It wasn't supposed to end this way. Their season wasn't supposed to be done yet, they were supposed to score the last minute goal. Unfortunately, sports occur on the field and Somerset had other plans for the LV girls Thursday night at Forest Hills. After a horrendous start, LV came charging back and seemed to poised to win on a miracle comeback, only to have the rug pulled out from under them yet again as Somerset scored a late goal.

Somerset started their quarterfinal clash with Ligonier as clearly the better team. For the second straight game, LV seemed slow, nervous, and tentative the entire first half. Somerset would end up scoring 3 times in the first half and easily could have scored more. Maddy Grimm gave LV at least a little bit of life when she would score a brilliant unassisted goal late in the first half and make it 3-1 at the break.

For the second straight game, the second half was ALL LV! A renewed spirit and energy led to total dominance on the field- it truly looked like two different teams. While Somerset worked to contain Grimm all night long, she finally broke free 10 minutes into the 2nd half and would score from a Madie Glista assist to make it a 3-2 game. Somerset got a quick break against the run of play and popped one past Breanne Wallace to make it 4-2. LV would not be denied. Glista got credit for a goal when she crossed a ball off of a Somerset defender to make it 4-3. With 10 minutes left, LV got the goal of the night when Kelleigh Huber played a magnificent cross that Grimm headed past the keeper and it was 4-4, the sttrong LV crowd went crazy and it looked like this was the script, LV was coming back. The next 8 minutes were nothing but dominance for LV with numerous near misses, it seemed like only a matter of time until the game winner was scored.

Then the unthinkable happened, with 1 minute 50 seconds left to play, a Somerset clear, an LV defender slipped, and Somerset scored the game winning goal.

Maddy Grimm truly played her heart out in the final game of her record breaking career. Freshman Madie Glista really stepped up in the forward role- filling in for injured Nikki Davis. LV got great minutes from Brooke Sieminkewicz and Nicole Cramer as well.

LV's record breaking season ends far too soon but still with easily their best record ever at 13-4-1. LV will lose 8 letter winners but will still return 11 letter winners for next years squad who hope to make a 5th straight playoff trip.

LV's number one goal Monday night was to use Berlin as a great test for what the playoff atmosphere would look like- they certainly did that. Their number 2 goal was to find a lineup that work in light of a the injury to Nikki Davis- it took them 50 minutes but they finally did that. Their third goal was to give the seniors a proper send off- they certainly did that. Their fourth goal was to win the game- unfortunately they couldn't go 4/4. After a rough first half, LV stormed back in the second half but just couldn't quite get enough goals past a strong Berlin squad.


LV was just a little bit tentative defensively in the first half and got burnt on that against the strong Berlin squad, Berlin struck first. LV responded to tie when Madie Glista headed in a throw in from Maddy Grimm to make it 1-1. Berlin found the back of the net twice more- both on minor LV breakdowns and it was 3-1 at the half.

The second half was ALL LV, they absolutely, positively owned the possession and had shot after shot after shot. Unfortunately, it took 30 minutes to finish. Katie DeMayo finished a corner kick from Madie Glista to make it 3-2. With 10 seconds left, Maddy Grimm fired a bullet past the Berlin keeper that looked to be the game tier until everyone heard the unfortunate "clank" off the post and the game was over.

Nicole Cramer, Brooke Sieminkewicz, Abby Salancy, and Jessica Anto all played strong games for the LV girls in defeat.

Their was an AMAZING crowd on hand last night which all of LV soccer would like to thank! There was a great student section and many many other fans who were awesome loud supporters all night long!

The girls now have two days of practice until Thursday's playoff tilt against Somerset- 5:30 at Forest Hills High School.

The wear and tear of a long season with an inexperienced bench started to get the better of the Lady Rams this week. Wednesday was their 5th game in the last 7 days. When it was all said and done, North Star would come out on top 3-0.

North Star stuck first 10 minutes into the game on a quick LV miscue and it was 1-0. LV scrapped and clawed but could not find the back of the net. North Star snuck another one past keeper Breanne Wallace and the 2-0 lead seemed to shell shock the LV mental capacity. To make matters worse, while all year long LV had been able to basically avoid the injury bug, they came in bunches! Jessica Anto went down with a wrist injury late in the half. Nikki Davis then went down with a shoulder injury and LV was playing the rest of the first half without 2 of their 3 leading scorers and assist leaders. Davis and Anto both came back in the second half but were not quite themselves. Sadly, Davis seperated another- different injury- this time a knee injury and she was done for the game. Starting midfielder Brittany Crowley then had to leave because of an ankle injury.

North Star scored once more in the second half to ice the 3-0 win. LV outshot North Star 15-12 but could not find the back of the net.

A beleaugered LV squad must find a way to get back up today for yet another tough game, this time a rematch with a 14-3 Berlin squad they knocked off last Thursday on Berlin's senior night.

Tuesday night, LV got to be part of history. Blairsville Saltsburg School District hosted their first soccer in school history. As the varsity girls already had a full schedule, Ligonier sent their JV girls to play the young Saltsburg squad.

Saltsburg entered the game with only a maximum of 12 players. Unfortunately they had 4 "no shows" for various reasons. LV had 4 girls graciously volunteer to play for Saltsburg to make it a competitive game. Lexie Adams, Olvia Baird, and Zoe Bergman all played the field while Breanne Wallace and Kelsey Sutter took turns playing goalie for Blairsville.

LV came out a little shell shocked as it was many of the girls first experience under the lights and Saltsburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead- the second goal actually being scored by Bergman. Molly Horrell responded with a goal off a nice Jenna Collins assist to keep it 2-1 at the half.

LV came out on fire in the second half. Jessie Tucci scored a nice goal from a Cait Michaels assist to tie the score. Saltsburg then responded with a really fluke goal on an unlucky bounce for LV and they were ahead 3-2.

It was all LV after that. Jenna Collins got on the scoreboard from a Madee Lillicotch assist to tie the score 3-3. Molly Horrell then scored the game winner on another Michaels assist to make it 4-3 LV. Finally, Brittany Finger iced the game with her first ever goal from a Horrell assist for the 5-3 final.

In addition to the goal scorers, LV got great minutes from Emma Ryan, Becca Pleskovitch, Nicole Cramer, and Skylar Piper.

It was bound to happen. Over the past month, everything has gone right for the LV girls: great energy every game, seemed to get every lucky bounce, all the key calls even seemed to go their way. Logic suggested they were going to have a bad day because almost literally every team does at least once during the season. Playing an inspired Rockwood squad, LV could not get a second goal as they battled to a 1-1 tie.

