Villa Maria wins PIAA Class 2A state field hockey championship behind Hannah Miller
Villa Maria won its second PIAA state field hockey championship in four years Saturday by defeating Wyoming Valley West, 2-1, in the class 2A final at the Zephyr Sports Complex in Whitehall.
Hannah Miller scored both goals, and Villa Maria won its second PIAA state field hockey championship in four years Saturday by defeating Wyoming Valley West, 2-1, in the Class 2A final at the Zephyr Sports Complex in Whitehall.
Miller, a star midfielder since she was a freshman, scored in the first half for Villa Maria (24-1), but Wyoming Valley West (18-2) tied the game before the half ended.
Miller then scored again, unassisted, with 24 minutes, 40 seconds left in the game to account for the winning margin. Miller, a junior, scored in all but one game in the postseason for a total of 15 goals.
Goalie Danielle Acuna also made a critical save with about six minutes left in the game to preserve the lead.
Villa Maria last won the state title in 2014 by defeating Crestwood, 2-1. The Hurricanes also played in the 2015 final, falling to Twin Valley, 3-1.
In addition to Miller, some of the key scorers for the Hurricanes this season were Erin Zielinski, Adele Iacobucci, Lindsay Dickinson, Emily Doyle, Erin Finley, Mary Harkins and Adriana Yacovelli. Dickinson has committed to play college hockey at Connecticut.
Villa Maria, led by coach Daan Polders, steamed past its opponents to reach the state final, outscoring its opponents, 24-0, in this year's state tournament's early rounds. In the earlier District 1 2A tournament, the Hurricanes beat Springfield (D), 8-0; Strath Haven, 6-0; Upper Perkiomen, 11-1; and Mount St. Joseph, 5-1.
Before reaching the state title game, the Hurricanes defeated New Oxford, 10-0, Berks Catholic, 9-0, and Twin Valley, 5-0, in the state playoffs.