Published: October 21, 2008 11:21 pm      

Indian Valley eliminates Greater Johnstown

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Indian Valley needed only eight minutes to take a lead on Greater Johnstown in a District 6 Class AAA girls soccer playoff game Tuesday.

Stephanie Szczur evened it up for the Trojans midway through the first half, but that proved to be the highlight for Johnstown, which fell 2-1.

Barely a minute after Johntown’s only goal, Erin Bishop delivered the game-winner for the eighth-seeded Warriors, a high free kick from about 40 yards that eluded senior keeper Katelin Lindrose.

Indian Valley (8-8-2) will face top-seeded State College on Thursday.

The loss ends the season for ninth-seeded Johnstown (9-11).

Johnstown appeared to have scored the equalizer off a direct kick with about 11 minutes remaining. But the ball landed on the back of the net, having been punched over the top by Indian Valley keeper Cassandra Schaeffer.

“We thought that one was in, actually, so it was kind of heartbreaking,” Johnstown coach Alyssa Arcurio said, explaining that Szczur was looking for her second on a set-play off a pass from Nichole Orris. “I think she just totally gave up her body and wanted to score that goal.”

Indian Valley coach Anita Valerio also thought the ball was in the net.

“It kind of just made a sick feeling in my stomach,” she said. “But I rely on Cassie, and the whole team kind of counts on her. She comes up big when we need her.”

Indian Valley went up 1-0 when senior Bree Shugarts directed a corner kick into the twine off a pass from Korene Lichtenwalner at the 7:55 mark.

Szczur put her team back in the running on a free-kick goal at 19:17, that Schaeffer had a hand on but bobbled and lost into the goal.

Bishop’s goal came at the 20:11 mark.

Indian Valley combined a strong offense and a defense that bent without breaking. An example of that came early in the second, when the Trojans had a possession that moved cleanly up the side, almost unobstructed – only to be stopped as soon as the offense tried to cross the ball in front of the goal.

Indian Valley, on the other hand, was able to move in front of the Johnstown net and attack, challenging Lindrose at every opportunity.

“We knew it was going to be a tight match,” Arcurio said. “We figured we were probably going to be pretty even with them, and the score was 2-1, so it was a pretty competitive game on both sides. I feel like it could have gone either way.”