LV scored first 5 minutes into the game as NIkki Davis finished a Maddy Grimm throw in. LV was very sluggish all first half and Rockwood was playing their hearts out. Officiating was not bad. However, they were allowing physical play on both sides which favored the bigger, stronger Rockets. Rockwood finally broke through at the end of the first half and it was 1-1 at halftime.

LV had the better of play through the second half and overtime but just couldn't finish. When it was all said and done, LV was lucky to walk away with the tie. Michaela Long, Brooke Sieminkewicz, and Nicole Cramer played well for the LV girls.

JV girls lost a 3-0 game. Abby Martin, Emma Ryan, and Becca Pleskovitch played well for LV.

LV is up next Wednesday with a key matchup vs North Star at 5:00 in North Star.

Windber Area forfeited their 10/16 game against LV so the Lady Rams will pick up their 13th win before they get a chance to play Rockwood this afternoon. It will be recorded as a forfeit win and will count towards playoff seeding.

Thursday night was exactly why high school sports is a great thing. No quantifiable measure exists to say exactly, specifically, why it was a special game but every single person in attendance left Snyder Field in Berlin with the same feeling: they had just witnessed an absolute amazing soccer game.

Berlin came into their senior night with a 13-2 record and winner of 10 straight games. Ligonier Valley came into the game with an 11-1 record and winners of 11 straight games. When it was all said and done, LV would come out with a 4-2 victory that felt as good as any win they'd ever had.

Berlin struck first 25 seconds into the game. Confusion on the out of bounds line led to a foul throw-in by LV and a quick Berlin goal to make it 1-0 and fire up the Berlin crowd. Berlin had the better of play early and nearly scored several more times.

Berlin did their homework when getting ready for LV- they had 2-3 girls marking Maddy Grimm at all times. Finally, 20 minutes into the game, Grimm eluded all of her marks and snuck one past the keeper to tie the score. It was a back and forth game throughout the half with a very loud Ligonier crowd and even louder Berlin crowd. Although Berlin had the better of play, LV took advantage of a very late chance. With 35 seconds left in the half, Maddy Grimm launched a throw-in into the penalty box which Nikki Davis headed just past the keeper for a 2-1 LV lead.

The second half started out all LV. They truly took over the possession battle and passed the ball brilliantly but a feisty Berlin defense and some poor finishing kept the score at 2-1. With 15 minutes to play, against the run of play, Berlin converted a long ball into a goal and a shell shocked LV squad found themselves tied with 15 minutes left. Throughout their 11 game winning streak they had always cruised in the second half. This was a new challenge they'd have to face- coming back a second time.

Well, face it they did. Maddy Grimm and Nikki Davis were both hauled down in the box within two minutes of each other- Davis's resulted in a penalty kick being awarded to LV with 3 minutes to play and Maddy Grimm easily converted the penalty kick to put LV ahead 3-2. 90 seconds later an unsung hero emerged as Brittany Crowley took a loose ball from a corner kick and fire it past Berlin's keeper to ice the game and give LV the 4-2 victory.

So many LV girls played great games. The entire defense was rock solid, Katie DeMayo, Kelleigh Huber, and Jessica Anto were great in the midfield, and of course the forward combination of Davis and Grimm were great. Another unsung hero was junior Caitlyn Michaels who gave absolutely crucial clutch minutes off the bench and was not at all fazed by the intense atmosphere.

LV starts a brutal stretch Monday as they play 4 games in 4 days. Monday they travel to Rockwood for a 4:15 start against the Rockets.

With truly a team effort from start to finish, LV cruised to a 13-1 win over conference rival United Wednesday afternoon. Maddy Grimm scored 3 more goals giving her 107 and counting for her career. Nikki Davis scored two more herself. Brittney Crowley scored her first two goals of the year. Freshman Madee Lillicotch scored a well a deserved first two goals of her lifetime! Megan Crowley, Abby Salancy, Molly Horrell, and Caitlyn Michaels also scored for LV. Davis had 3 more assists. Kelleigh Huber had 2 assists. Grimm, Horrell, Jenna Collins, Taylor McCracken, Madie Glista, and Jessica Anto all were credited with assists.

United only had 9 girls so LV played 9 on 9 the entire day and simply ran full shifts of 8 field players on and off the field every 5-10 minutes so it truly was a team effort and everyone saw relatively equal time.

The varsity is back at it with a big test vs Berlin tonight (Thursday 10/11) in Berlin at 7:00. The 11 wins in a row are continuing a team record. LV now has scored 84 goals on the year, shattering the previous season high of 73 set in 2009.

They had a week off, they had not been truly tested since their tournament nearly 3 weeks ago. They were going up against a Hollidaysburg squad who had two 5-1 wins over Altoona, a team that beat LV 6-2 in the opening game in the season. Yet somehow, everyone on LV's squad had confidence they could play with this team. Play with them they did, LV once again use an inspired team effort to take down Hollidaysburg 4-1 and win their 10th in a row.

Hollidaysburg absolutely had the better of play early on and LV was lucky not to fall behind. As LV picked up their game, they began to get the better of the attack. After 30 minutes, we were still scoreless but LV soon changed that. Jessica Anto played a ball into the corner that Brittany Crowley quickly got to, made one move, and played a beautiful cross to Maddy Grimm who headed it past the keeper to give LV a 1-0 lead which is where it would stand at halftime.

An intense, playofflike, atmosphere prevailed all game long- certainly in the second half! LV would strike first when Nikki Davis set up Grimm and LV had a 2-0 lead with 30 minutes to play. 5 minutes later Davis set Grimm up again and it was 3-0. There was absolutely not an ounce of quit in the Hollidaysburg squad however as they pushed and pushed until they broke through with a goal with 15 minutes to play to make it 3-1. A determined LV squad, backed by a loud bench and a louder crowd would not be denied as they answered Hollidaysburg's goal when Kelleigh Huber blasted a shot off the goal post and Jessica Anto put in the rebound for the 4-1 final.

LV's defense proved just how far they've come since the opening game- they were relentless all afternoon long. Phebe Cornell, Michaela Long, Abby Salancy, and Madie Glista all played one of their best games of the year- as did keeper Breanne Wallace.

With her goals today, Maddy Grimm passes Brock Weaver to be the all-time leading scorer for LV , male or female with 104 career goals and counting. Maddy has 38 for the season- 3 shy of Emily Daugherty's 2009 record of 41.

The JV's fell to Hollidaysburg 10-0, playing many of the same girls the varsity did. Emily Bucklen, Caitlyn Michaels, Jessie Tucci, and Lexie Adams all played well for the JV girls.

