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Franklin, No. 9 Nittany Lions look to rebound from first loss with a different approach

<p>EMMAUS &#8212; The moment she found out who was standing in Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s path to another appearance in a state championship game, a wide grin crossed the face of Rina Tsioles.</p><p>Simply because Villa Maria Academy had caused the Spartans so much trouble before.</p><p>&#8220;When we found out we were playing them, we were like, &#8216;Yes!&#8217; &#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;Revenge time.&#8221;</p><p>Mission accomplished.</p><p>Tsioles scored the tie-breaking goal Tuesday, Jillian Bonczewski delivered two second-half assists and Valley West knocked its longtime state nemesis Villa Maria, 3-1 in a PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinal game at sent the Spartans back to the state championship game for the second time in three years.</p><p>&#8220;It feels great,&#8221; Bonczewski said. &#8220;I&#8217;m very excited. We have great competition again.&#8221;</p><p>Valley West now gets a shot to avenge another PIAA playoff disappointment against a Palmyra team that stopped the Spartans from making it to three straight state finals by dropping them, 2-1 in last year&#8217;s Class 2A semifinals.</p><p>&#8220;It feels amazing to try and finish what we started two years ago,&#8221; Valley West junior forward Cameryn Forgash said.</p><p>First, though, the Spartans had to finish off Villa Maria.</p><p>That&#8217;s the team that stopped Valley West&#8217;s thrilling District 2 championship season right at the start of states in 2016, then topped the Spartans, 2-1 for the 2017 PIAA Class 2A title.</p><p>&#8220;I was like, &#8216;Three&#8217;s a charm,&#8217; &#8221; Valley West coach Linda Fithian said.</p><p>Indeed, it was.</p><p>But it took three goals to finally cut the team&#8217;s albatross away.</p><p>Forgash got the first one, when she scurried downfield on a breakaway and lifted a rising shot into the top left corner of the cage to break a scoreless tie 2:49 into the second half.</p><p>&#8220;I just saw the opening at the top and took a shot,&#8221; Forgash shrugged. &#8220;Luckily, it went in.&#8221;</p><p>Unfortunately for the Spartans, the Hurricanes were far from finished.</p><p>They answered eight minutes later, when Annie Shaw punched in a shot from in front of the cage to even the score at 1-1.</p><p>That&#8217;s when Bonczewski got rolling.</p><p>She sent a penalty corner from one post toward the other, where Tsioles was waiting.</p><p>The smallest player on the field at 4-foot-11, Tsioles then made the biggest play of the night.</p><p>It took her a couple tries, but Tsioles kept pounding away &#8212; and finally smacked the ball across the goal line to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead with 14:01 on the game clock.</p><p>&#8220;The first time, (it) was a little bobble,&#8221; said Tsioles, an Old Dominion commit and a senior who started in that 2017 state title loss and played as a freshman in the Spartans&#8217; 2016 first-round knockout by Villa Maria. &#8220;The next time it came out to me, I <em>really </em>hit it in.&#8221;</p><p>The Spartans didn&#8217;t stop taking shots.</p><p>Turned away in the first half by a great shot block at the goal from a Villa Maria defender and stymied earlier in the second half by a couple terrific saves from Hurricanes goalie Victoria Kimmel, Valley West kept pushing for another score.</p><p>It came with 3:44 to play, when Bonczewski took an insert pass and whipped it to Ari Rupnik &#8212; who promptly deposited the ball into the cage to pretty much settle all doubt, along with the final score.</p><p>&#8220;I think it was a security goal,&#8221; Bonczewski, also a senior, said. &#8220;After that goal, it put us more at ease.&#8221;</p><p>Not that Valley West had to fret much.</p><p>Spartans goalie Sydney Rusnock, who also played in that 2017 state title game, needed to stop only three other shots aside from Villa Maria&#8217;s goal, as Valley West&#8217;s dogged defense locked down on the Hurricanes. They never had a chance to tie the game after Tsioles and Valley West one-upped them halfway through the second half.</p><p>&#8220;It feels good to get back,&#8221; Bonczewski said, &#8220;to get revenge and win against them.&#8221;</p><p>In a sense, it was pretty charming.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just so proud of our school and our players and our students and our coaches,&#8221; Fithian said.</p><p>Especially the players.</p><p>&#8220;Since during the season, we all felt that connection,&#8221; Tsioles said. &#8220;This team has a connection like no team&#8217;s ever had.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>PIAA CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Valley West 3, Villa Maria 1</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Valley West`0`3 `&#8212; 3</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Villa Maria`0`1 `&#8212; 1</strong></p><p><strong>Second half &#8212; </strong>1. WVW, Cameryn Forgash, 27:11; 2. VM, Annie Shaw, 19:10; 3. WVW, Rina Tsioles (Jillian Bonczewski), 14:01; 4. WVW, Ari Rupnik (Bonczewski), 3:44.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Shots &#8212; </strong>WVW 17; VM 4. <strong>Saves &#8212; </strong>WVW 3 (Sydney Rusnock); VM 14 (Victoria Kimmel). <strong>Corners &#8212; </strong>WVW 9; VM 6.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rina Tsioles drives the ball in the second period. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Rina Tsioles drives the ball in the second period. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rina Tsioles is mobbed by teammates as she scored Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s second goal of the game Tuesday against Villa Maria Academy at Emmaus High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rina Tsioles is mobbed by teammates as she scored Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s second goal of the game Tuesday against Villa Maria Academy at Emmaus High School. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Cameron Forgash drives the ball deep into the Villa Maria Academy zone during the PIAA Class A state semifinals on Tuesday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Cameron Forgash drives the ball deep into the Villa Maria Academy zone during the PIAA Class A state semifinals on Tuesday night. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Cameron Forgash weaves her way through Villa Maria Academy&#8217;s defense. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Cameron Forgash weaves her way through Villa Maria Academy&#8217;s defense. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Valley Wesy foward Cameron Forgash tries to get a shot past Villa Maria goalie Victoria Kimmel. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_WVW-Villa-Maria-FH-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Valley Wesy foward Cameron Forgash tries to get a shot past Villa Maria goalie Victoria Kimmel. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Tsioles, Bonczewski lead surge as Valley West gets back to state finals</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Tsioles, Bonczewski take Valley West back to state field hockey finals