reznick converted her first attempt at a penalty stroke this season, Maxwell&#8217;s magical maneuvering made for another goal and Wyoming Seminary turned last year&#8217;s tears into cheers by knocking off Newport, 2-0, in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship game at Whitehall&#8217;s Zephyr Complex.</p><p>&#8220;Absolutely amazing,&#8221; Reznick said. &#8220;This is my last year. To go out with a state championship, especially going from a silver to a gold, is one of the best feelings I&#8217;ve ever had.&#8221;</p><p>Now, Sem has the seventh state title in school history and first since 2013. More importantly, the 21-2-1 Blue Knights buried the ghosts of a 2-1 loss to Greenwood in the 2017 state title game that have haunted them ever since.</p><p>&#8220;We talked about last year&#8217;s loss all season,&#8221; Sem senior midfielder Aubrey Mytych said. &#8220;It feels great to finally get to this game and finish. It feels great to go out on it. We&#8217;ve been working really hard.&#8221;</p><p>Perhaps nobody on Sem worked harder than Reznick, a star scorer last season who switched to middle back on defense this year to strengthen the team.</p><p>In that new role, the Duke-bound Reznick didn&#8217;t get many scoring opportunities this season &#8212; other than on penalty corners.</p><p>So what was Sem&#8217;s ace defender doing working on her shots right after a heavy snowfall hit the Wyoming Valley and well before Friday&#8217;s scheduled 4 p.m. team practice start at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome?</p><p>&#8220;Drag flicks,&#8221; Reznick called them. &#8220;We use a lot of those on corners. My only opportunity to help my team score comes on corners.&#8221;</p><p>She cashed in on a rare one.</p><p>Locked in a scoreless tie, Sem drew a corner and appeared headed for a goal when a Newport field player knocked down a potential scoring shot at the goal mouth with her body.</p><p>&#8220;It would have been a goal,&#8221; Wyoming Seminary coach Karen Klassner said.</p><p>It was called a penalty, and Sem was awarded a stroke.</p><p>Reznick immediately volunteered to take it.</p><p>&#8220;Kelsey said, &#8216;I <em>want </em>it,&#8221; Klassner said. &#8220;We said, &#8216;OK.&#8217; She was ready to play today. She was everywhere. One of the best game&#8217;s I&#8217;ve seen her play.&#8221;</p><p>Yet, it wasn&#8217;t one of her best shots that produced the momentum-changing goal.</p><p>Lining up for the one-on-one stroke against Newport goalie Allie Harris, Reznick rolled a medium-strength shot into the right corner of the cage, giving Sem a 1-0 lead with 12:47 remaining in the first half.</p><p>&#8220;That did not go as planned, for sure,&#8221; grinned Reznick, who will play for Duke next season. &#8220;I wanted to go top left corner. I guess my stick mistook the ball. It stayed on the ground. It may have helped, I think she (Harris) was expecting something harder. She wasn&#8217;t expecting such a slow ball. It still went in.&#8221;</p><p>And suddenly, Sem&#8217;s self-confidence started rolling.</p><p>&#8220;It relieved a lot of pressure,&#8221; the Penn State-bound Mytych said of Reznick&#8217;s stroke. &#8220;There were a lot of nerves during the start of the game. That calmed us down a lot.</p><p>&#8220;It was a big confidence-builder.&#8221;</p><p>Maxwell then became the lead-builder while burying her 40th goal of the season.</p><p>She took an outlet pass from Anna Mozaleski on the run, split two Newport defenders with a swiveling dribble, then played now you see it, now you don&#8217;t with the ball before completing a 180-degree spin and rifling the game&#8217;s final goal into the cage just over eight minutes into the second half.</p><p>&#8220;(Friday), during practice (assistant) coach (Kim) Barbacci and I went a little bit early to work on that,&#8221; said Maxwell, a junior and a Wake Forrest commit who finished with six goals in Sem&#8217;s final three state games. &#8220;She was really excited to see me do &#8216;The Move.&#8217; After I get the ball from Anna, I dribble. Then, instead of taking a shot, I fade back and then shoot.&#8221;</p><p>The timing was critical for Sem, which had three apparent goals disallowed and had 14 shots stopped by Harris.</p><p>&#8220;We told her to do that,&#8221; Klassner said of Maxwell&#8217;s new move. Kim told her, &#8216;You&#8217;ve got to come through like that.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>The Blue Knights defense came through with another shutout to finish the state tournament without allowing a single goal &#8212; thanks to a leap and a bound by goalie Mia Magnotta.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t think we did enough offensively to be in the game,&#8221; said Newport coach Cheryl Capozzoli, whose Buffaloes finished 18-7-1. &#8220;There were times we were definitely outplayed. Their defense was strong in the back. And we couldn&#8217;t covert when we got in the circle.</p><p>Barely three minutes after Reznick scored, Magnotta &#8212; a sophomore who is also an inside player on the school&#8217;s basketball team &#8212; made a leaping swat of rising shot off a Newport penalty corner to keep the Blue Knights in a one-goal lead. Through the postseason, Maganotta pitched six shutouts and surrendered just two goals &#8212; both to Wyoming Area in Sem&#8217;s 3-2 District 2 title victory.