LV is back at it Wednesday when they travel to United for a 4:00 start against the conference rival Lions.

In a day where several records would fall, LV brushed off to a slightly sluggish performances last week to give a solid team effort from start to finish to defeat Derry 8-0. 3 big milestones were reached in the process and LV ended the day at 9-1.

Just one minute into the game, Maddy Grimm scored career goal #98 from a Nikki Davis assist and it was 1-0 LV. Grimm returned the favor, setting up Davis minutes later and it was 2-0. Davis got season record tying assist #20 setting up Grimm for goal #99 and it was 3-0. Grimm got her milestone next with an incredible individual effort on an unassisted goal making it 4-0. This goal was Grimm's 100th of her career, the first LV girl and only second Ligonier Valley played to ever reach that feat.

Early in the second half, Davis got her own milestone. Nikki set up Maddy Grimm yet again for Grimm's 101st goal and it was 5-0. The assist was #21 on the year for Nikki- breaking Shawnise Frei's 2010 record of 20. Jessica Anto got on the scoreboard next- finishing a pass from Kelleigh Huber and it was 6-0. Junior Caitlin Michaels would score next from a Megan Crowley assist to make it 7-0. Davis rounded out the scoring from a midfield role off an Anto assist to make it 8-0.

Truly the entire starting 11 played great for LV- most notably midfielder Katie DeMayo, centerback Michaela Long, and outside defender Abby Salancy.

The JV girls played great and grabbed their first win of the year. Molly Horrell scored in the first half for LV from a Madee Lillicotch assist to make it 1-0. Derry quickly tied the score at 1 which is where it stood at the half.

The second half was all LV- junior Caitlin Micheals would score two more- one on a penalty kick to give LV a 3-1 lead which would be the final score. In addition to the goal scorers, LV got great JV minutes from Annie Tucci, Becca Pleskovitch, Nicole Cramer, and Emma Ryan.

9 straight wins is a team record- passing the record of 8 set in 2006. The girls have a HUGE rematch with Altoona set for tomorrow, weather permitting, at 4:00 at home.

There are all types of challenges to be faced throughout a soccer season. LV faced a different kind of challenge Friday afternoon at Johnstown Christian School- they were in a situation where for a brief moment it looked they could lose a game to an undermanned team. Thankfully, once again they responded to the challenge and put the game away for a 6-1 win.

LV had chance after chance after chance in the first half but could but nothing away, missed shots and being out hustled doomed them and 30 minutes into the game against a 2-8 JCS team and we were still scoreless. Maddy Grimm and Nikki Davis did what they did best with 10 minutes left in the half: Davis assisted a pretty goal by Grimm to get LV on the board but it was still only a 1-0 game at halftime- not the score anyone expected.

The coaches and captains challenged the team at halftime to assert themselves and put away a feisty JCS squad. They truly could not have responded much better. Grimm scored goal number 2 on the day from a Jessica Anto assist 1 minute into the half and it was 2-0. Grimm returned the favor a minute later setting up Anto for her 4th goal of the game to make it 3-0. Still just one minute later Davis set up Kelleigh Huber to make it 4-0. 90 seconds after that LV was awarded a penalty kick which Davis would finish to make it 5-0- just 5.5 minutes into the half. Clearly, the LV squad answered their halftime challenge. Grimm would get her hat trick from a Davis assist to make it 6-0 and LV was then able to clear their bench. All 36 girls in attendance saw action after that and JCS would sneak one home late for the 6-1 final. In addition to the goal scorers, LV got great minutes from Kelsey Sutter, Emmie Bucklen, Brooke Sieminkewicz, Abby Salancy, and Emma Ryan.

LV now stands at 8-1 at the midpoint of their season. The 8 consecutive wins ties their all time high. LV will be back right back at it Monday with a home game against Derry Area.

Tuesday Ligonier Valley Lady Rams made the long trek to West Branch- well over 2 hour bus ride. After an admittedly understandably sluggish start, LV really put on a show. LV possessed the ball very well right from the start but their pace of play was very slow- that soon changed. Maddy Grimm scored 3 first half goals, the first on a brilliant individual effort- off a NIkki Davis assist- to give LV a 1-0 lead. Minutes later Grimm would head in a great cross from Nikki Davis to give LV a 2-0 lead. Finally, Megan Crowley would make a hustling play to set up Grimm for the 3-0 lead. A defensive miscue cost LV a goal late and it was 3-1 LV at the break.

For the 4th straight game, LV showed any worry about not being able to put away teams in the second half is far behind them, Grimm would score goal #4 minutes into the half off a Brittany Crowley assist. Then Grimm beautifully set up Davis and it was 5-1 before the second half barely started. Grimm would tie her own singe game record with goal #5 on the day with a rocket from 20 yards out on a free kick to make it 6-1. Davis would round ou the scoring for LV when Jessica Anto set her up to give LV a 7-1 lead. At that point the bench cleared and all 34 girls who made the long trip got a chance to see playing time. West Branch scored late but it did not take away from a great team win. In addition to the goal scorers, LV got great minutes from both Crowley sisters, Brooke Sieminkewicz, defender Michaela Long, and goalkeeper Breanne Wallace.

LV have now won 7 straight games and stand at 7-1 on the season. They travel to Johnstown Christian Friday for their next contest.

One more win will tie the longest winning streak in girls soccer history which was set when LV won 8 in a row in 2006. Maddy Grimm now sits at 94 goals and needs 6 more to be the first girl in LV soccer history to ever reach 100 goals. Nikki Davis's 2 assists moved her into 2nd all time in LV history with 35. Her 15 assists this season are 5 away from the single season record of 20 set by Shawnise Frei in 2010.

It was a long day of soccer for many of the LV girls and all parents and coaches associated with them. However, it certainly was a good day. A surprisingly big win over Indiana followed up with a solid win over United and LV left the day 6-1 with just one win left to get back in the post-season!

The morning started with a matchup against AAA Indiana area. The first half was a great back and forth match up. Indiana pressured but LV answered the call every time, Helene Bloom was strong filling in for Breanne Wallace. LV got on the scoreboard first when Kelleigh Huber would head in a throw from Maddy Grimm and LV went to the break ahead 1-0 but certainly not dominant.

45 seconds into the second half Nikki Davis tapped in a rebound off a Grimm shot and LV was ahead 2-0. A minute later Davis had a pretty assist to set up Grimm for a breakway goal. This seemed to take the wind out of the sails of Indiana as LV started to dominate play after that. Goal number four was a true "highlight film" goal from Grimm as she blasted a shot from 25 yards into the upper far corner where the Indiana keeper literally just shook her head. Jessica Anto assisted on this goal and LV was ahead 4-0. Grimm got her hat trick minutes later as Davis would set her up and LV was ahead 5-0. Grimm set up Davis for a 6th goal minutes later. Finally Indiana got on the scoreboard but it was too little too late as LV would have a suprrisingly easy time with a good Indiana team and would cherish the 6-1 win.

