Thursday, May 21, 2015

DISTRICT III PLAYOFF PREVIEW - CHAMPIONSHIP



(2) CUMBERLAND VALLEY(19-2) VS (4) MANHEIM TOWNSHIP (21-2)
DISTRICT III  CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Hershey Park Stadium, 7:00pm
The Eagles will look to get the Mid-Penn their second District III Title in back to back seasons as they take on a very challenging Manheim Township team. Coming off Tuesdays incredible last second shot 9-8 victory over Hempfield CV looks to continue their memorable run with what would be a historic win. For Manheim they are aiming for their 4th D3 Title in the past six seasons and had a dominant 15-7 win over previously unbeaten Hershey in the Semi-Finals.

Cumberland Valley will look to continue to attack with great balance on the offensive end. John Miller, Stevie Peters, Rod Jamieson, CJ Sherlock, Jeff Hamlin, and Clayton Miller are all players who can hurt you as scorers and distributors. Controlling tempo and exercising patience with the ball with be critical to their success tonight. After holding Hempfield to a season low 8 goals in the semi's the Eagles defense led by John Tartline and Thomas Arentz with Nic Brown in the cage seems to be firing on all cylinders.

Manheim Township brings the best goals against average (just over 6 per game) in the Lancaster-Lebanon league to the table. First team LL All-stars Nolan Sachs  and Griffin Schultz  lead the defense from long pole with honorable mention freshman Caton Johnson in the net. The first team honors don't stop there. Offensively they have a number of weapons with first team all-stars Chris Augeri on attack, Grayson Sallade on the midfield, and Aaron Kager on faceoffs. Kager was dominant against Hershey on Tuesday and should be a major factor in this one. Kevin Curcio and Ryan Miller round out an attack that can hurt you a number of different ways.

Common opponents for these two clubs include Trinity and Carlisle. CV beat Trinity 12-11 and 8-7. Manheim fared a bit better as they defeated Trinity 14-8 after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead and defeated Carlisle 14-7.

This should be an excellent match-up for the District III Title in a game that sees to incredibly well balanced teams on both sides of the ball. Game plans will be critical and like most big games who controls the middle of the field should gain an advantage. Best of luck to both teams!

HERSHEY VS HEMPFIELD AFTER THE BREAK


(1) HERSHEY (21-1) VS (3) HEMPFIELD (18-4)
THIRD PLACE GAME
Lower Dauphin Middle School, 7:00pm

In previous years both these teams would already be in the State Playoffs and playing for seeding. This year District III will only be sending 3 teams to the State Playoffs. CV and Manheim already have their tickets punched making this a must win for the Trojans and Black Knights. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses and will fight to continue their seasons.

Hershey will look to get back in rhythm offensively after only producing 7 goals in the Semi-Finals (their lowest total of the season). On attack Jake Wilson and Brook Briggs need to get in rhythm early and open things up for midfield dodgers Karl Van Blargen and Michael Gadd. Joe Olives has come on as of late as another scoring threat in their attack group as well. On defense Jack Donahue, Matt Briar, and Doug Templeton should be fired up and looking for redemption against the Black Knights.

Hempield and Head Coach Jeremy Adams are in a similar position as Hershey where they expected a different out come in the Semi's and had a very difficult loss on a last second goal by CV. They bring a number of LL all-stars into this one highlighted by first team selections Zach Ward (attack), Colby Smith (attack), Sean Valentino (midfield), Bryce Muir (defense), and Will Blair (LSM). They are a well rounded team with plenty of options across the field. 

For mutual opponents they both have played Wilson, Elizabethtown, Carlisle, CV, and Manheim Township. Here is how those scores broke down:
HERSHEY
Wilson - Won 10-6
Elizabethtown - Won 17-1
Carlisle - Won 15-7
CV - Won 9-8 and 11-6
Manheim - Lost 15-7

HEMPFIELD
Wilson - Won 11-10
Elizabethtown - Won 16-8
Carlisle - Won 16-7
CV - Lost 9-8
Manheim - Lost 14-9 and 17-11

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