Tyrone keeper shines in leading Lady Eagles past Heights
D6 2A Girls Soccer Semis
Trending
PATTON -- Tyrone senior Pyper Sparklin lived up to her last name, sort of, on Monday night.
The Golden Eagles goalkeeper stopped 19 shots, including two in the penalty-kick shootout portion of Tyrone's 0-0 (2-0) upset victory over Cambria Heights in a District 6 Class 2A girls' soccer semifinal playoff at AmeriServ Bank Field.
"Our goalkeeper, Pyper Sparklin, is so good. She is so confident. She has really stepped up into the role. We've asked her to as a captain, as well, and communicating back there. She keeps our defense alive, and she cheers on her team the whole time," Tyrone coach Rita Kendziora said.
Fifth-seeded Tyrone, one of three lower-seeded teams that advanced to the round of four, will face Central Cambria in the championship match on Thursday at Mansion Park at 5:30 p.m. The Red Devils blanked Bald Eagle, 1-0, in Monday's other game.
"We are ready to go. These girls deserve it," Kendziora said.
The Highlanders enjoyed the territorial advantage for most of regulation and extra time. Sparklin stopped the 17 shots she faced in the first 110 minutes, however.
"I thought we played an amazing 80 minutes, plus 30 additional minutes. For 110 minutes, I thought we played very well. We just came out of the PK shootout (and) they did better than we did," Cambria Heights coach Greg Galinis.
"We had a lot of opportunities. We just couldn't be composed in front of the net. But that's OK because I knew when the moment came, even if it went to PKs. they would be composed and finish it," Kendziora said.
To say Sparklin received help from the crossbar would not be wrong. Cambria Heights shot first in the penalty kick shootout, and Ella Lamb struck the crossbar behind Sparklin.
"We knew she was an amazing goalkeeper. She presses up high and doesn't give you much. It was tough to get one in on her, and we didn't," Galinis said.
Highlanders goalkeeper Emma Gilbey stopped senior Alli Blaska to keep the match scoreless.
Sparklin denied junior Elyce Hillyer, and senior Emily Houghton beat Gilbey with a shot to her right to put the Golden Eagles ahead, 1-0.
Sophomore Mele Lavelua hit another crossbar, and Tyrone junior Kadence Berry tucked a shot past Gilbey just below the crossbar to put her team ahead, 2-0.
Cambria Heights needed a goal to stay in contention in the best-of-five shootout. Sparklin thwarted junior Emma Bender's attempt and sewed up the improbable victory.
"It's something we practice, the PK shootout. We felt confident, we just didn't have it tonight," Galinis said.
None of this is to detract from the successful season Cambria Heights enjoyed. Galanis said the team exceeded the expectations that he set at the season's outset.
"It was one of those seasons where we felt like from last year's group that we did lose a lot of talented players. I felt like we could be a contender," he said.
"We did not anticipate being the No. 1 seed. I thought we were a playoff-caliber team. I didn't expect to have the '1' seed. But unfortunately, it didn't help us tonight."
SCORE BY HALVES
Tyrone 0 0 0 0 - 0
Cambria Heights 0 0 0 0 - 0
(Tyrone won 2-0 on penalty kicks)
First half: No scoring.
Second half: No scoring.
First overtime: No scoring.
Second overtime: No scoring.
Penalty kicks: CH - Lamb (NG), T - Blaska (No goal), CH - Hilyer (NG), T - Berry (G), CH - Lavelua (NG), T - Houghton (G), CH - Bender (NG).
Records: Tyrone (9-8-3); Cambria Heights (13-5-0).