The JV girls would be up next. They lost a heartbreaker to Central Cambria. The game was tied 0-0 but LV lost in a shootout 4-2. Cait Michaels and Jessie Tucci scored for LV in the shootout. In the consolation game, LV would lose to strong Greensburg Salem team 2-0. Nicole Cramer and Emma Ryan were strong for LV as was Molly Horrell.

In the second varsity game of the day, LV cruised to a 10-0 win over United. Goals were scored by: Maddy Grimm had 3 more, Jessica Anto and Nikki Davis had 2 each. Kelleigh Huber, Katie DeMayo and Zoe Bergman also scored for LV- Bergman's a much deserved first goal ever. Davis had two more assists as did Grimm. Anto, Bergman, Demayo, Kelsey Sutter, and Brooke Sieminkewicz rounded the assists for LV.

The girls at 6-1 need one more win to clinch a playoff spot. LV needs to have a winning record by the playoff deadline of Monday 10/15. A 7th win would clinch that happening. They make the long trip to West Branch Tuesday 9/25 for their next game.

After possibly their biggest win in team history Tuesday night, the obvious worry for the LV girls having to come back and play Wednesday was that they'd be ripe for a letdown game against a very capable Rockwood team. Thankfully, that was not an issue. A good first half turned into a great second half as LV put away a feisty Rockwood squad 5-1.

Most of the first half was an even game. Both sides had an equal amount of attack. Thankfully LV's defense was up for the challenge every single time. Offensively LV found the back of the net twice. Maddy Grimm scored directly from a free kick for the second consecutive day to give LV a 1-0 lead. Late in the half Nikki Davis played a beautiful corner kick that Grimm easily headed past the keeper and LV would have a 2-0 lead at the half.

After 2nd half fitness being a serious issue early in the season, LV proved WEdnesday those worries are over. For the second consecutive days, LV was dominant in the 2nd half. Absolutely controlling play would lead to 3 more goals. Grimm tapped in the first one off a great individual effort from Nikki Davis to make it 3-0. Jessica Anto got on the scoreboard with a great goal from a Davis assist to make it 4-0. Anto scored her second from a Brittany Crowley assist for a 5-0 lead. Rockwood would score one late but it would not but a damper on a great performance.

In addition to the goal scorers, LV got great minutes from midfielder Katie DeMayo and from defenders Madie Glista and Michaela Long. On a day when they really needed a strong bench, the girls certainly got it! Jenna Collins, Zoe Bergman, and Brooke Sieminkewicz all provided great minutes off the bench for LV.

The JV girls lost a hard fought 3-1 score. Jenna Collins scored the JV's lone goal on a penalty kick. Collins and Sieminkewicz were strong for the JV girls as was freshman Skylar Piper and Emma Ryan.

Both teams are now off until Saturday when they have their tournament at Antiochian Village, starting at 8 AM and lasting all day.

Conemaugh Township 4 Ligonier 0, Conemaugh Township 5 Ligonier 2, CT 7 LV 0, CT 11 LV 0, CT 2 LV 0, CT 7 LV 1, CT 1 LV 0, CT 7 LV 0, CT 5 LV 2.
Coming into the game Tuesday at Davidsville, that was the previous 9 tries when Ligonier played Conemaugh Township. On top of that, the Lady Indians came into the game 6-0 with big wins over perenial powerhouses Richland and North Star while LV was a mere 2-1 without a "signature" win yet on their record.

That all certainly changed Tuesday. A brilliant team effort from start to finish led the LV girls to a stunning 4-1 victory over Township that all 36 girls played a role in.

It was clear LV was pumped for this game from the first whistle as they immediately controlled play. 2 minutes into this game, Jessica Anto played a short pass to Maddy Grimm who absolutely crushed the ball into the far post past the keeper for a 1-0 LV lead. LV was awarded a free kick 10 minutes into the game which Grimm fired past the keeper for a 2-0 lead. A stunned CT squad didn't do how to react. Phebe Cornell had the task of man-marking CT star forward Allison Lonas and frustrated her all day long- keeping her off the scoreboard entirely.

Late in the first half Kelleigh Huber played one of her signature pretty crosses that Grimm tapped past the CT keeper for a 3-0 lead. Nikki Davis would minutes later play a pretty cross of her own that Grimm headed past the keeper for a 4-0 lead at the half.

The second half was the perfect narrative to see if two things could happen that LV have been working on all year. Could the young defense "grow up" before their eyes? And could LV prove they're in better shape and are able to put away a team and not fold in the second half? Both ended up being a resounding yes!
A resilient CT squad stormed the LV goal in the second half, determine not to be on the wrong side of history. LV would not relent. Keeper Breanne Wallace was phenomenal, stopping anything shot at her- making most players/fans forget she's never played keeper before this year! Every LV defender and midfielder did their part to keep CT off the scoreboard. Michaela Long, Abby Salancy, Madie Glista, Nicole Cramer, Katie DeMayo, Brittany Crowley, and Kesley Sutter were briliant every time they needed to be!

CT finally found the back of the net with 12 minutes to go to make it 4-1. LV immediately huddled together as a team on the field, righted themselves, and controlled play the rest of the way. Grimm and Davis had several near misses and LV dominated the last 12 minuts of their incredible upset!

Great credit goes to the LV bench as they were louder than many if not all great student sections all day long and stormed the field at the final whistle! Truly all 36 girls can take great pride in this victory.

The JV would fall by a 3-0 score.

The girls are right back it today with a 5:00 home game against Rockwood. At 3-1 they still need 4 more wins to guarantee a 4th straight playoff trip.

LV Girls improved to 2-1 on the year with a big win over Heritage conference rival United. The LV starting lineup struck early and often- finding the back of the net 7 times in the first 12 minutes. Forwards Maddy Grimm and Nikki Davis each scored 3 of the first 7 while Kelleigh Huber celebrated her 18th party by scoring the 7th. Katie DeMayo recorded 2 assists of the first 7. Brittany Crowley, Jessica Anto, Grimm, Huber, and Caitlyn Michaels each recorded 1 assist.