</p><p>&#8220;We said all along Mia was our trump card,&#8221; Klassner said.</p><p>And on one electric afternoon, everything came up aces as Sem collected a pot of state gold.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s an incredible feeling,&#8221; Maxwell said. &#8220;I&#8217;m so happy for the whole team.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>PIAA CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Wyoming Sem 2, Newport 0</strong></p><p><strong>Newport`0`0 &#8212; 0</strong></p><p><strong>Wyoming Sem`1`1 &#8212; 2</strong></p><p><strong>First half &#8212;</strong> 1. SEM, Kelsey Reznick, 12:47. <strong>Second half &#8212;</strong> 2. SEM, Hannah Maxwell, 21:58.</p><p><strong>Shots &#8212;</strong> NEW 2; SEM 16. <strong>Saves &#8212;</strong> NEW 14 (Allie Harris); SEM 2 (Mia Magnotta). <strong>Penalty corners &#8212;</strong> NEW 5; SEM 9.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Kelsey Reznick, right, shoots ahead of Newport&#8217;s Olivia Muffitt in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Kelsey Reznick, right, shoots ahead of Newport&#8217;s Olivia Muffitt in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </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_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Alex Wesneski, left, lunges at the ball as teammate Hannah Maxwell and Newport&#8217;s Chloe Smith battle for position during the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_4.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Alex Wesneski, left, lunges at the ball as teammate Hannah Maxwell and Newport&#8217;s Chloe Smith battle for position during the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </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_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Aubrey Mytych (23) and Julia Christian (2) react to an official&#8217;s call in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship against Newport in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_6.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Aubrey Mytych (23) and Julia Christian (2) react to an official&#8217;s call in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship against Newport in Whitehall on Saturday. </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_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_1-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The PIAA Class A state field hockey champion Wyoming Seminary Blue Knights hold up their first-place trophy after defeating Newport 2-0 in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_1-1-.jpg</photo3><caption3>The PIAA Class A state field hockey champion Wyoming Seminary Blue Knights hold up their first-place trophy after defeating Newport 2-0 in Whitehall on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Wyoming Seminary Blue Knights storm the field at Whitehall High School after defeating Newport 2-0 to win the PIAA Class A field hockey championship on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_3.jpg</photo4><caption4>The Wyoming Seminary Blue Knights storm the field at Whitehall High School after defeating Newport 2-0 to win the PIAA Class A field hockey championship on Saturday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Alex Wesneski (4) and Julia Christian (2) play a loose ball as Newport goalkeeper Allie Harris cones out to defend in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_7.jpg</photo5><caption5>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Alex Wesneski (4) and Julia Christian (2) play a loose ball as Newport goalkeeper Allie Harris cones out to defend in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Bari Lefkowitz, left, Hannah Maxwell, Aubrey Mytych, and Julia Christian celebrate winning the PIAA Class A field hockey championshp in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_2.jpg</photo6><caption6>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Bari Lefkowitz, left, Hannah Maxwell, Aubrey Mytych, and Julia Christian celebrate winning the PIAA Class A field hockey championshp in Whitehall on Saturday. </caption6><photoCredit6>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit6></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_8.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Hannah Maxwell, center right, battles Newport&#8217;s Chloe Smith in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo7>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL111818FH-Newport-Sem_8.jpg</photo7><caption7>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Hannah Maxwell, center right, battles Newport&#8217;s Chloe Smith in the PIAA Class A field hockey championship in Whitehall on Saturday. </caption7><photoCredit7>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit7></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Reznick, Maxwell lead the way to Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s seventh state title</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>

Reznick, Maxwell & Wyoming Sem downs Newport for 7th field hockey state title