Despite playing most of the first half in its own end of the field, Huntingdon was able to keep the high octane offense of Forest Hills off the scoreboard for most of the half.
They were able to clear some balls defensively and get in the way of the Lady Rangers to keep them off the board. It took two pinpoint kicks from Casey Gallaher to give Forest Hills a 2-0 lead at the half.
The Lady Rangers added three more in the second half to hand the Lady Bearcats a season ending 5-0 loss in the District 6 AA quarterfinals.
"She is very talented," Huntingdon coach Anita Valerio said of Gallaher. "I'm very proud of the way we stayed in our shape defensively. We talked about that. Towards the end of the season we were doing that better. I'm glad that came into today's game. I could hear them talking on the sideline. They were defending well. I think our keeper came off her line a little too early on both of those shots, but they were both very nice shots."
After some close calls didn't find the back of the net, the Lady Rangers got one behind Ashley Laird at the 23:12 mark of the half on a great individual effort by Gallaher.
She weaved through the Lady Bearcats defense and launched a kick from outside that went over Laird's hands under the crossbar for a goal.
Huntingdon got some momentum going later in the half. They had a couple of chances on a good offensive push, but could not score. With 10:20 left in the half their strong push earned them a direct kick. However, Sam Mansberger sailed the kick high over the crossbar.
The Lady Bearcats stole the goal kick and got the ball to Mansberger, but again she put the ball over the crossbar.
All of the Lady Bearcats momentum disappeared a little over a minute later. The Lady Rangers launched an attack down the left sideline. Ashley Lucas made a pass along the sideline to Gallaher, who beat a Huntingdon defender to the ball. Gallaher kicked the ball toward the net, and it again went over the outstretched hands of Laird and into the side of the net for a 2-0 Forest Hills lead.
Huntingdon opened the second half with an early chance on a deep kick by Mansberger following a Forest Hills foul, but the Forest Hills keeper secured the shot to keep Huntingdon off the board. For most of the rest of the game the Lady Bearcats spent time defending on their end of the field. Huntingdon had a couple of corner kicks in the second half, but Forest Hills was able to clear the ball each time.
"I think that every time we did start to get possession we panicked," Valerio said. "We're not used to playing with this fast of tempo. I think that when they pressured immediately we kind of panicked a little bit, so we were losing possession.
"We kind of struggled when we got it up top holding the ball to wait for the extra support. I think that is what we were struggling a little bit more with trying to attack."
The Lady Rangers got three goals in the final 11 minutes of the game to set the final at 5-0. Gallaher scored her third goal of the game, and got her 100th career assist on the final goal by Alyssa Peretin. In between those goals Caitlyn Gallaher scored on a direct kick that went into the net off of a Huntingdon defender.
The Lady Bearcats finished the season with a 10-8 record.
"I told the girls this all the time, hands down this was probably my favorite season of coaching high school," Valerio said. "They are a great group of girls. They are very hard working girls. They are very eager. I can't wait to start next year. They have lots of heart. Everything I anticipated them to be, they were."
SCORE BY HALVES
Huntingdon0 0 - 0
Forest Hills2 3 - 5
First half: 1, FH-Cas. Gallaher (unassisted), 17:48; 2, FH-Cas. Gallaher (Lucas), 32:59.
Second half: 3, FH-Cas. Gallaher (unassisted), 69:24; 4, FH-Cai. Gallaher (unassisted), 77:23; 5, FH-Peretin (Cas. Gallaher), 79:46.
Records: Huntingdon (10-8), Forest Hills (17-0-1)