At this point, many other girls got their chance to score a goal that normally would not. Freshman Madie Glista scored her first goal ever off a pretty assist from Abby Salancy. Salancy would assist again on a Phebe Cornell to make it 9-0. Nikki Davis then assisted an Anto goal to make it 10-0. Center back Michaela Long would get on the score sheet for the first two times in her career- assisting a Caitlyn Michaels and then scoring her first ever goal from another Davis assist to make it 12-0. Goalkeeper Breanne Wallace closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal to give LV a 13-0 halftime lead.

The varsity team was done for the day at this point and all 36 girls got to play in the second half. LV would score twice more. Freshman Molly Horrell scored her first ever goal from a Jessie Tucci assist to make it 14-0. Tucci got on the scoreboard herself minutes later from an assist from freshman Becca Pleskovitch for the 15-0 final.

LV is now off til a big game Monday vs Conemaugh Township.

So far the Lady Rams, who for years were down as the second half team, had fallen apart in the 3 second halves they've played. Coach V challenged them at halftime Monday when they were clinging to a 2-1 lead to get back to being a second half team. They responded in convincing fashion. After an even, somewhat sloppy first half, LV controlled play in the second- finally starting to look like the team they all hoped they would look like.

A very evenly played first half saw LV jump in front when Maddy Grimm blasted a shot from 20 yards past the West Branch keeper. Grimm's goal was assisted by Nikki Davis. Later in the first half, Davis would get on the scoreboard herself when she bent in a corner kick to give LV a 2-0 lead. A feisty West Branch squad kept attacking and would score once and nearly score 3-4 times before halftime giving LV a very close 2-1 lead at the half. West Branch outshot LV 9-7 in the first half so LV was lucky to have the lead that they had.

The second half was all LV. The LV midfield of Katie DeMayo, Jessica Anto, Kelleigh Huber, and Brittany Crowley controlled play and led to LV"s dominance. The Rams would outshoot West Branch 16-2 in the second half. LV got goal number 3 from- the second of the day for Grimm, off a Katie DeMayo assist to make it 3-1. Finally, Grimm would get her "hat trick" off an absolute perfect cross from midfielder Kelleigh Huber to make it 4-1. Once it was 4-1, the benches cleared and many other girls got a chance to play since there was no JV game. West Branch would score one inconsequential goal late for the 4-2 final.

In addition to Grimm and the midfielders, LV got another great game for outside defender Abby Salancy. Lady Rams also saw great minutes off the bench from Nicole Cramer, Molly Horrell, Jenna Collins,and Kelsey Sutter.

LV is right back at it today with a 4:00 game against Heritage Conference foe United at Weller Field.

After two tough scrimmages against a strong Westmont squad and a strong Latrobe squad, LV had another tough test against a strong AAAA Altoona Squad Wednesday evening in their opener. It was made tougher when they showed up at 5:00 expecting a 7:00 varsity game (5:30 JV game) and were told they were starting the varsity game at 5:30. That being said, while there is still plenty of room for improvement, LV made it competitive game most of the night before falling 6-2.

Altoona struck first but LV answered back minutes later as Brittany Crowley, who played her finest varsity game to date by far, won a ball in the mid-field and played a pretty pass to Maddy Grimm who scored to tie the game at 1. Altoona answered before halftime to make it a 2-1 game at the half.

Altoona stuck first in the second half but LV came right back again with another Grimm goal- this time from a Nikki Davis assist and it was 3-2. It stayed that way for most of the game but Altoona would strike the back of the net 3 more times late to make the 6-2 score not indicative of how close it was for most of the night. In addition to the goal scorers LV saw great minutes from Abby Salancy and Maddy Glista.

The JV girls played great before falling 2-0 to an experienced Altoona JV squad. Brittany Finger, Molly HOrrell, Jessie Tucci, Nicole Cramer, Emmie Bucklen, and Lexie Adams led the charge for the JV girls.

LV's home opener is Monday against West Branch at 4:00 at Weller Field.

There's a reason scrimmages exist. Scrimmages are an opportunity to get on the field against other schools and see where your strengths are and see where your weaknesses lie. It's especially effective to scrimmage an elite team simply because our areas that need to improvement will be exposed. LV girls had that opportunity against a very skilled Latrobe squad Tuesday at Weller Field. The varsity girls took a step forward from Westmont even though they fell 5-1. The JV girls just couldn't run with the skilled Latrobe squad and would fall 8-0.

Defending was a huge issue against Westmont as was goalkeeping. Both of those were much better against Latrobe. Keeper BReanne Wallace looked much more at home in the goal and the defense of Phebe Cornell, Michaela Long, Abby Salancy, Madie Glista, and Nicole Cramer were much more prepared. In the first half Latrobe would strike first but LV answered right back with a Maddy Grimm goal and it was a 1-1 game 30 minutes into the first. Latrobe went ahead 2-1 on a steller individual effort by Wildcat striker Julie Slezak and LV had an unfortunate fluke penalty kick called against them so Latrobe was up 3-1 at the half.

The second half Latrobe scored twice in the first 15 minutes to go up 5-1, both quick breakdowns in LV's midfield. However, the last 25 minutes were an even game. Midfielder Kelleigh Huber played an especially strong game for LV, Jenna Collins was strong off the bench for LV.

The JV's just couldn't, as a team, keep up with Latrobe's speed and skill. Caitlyn Michaels, Molly Horrell, and Emmie Bucklen stepped up and played great games all things considered.

LV now has a week to prepare for their first ever matchup with Altoona.

The LV girls headed into Wednesday's Westmont scrimmage not entirely sure how they would look on the field against another squad. When it was all said and done, although Westmont had more goals, none of the LV girls changed their optimism and it was a good experience for all.

Early on it looked like the perfect day, within the first 2 minutes of the game Maddy Grimm scored on a sequence of 5-6 perfect passes that ended with Grimm scoring. Within the first 8 minutes LV nearly had another multiple times.

The Lady Rams this year have 2 brand new goalkeepers and 3/4 brand new starting defenders- 2 of them who had never played defense prior to this season. LV's senior class last year was very goalie/defense heavy and everyone knew they'd be tough to replace. On Wednesday, within a 10 minute span, the new defense was a little shell shocked and relinquished 3 goals and LV was down 3-1. Westmont had the better of play most of the rest of the half.

The second half LV really started to click again. The veteran offense controlled possession and had several near misses. The defense really started to get the hang of things as well. There were no more goals for LV but, it was clear they were starting to improve their play on the defensive end.

Brand new defender Phebe Cornell really stepped up and played a strong game in her varsity debut in that position. Forward Nikki Davis was also very strong.

