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College Football: King’s can’t keep momentum, falls at Stevenson

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Cramarossa celebrates birthday by scoring winner for WBS Penguins

DALLAS TWP. - It is easy to let go of the situation, to not look forward to a championship game &#8212; especially when you&#8217;re two-time defending champions.With the same returning lineup from last year&#8217;s gold-medal winning squad, the Dallas Mountaineers ensured that it did not fall victim to the giant target on their backs.Dallas&#8217; quest for the third straight District 2 Class 3A girls soccer championship continued with a 6-1 victory over an always dangerous Wallenpaupack squad on a rainy Saturday night. The Mountaineers advance to face Valley View, winners over Wyoming Valley West, in the semifinal on Tuesday.&#8220;Honestly, not to take anything away from those championships, but we forget &#8212; it doesn&#8217;t matter anymore,&#8221; Dallas coach Nikki Pekarski said. &#8220;So the feeling is the same: this is the year, we have our goals, reach one, and hopefully get to states and that championship game.&#8221;Winners of their past 13 games, Dallas (13-2-0) needed a Buckhorns scorcher off of the crossbar to ring its ears and inspire offensive production. After a Wallenpaupack shot just graced the goal line after hitting the frame, Dallas responded with three goals in a matter of seven minutes.Megan MacNeely ended the scoring drought by finishing an Ali Francis through ball in the 19th minute. Francis initiated a follow-up goal three minutes later, sending a ball forward to create an Olivia Delevan goal on a breakaway opportunity.&#8220;We were just getting used to their style of play that we don&#8217;t see here too much,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;It took us a while to settle in. I knew the girls enough that they would settle in, and we&#8217;d find our game.&#8221;Dallas benefited from solid play from its midfielder corps of Emma Sweitzer, MacNeely, and Kristen O&#8217;Malley. Balls forward sent forward from midfield engineered the majority of the Mountaineers goals.Sweitzer replicated her stylish play from last year&#8217;s district championship run with three assists. She passed back a cross from the end line to set up a MacNeeley goal in the 58th. Sweitzer delivered a ball from the defensive midfield in the 63rd minute, allowing Francis to have enough real estate to complete the 70-yard play.&#8220;We really rely on the midfielders a lot,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;They hold it together, know to find the space.&#8221;Francis finished with a part of all in all but one of Dallas&#8217; six goals. She showcased a tendency of making two moves on defenders, despite being marked, in her hat trick effort.Berwick will take on Abington Heights in the other district semifinal.&#8220;We have to play our game,&#8221; Pekarski said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think we have to settle into someone else&#8217;s game and wait for ours to show up 10-15 minutes into it. We&#8217;re a possession-based team. We can&#8217;t be playing kickball.&#8221;Sarah Krokos made a goal-saving play on a slippery ball that escaped the keeper&#8217;s grasp.District 2 Class 2A First Round Dallas 6, Wallenpaupack 1 Wallenpaupack`0`1`&#8212;`1 Dallas`3`3`&#8212;`6 First half &#8212; 1. DAL Megan MacNeely (Ali Francis), 19th minute; 2. DAL Olivia Delevan (Francis), 22nd; 3. DAL Francis (Emma Sweitzer), 26th. Second half &#8212; 4. DAL Francis, 46th; 5. MeMacNeely (Sweitzer), 58th; 6. DAL Francis (Sweitzer), 63rd; 7. WAL Sydney Colwell, 64th.Shots &#8212; WAL 5, DAL 20. Saves &#8212; WAL 14 (Peet Mackenna); DAL 5 (Jensen Meade, Morgan Solano). Corner kicks &#8212; WAL 1; DAL 3.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jay MonahanFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div>

Dallas girls soccer team moves ahead by not looking back