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Sorokas scores the winner as Wilkes-Barre wins D2 field hockey title

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<p>KINGSTON - Leave it to the senior captain to pop the cork on Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s historical championship party.</p><p>And why not?</p><p>Little sparkplug midfielder Rina Tsioles has been giving the Spartans something to celebrate through her whole high school field hockey career.</p><p>Tsioles somehow snuck a shot through a sea of bodies and into the cage, Ari Rupnik added a second-half insurance goal and Valley West won a fourth consecutive District 2 Class 2A field hockey title for the first time in school history by carving out a 2-0 victory over Crestwood at Nesbitt Stadium.</p><p>&#8220;It just feels great,&#8221; Tsioles said.</p><p>Kind of like the way she played.</p><p>Her spectacular stick handling and prime-time passing helped Valley West play all but about five minutes of the game outside their own 20-yard line as the Spartans limited Crestwood to a single shot. That was easily turned away by Valely West goalie Sydney Rusnock, another senior who joined Tsioles in going 4-for-4 in District 2 gold medal games.</p><p>&#8220;This is a good team,&#8221; Rusnock said of Crestwood, &#8220;and I didn&#8217;t even touch the ball. I&#8217;m so proud of the team and what we did today. This is the fourth time it&#8217;s happened for us.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s great.&#8221;</p><p>It was Tsioles who got it all started for the Spartans.</p><p>Just over nine minutes in, she took an insert from Rupnik near the top of the circle and, in rapid-fire succession, let loose with a blast that found its way through a sea of bodies clogging the front of the cage and ripped into the back of it.</p><p>Valley West, 1-0.</p><p>&#8220;It was a corner shot to me at the top,&#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;I just saw an open shot and I took it. That gave our team more energy. The first goal is the most important, I think. It helps the mood for the whole game.&#8221;</p><p>The mood quickly turned bright for Valley West through the rest of the game.</p><p>&#8220;She snuck it in,&#8221; Valley West coach Linda Fithian said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what we needed to start the night.&#8221;</p><p>All Valley West needed from there was some sharp defense to keep the light-scoring Comets at bay.</p><p>Spartans defenders Chloe Pisack, Rory Evans, Olivia Gayoski and Georgia Tsioles provided it, barely letting the ball get near the Valley West circle.</p><p>That was critical in a game where Crestwood goalie Isabelle Caparusio made 18 saves - including at least six that were spectacular.</p><p>&#8220;All the credit to the Crestwood goalie. She played amazing,&#8221; Rusnock said.</p><p>But to nobody&#8217;s amazement, Tsioles, Rusnock and the rest of the Spartans seniors finished the job they set out to do once again.</p><p>Valley West&#8217;s one-goal lead lasted until midway through the second half, when Rupnik cashed in the night&#8217;s final goal to give the Spartans some breathing room.</p><p>&#8220;Every time we come to the championship game, we just get so much energy from the moment, from the atmosphere, while we&#8217;re playing,&#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;We put in a lot of hard work this year.&#8221;</p><p>That work will continue for the Spartans in the PIAA playoffs, where Valley West made the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals last season after reaching the state championship game in 2017.</p><p>Until then, though, they&#8217;ll relish in a feat no Valley West team has accomplished before.</p><p>&#8220;First time ever,&#8221; Fithian said. &#8220;I&#8217;m just so happy for the girls, the coaches and the school, too. We represented Valley West well.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>DISTRICT 2 CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Valley West 2, Crestwood 0</strong></p><p><strong>Crestwood`0`0 &#8212; 0</strong></p><p><strong>Valley West`1`1 &#8212; 2</strong></p><p><strong>First half &#8212; </strong>1. VW, Rina Tsioles (Ari Rupnik), 20:57. <strong>Second half &#8212;</strong> 2. VW, Rupnik (Cameryn Forgash), 15:56.</p><p><strong>Shots &#8212; </strong>CRE 1; VW 20. <strong>Saves &#8212; </strong>CRE 18 (Isabelle Caparusio); VW 1 (Sydney Rusnock). <strong>Penalty Corners </strong><strong> &#8212;</strong> CRE 1; VW 12.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West forward Camryn Forgash has the ball blocked by Crestwood goalie Isabella Caparusio during the second half of play ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 1028-19</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr4_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Valley West forward Camryn Forgash has the ball blocked by Crestwood goalie Isabella Caparusio during the second half of play ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 1028-19</caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr1_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West field hockey players celebrate the second goal of the game with Crestwood by Ariane Rupnik (center) who is congratulated by teammates, from left, Paige Williams, Camryn Forgash and Rina Tsioles. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr1_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wyoming Valley West field hockey players celebrate the second goal of the game with Crestwood by Ariane Rupnik (center) who is congratulated by teammates, from left, Paige Williams, Camryn Forgash and Rina Tsioles. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West midfielder Rina Tsioles battles with Crestwood players Mallory Moratori and Taylor Yeager in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey title game Monday at Nesbitt Stadium. Tsioles scored the game&#8217;s first goal in Valley West&#8217;s 2-0 victory. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr2_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wyoming Valley West midfielder Rina Tsioles battles with Crestwood players Mallory Moratori and Taylor Yeager in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey title game Monday at Nesbitt Stadium. Tsioles scored the game&#8217;s first goal in Valley West&#8217;s 2-0 victory. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr5_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West reacts to winning the PIAA District 2 Class 2A field hockey final for the fourth consecutive year with a 2-0 victory over Crestwood. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr5_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Wyoming Valley West reacts to winning the PIAA District 2 Class 2A field hockey final for the fourth consecutive year with a 2-0 victory over Crestwood. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West forward Ariane Rupnik (front) battles for the ball with Crestwood&#8217;s Emma Guydish in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey championship game Monday at Nesbitt Stadium. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_wvw_cr3_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wyoming Valley West forward Ariane Rupnik (front) battles for the ball with Crestwood&#8217;s Emma Guydish in the District 2 Class 2A field hockey championship game Monday at Nesbitt Stadium. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Tsioles shows Valley West the way to 4th straight D2 field hockey title