The JV girls had a good first experience as well. As always the case for LV since they don't have a junior high program, many girls were in their first soccer game ever and no one shut down and they certainly looked like a soccer team and not a bunch of girls who'd never played before. JV captains Jenna Collins and Caitlyn MIchaels were both strong leaders for the JV girls with their actions and their words. Freshman Emma Ryan was excellent in her first game as was freshman Molly Horrell.

The girls have another scrimmage Tuesday at home against Latrobe and they open up play Wednesday September 5th at Altoona. While it's a very brutal slate of games early on, it will only make LV better and make them ready to excell in the rest of their games.

The 2012 Lady Ram soccer team will officially get underway Monday 8/13 but they've been at it all summer long preparing for another tough season. LV finished last year with a 9-5 record, falling to Forest Hills in the playoffs. This year's squad looks to become the first in school history to produce 4 consecutive winning seasons/playoff berths.

The 2012 Ligonier girls return two 4-year starters in Katie DeMayo and Maddy Grimm. They are 2 of only 3 in the history of the program to be a starter all 4 years. Grimm is already the all time leading goal scorer in girls soccer history with 66 and counting. DeMayo will anchor the defense and midfield.

Kelleigh Huber is back for her senior year, having lettered in each of her first 3 years and started the last two years- another rare feat in LV soccer history. A strong senior class also includes returning letter winners Michaela Long, Brittany Crowley, Megan Crowley, and Breanne Wallace as well as Kelsey Sutter. Junior Nikki Davis and sophomore Jessica Anto provided great spark for LV last year and look to continue to do so this year as well. Other big names being looked at to contribute include juniors Phebe Cornell and Abby Salancy and freshman Maddy Glista.

LV lost their 3-year starting goalkeeper Sarah Youngblood along with her 3-year backup Jen Ross so LV does have an area where they will be starting fresh. Breanne Wallace and sophomore Helene Bloom have been training at goalkeeper all summer long and should be more than ready to take over come the start of the season.

Game schedules and more updates will be posted shortly so please keep checking back to this site for more information.

Here are some of the better moments from the past few years of LV girls soccer...

The LV girls wrapped up their 2011 campaign with a very nice banquet held tonight at Antiochian Village.

Girls winning major awards at the banquet were as follows:

MVP- Varsity: Maddy Grimm, JV- Kelsey Sutter

Offensive MVP: Varsity- Nikki Davis, JV- Caitlyn Michaels

Defensive MVP: Varsity- Katie DeMayo, JV- Breanne Wallace

Rookie of the Year: Varsity- Jessica Anto, JV- Nicole Cramer

Most Improved: Varsity- Michaela Long, JV- Brooke Sieminkewicz

Coaches Award: Varsity- Phebe Cornell, JV- Courtney Bridge

Every girl on the team was recognized for their contributions in some manner.

Jessica Davis and Lauren Nath were 4-year letter winners- something only very few girls have ever achieved.

Also earning letters for LV were Maddy Grimm (3rd), Katie DeMayo (3rd), Grace Yanits (3rd), Daphne Chavez (2nd), Sarah Youngblood (3rd), Kelleigh Huber (3rd), Michaela Long (2nd), Jessica Anto (1st), Nikki Davis (2nd), Marlena Tosh (1st), Jessie Fritz (1st), Jen Ross (1st), Alyssa Ulery (3rd), Breanne Wallace (1st), Phebe Cornell (1st), Brittany Crowley (2nd).

LV girls and their coaches would like to thank Sheri Davis, Laurie DeMayo, April Grimm, Kathy Fritz, Debbie Collins, Cindie McCracken, and all the other parents for their wonderful contributions to the program this year! None of the successes of the program would not happen without everyone's contribution!

After playing great for a half against Hollidaysburg before falling apart, playing great against North Star but losing because they couldn't finish and playing just good enough to win against United, LV was starting to wonder if their home field was cursed. Any thought of that was erased Thursday night. LV was strong from the very first whistle and cruised to victory against a 9-3 Rockwood team, 4-1.

Nikki Davis started the scoring for LV as she would finish a Maddy Grimm assist for an early 1-0 lead. Unlikely yesterday against United when they started to back down after an early goal, LV just poured it on. Jessica Anto would get on the scoreboard next- putting away a nice assist from Katie DeMayo and it was 2-0. Maddy Grimm and Alyssa Ulery would combine on the next two goals. Ulery set up Grimm with a long ball and Maddy finished to make it 3-0. Ulery would then set up Grimm with a thru ball and it was 4-0 at the half.

In the second half Davis, Anto, and Grimm all had many chances but just couldn't quite finish. Additionally, LV was able to get many younger girls in the game as there was no JV game. Everyone entering the game did well. Late in the half, Rockwood would put a free kick right over the LV wall and that would be there only goal of the game for the 4-1 final. In addition to the goal scorers LV got great minutes from defenders Daphne Chavez, Grace Yanits, and Jessica Davis in her new defensive role. Midfielders Brittany Crowley and Kelleigh Huber were also very strong for the girls.

When these two teams first met on 9/13, LV grinded out a 2-1 victory- scoring a late goal to get that victory. In the 14 previous times these two teams had met, LV had only won 3- all of them by 1 goal so needless to say, this was their most impressive performance against Rockwood that they'd ever have.

LV is now 7-4 and are off until Tuesday 10/18 against Windber. There will be a JV game at 5:30 on 10/18 against Latrobe followed by senior night festivities and a varsity game against Windber.

Since the season started, LV has had many really good results to be sure. However, they were still searching for that one signature win, that one great result to really be proud of. Everyone thought they could get a result like that if they played a complete game but they couldn't quite get it done against the elite teams. That all changed today! With a total team effort from top to bottom, LV shocked AAA powerhouse 3-0 on the Tigers home field!

Hollidaysburg controlled much of the play in the first half. LV's defense bent many times but did not break. Everytime a play needed to be made, LV made it. Keeper Sarah Youngblood made many fantastic saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless early.

20 minutes into the half Jessica Anto would get LV on the scoreboard. Brittany Crowley hustled into the corner and made a beautiful cross to a streaking Anto who virtually dribbled the ball right into the goal for a 1-0 lead. With 5 minutes left in the first half, LV would get a 2-0 lead on a similar goal to the first. Maddy Grimm dribbled the ball into the corner past two Tiger defenders and played a pretty cross to a streaking Nikki Davis who flicked the ball right past the Hollidaysburg goalie and LV was ahead 2-0 at the half.

While everyone was excited, no one expected an easy second half. They knew the last time they play Hollidaysburg they wilted in the second half against the powerful Tiger squad so they knew today had to be different.

Today certainly was different! LV's defense answered every call to the point where Hollidaysburg was both mentally and physically worn out by the last 15 minutes of the game. On top of that, Jessica Anto would "ice" the game with 13 minutes to play as she finished a Nikki Davis assist and blasted a shot right past the keeper for a 3-0 lead. LV's defense did the rest, shutting down the Tiger's completly.

It was absolutely a team effort! Marlena Tosh, Brittany Crowley, and Daphne Chavez gave great minutes off the bench for LV. All 11 starters had strong game for the girls as well! Truly a total team effort to be proud of!

In two previous meetings against Hollidaysburg the girls lost 8-1 (in October 2010) and 5-0 (September 15th of this year). The Lady Tigers made the district finals of the AAA tournament last year.

The JV girls lost a tough 3-0 decision. They had a hard time adjusting to the turf surface. For most of the girls it was their first time ever on turf. Playing well in defeat for the JV girls were Emmie Bucklen, Zoe Bergman, Kelsey Sutter, and Jenna Collins.

The varsity girls are back in action Monday 10/3 against Rockwood. One more victory and the LV girls clinch their 3rd straight winning season and 3rd straight trip to the post-season! The JV girls won't be back in action until Tuesday 10/4 against Conemaugh Township.

Thursday night at Johnstown High School, the LV girls soccer team know they had a lot to play for. They were playing for a 2nd straight trip to the semi-finals. They were playing to prove that their scrimmage victory against Westmont was no fluke. They were playing to show that even though Westmont improved, so have they.

And, finally, they were playing to help usher in a new era in the Ligonier Valley School District. They were, simply by the way the time worked because football and volleyball will be there too, the first of the new Ligonier Rams teams to play in a playoff game and they wanted to usher in that new era with a victory.

When it was all said and done, the Ligonier Valley Rams girls soccer team proved to be just enough better than the vaunted Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers and they earned a second consecutive trip the district 6 AA semi-finals.

Westmont started the scoring just 5 minutes into the game with a goal by Melissa Walko- converting on a quick LV breakdown. LV answered back 5 minutes later when Jessica Davis would play a beautiful cross to Maddy Grimm who would find the back of the net to make it a 1-1 game. Westmont, unfortunately, struck right back on another Walko goal and it was 2-1 Westmont deep into the first half.

With 28 seconds left in the first half, Courtney Bridge would make a great hustling play to draw a penalty kick. Grimm converted the PK and it was 2-2 at the break.

Both teams came out energized in the second half. With 27 minutes to play, Grimm got her "hat trick" in style. On a free kick from approximately 35 yards out, Maddy fired a shot over the head of the Westmont keeper to make it 3-2.

After that, LV held on with their defense and their goalkeeping. Katie DeMayo and Lauren Nath were fantastic on the defensive end all game long- especially in the second half. Keeper Sarah Youngblood, for the second year in a row, stepped up big and made save after save when she needed it most.

In addition to the girls already mentioned, LV got great minutes from Jessica DAvis, Courtney Bridge, and Kelleigh Huber.

LV will play next Monday at 6:00 against Forest Hills at Forest Hills high school in Sidman, Pa. Directions are on this site under the directions tab.

LV and Forest Hills have not played for several years. The winner of Monday's game will advance to the district 6 championship game against the winner of Juniata and Somerset. Neither Forest Hills nor Ligonier has ever advanced past the semi-final round.

Most teams go into each game with a best case and worst case scenario: if everything goes right we'll expect this result, if everything goes wrong we'll expect this result. These scenario usually cover a wide range of possible results and it's rare to ever exceed them. Thursday night at Weller Field, LV girls exceeded even their own best case scenarios as they absolutely dismantled defending district 5 champ Windber 4-0!

The evening began with the 4 seniors being honored: Emily Payne, Erica Lattanzio, Chelsey Hropovich, and Kelly Kleijweg. Even then it looked to be a good night for LV as the energy was clear from the start of the ceremony through warm-ups.

LV started the game out with energy to spare and would get the first goal when Kelleigh Huber would play a cross to Maddy Grimm who fired it past the keeper for an early 1-0 lead. The rest of the half was neck and neck. LV had the daunting task of stopping Amber Wozny, Windber's all state goal scorer who recently moved into the top 10 all time in the state of Pennsylvania with well over 100 goals. Katie DeMayo had the job of shutting her down. Most of the first half Windber pushed but everytime they were close LV answered the call. If DeMayo didn't shut her down, the rest of the D stepped up or keeper Sarah Youngblood answered the call. LV would go into the half with a 1-0 lead but no one felt it was safe with Wozny and the defending district champion Ramblers ready to come fighting back.

Only 3 minutes into the half Shawnise Frei would play a perfect pass to Grimm who would get her second goal of the game and give LV a 2-0 lead. This was very deflating for the collective ego of the Windber squad. LV took over from there and absolutely wore down the Ramblers. Jackie Berry would step up with a huge goal off the bench on another Frei assist for a nice cushion and a 3-0 lead. That assist was Frei's 17th of the year setting the single season record for LV previously held by Laura Kennedy. Grimm and Frei would combine for the last goal- earning each of them a hat trick in the process, Grimms 3rd goal and Frei's 3rd assist. This made the score 4-0. LV's defense held strong and that was the final. Wozny was held off the scoreboard for one of the only times in her career.

LV's defense deserves much credit for their effort. That consisted of DeMayo, seniors Lattanzio, Payne, and Hropovich, junior Lauren Nath, junior Grace Yanits, and sophomore Michaela Long.

Windber's 4-0 loss to LV was their worst regular season loss in 3 years! In September LV knocked off Windber 4-3 in overtime, prior to that game, LV had never beaten Windber at all in 6 previous tries.

LV is back in action Monday at Meyersdale for a 4:15 start against the Raiders. Playoffs matchups will be announced sometime Tuesday evening or early Wednesday.

There are games that make you remember what's great about sports. There are games that remind you why you run all the sprints and do all the drills and put all the time in. LV had a game like that today.

Windber 3 LV 2, Windber 6 LV 0, Windber 5 LV 0, Windber 3 LV 1, Windber 10 LV 0. Until today, that was the history when these two teams met. The LV girls rewrote history today with an inspiring second half to come back from a 3-1 halftime deficit to beat Windber 4-3 in overtime.

The game did NOT start out the way LV planned. Windber 100+ goal scorer Amber Wozny would strike early- just 2 minutes into the game on a break away and LV was down 1-0 before many parents had time to even get to their seats. It went from bad to worse two minutes later when Wozny would again find the back of the net on a corner kick and LV was already down 2-0 only 4 minutes into the game. Immediately nightmares of games past came back to haunt the entire LV team and fan base. But...we all know the easiest way to fix a nightmare is to wake up which LV began to do slowly but surely.

Shawnise Frei scored on a great individual effort 10 minutes later to make it a 2-1 game. Frei's goal was assisted by Maddy Grimm. Unfortunately Windber struck right back to make it 3-1 which is where it would stand at the halftime break.

Heading into halftime, the LV girls all knew that if they changed a few things they could be back in the game. Regardless of history or probably most fans in the stands suggesting otherwise, LV knew they were not out of the game. All year long LV had been waiting for a stage to prove what kind of team they are this year. We soon found out, Windber Athletic Fields would indeed be that stage.

Early in the second half Jessica Davis would finish a corner kick from Shawnise Frei with a beautiful shot into the far corner making it 3-2. LV absolutely dominated the second half on all ends of the field. Defensively Katie Demayo shut down Wozny while Lauren Nath, Michaela Long, Erica Lattanzio, Emily Payne, and Chelsey Hropovich shut down the rest of the attack. LV got great offensive push from Davis, Grimm, Frei, Nikki Davis, Courtney Bridge, Megan Crowley, and Grace Yanits. LV generated countless chances but didn't quite find the net for the tying goal until Maddy Grimm stepped up. With 10 minutes to go Grimm fired a shot from 25 yards away past the Windber keeper tying the score. Despite chance after chance LV could not win the game in regulation and we'd head to overtime.

It was clear from the VERY first whistle in OT LV wasn't giving up the chance to make history. A Windber attack was quickly thwarted. Sweeper Lauren Nath passed to Shawnise Frei who played a pretty ball into space and Maddy Grimm did the rest- finishing a breakaway 26 SECONDS into overtime giving LV the great victory! Truly a team effort and one that will hopefully lead to many great things after some early season struggles. Windber is the defending District 5 Champion and finished last season 19-3 on top of all their successes against LV.

The one damper on the evening was the JV game being cancelled so the JV girls unfortunately didn't get a chance for the first ever JV win against Windber.

LV's back in action Thursday with a game at Johnstown Christian at 5:15 PM.

Thursday night LV traveled to Richland's turf facility to face defending District 6 runner-up Penns Valley. Penns Valley came out on fire, putting all sorts of pressure on the LV defense and they looked prime to strike first as LV was a victim of some playoff jitters. Thanks to goalie Sarah Younblood and the LV defense, LV kept Penns Valley off the scoreboard and the LV girls were lucky it was 0-0 at the half. Any logical soccer fan had to assume it was only a matter of time before the veteran Penns Valley squad found the back of the net and sent the young LV squad home.

However, LV girls proved yet again that they thrive on defying logic! The "second half girls" struck again! LV was an entirely different team in the second half- literally from the first whistle- which saw Maddy Grimm nearly score the first goal of the half. With 28 minutes to play, Grimm would score first as she blasted a free kick from 40 yards out past the goalie, giving LV a 1-0 lead. Just a few minutes later, senior Emily Daugherty would get her 40th goal of the season off a Grimm assist to make it 2-0. Daugherty would score again with 15 minutes left off an assist from Shawnise Frei to make it 3-0 and deflate the psyche of the mighty Penns Valley squad. Frei would tack on an "icer" with 3 minutes to play for the 4-0 final. Frei's goal was assisted by Grace Yanits who played a phenomenal game.

In additon to the above, LV got great minutes on offense from Leah Pleskovitch, Courtney Bridge, and Jessica Davis. Defensively, LV played easily their best game of the year- led by Alysa Derk, Katie DeMayo, Lauren Nath, and especially keeper Sarah Youngblood. LV was the first and only team this year to shut out Penns Valley!!

LV now moves on to the District semi-finals Tuesday November 3rd. The girls will play at Point Stadium in Johnstown against Bishop McCort, the perenial powerhouse in district 6 girls AA soccer!

It was their 4th game this week. It was their 4th straight game against either a district champ or district finalist from a year ago. More than half of the starting 11 were nursing an injury of one kind or another. And...they fell behind 2-1 at the half against a strong North Star team. Game over right? Not with this years LV girls! Showing the heart of a champion, LV came roaring back for 3 second half goals and held on for a 4-3 thriller against North Star, only the second win ever for LV against the Cougars.

LV came out on fire and would score in the first minute when Emily Daugherty would put one past star Cougar keeper Lakin Nicholson to make it 1-0. Unfortunately, that's exactly how their last match against North Star started and, just like their last match against North Star, the Cougars would score twice in the 1st half to go up 2-1 at halftime and all the momentum seemed to be on their side.

LV came out in the second half a team possessed! 8 minutes into the 2nd, Daugherty would score her 10th goal of the year off a pretty assist from Leah Pleskovitch who hustled after a Maddy Grimm throw and played a pretty ball to Emily. It would be a back and forth game until there was only 11 minutes to go when Daugherty would play a beautiful feed to Grimm who would score what would be the game winner to make it 3-2. Sophomore Shawnise Frei tacked on an "icer" minutes later and it was a good thing she did as North Star got a goal in the final minute but it was all for naught and LV got the W. Aside from the offensive scoring, LV would not have won without the play of defenders Alysa Derk and Lauren Nath who were absolutely astounding defensively against a strong North Star team!

The JV's won a shortened game 2-0. Kelleigh Huber scored her 8th JV goal of the year off a Jackie Berry assist and then Huber returned th favor setting up Berry to make it 2-0. Defenders Daphne Chavez and Michaela Long played strong games as did midfielder Megan Crowley and forward Brittany Crowley. The JV's improved their record to 3-2.

LV is back at it yet again tomorrow with a 4:00 matchup against Windber at Laurel Valley High School. Windber is a strong team who LV has never beaten but...if they can play like they did tonight and carry some momentum into the game, Windber better be prepared!

LV girls soccer started the season in style! In what was certainly their most exciting season-opening game ever and one of their most exciting games ever, LV knocked off Derry Area 3-2.

LV was playing without star freshman midfielder Maddy Grimm so they were worried they might be in for trouble. Derry is led by senior midfielder Tiffany Downey who's one of the elite players in the WPIAL.

LV got the scoring started when senior striker Emily Daugherty would score an unassisted goal late in the first half to make it 1-0. Derry had many near misses but just couldn't quite finish.

LV did a nice job defending Downey all day but she would finally strike early in the second half to tie the score at 1-1. The final 5 minutes is when the excitement really kicked in. Daugherty scored again off a gorgeous Courtney Bridge assist to give LV the lead 2-1 with 4 and a half minutes left. Just one minute later Derry would answer to tie the score 2-2. Not one of the LV girls had any quit in them however as Daugherty would play a beautiful cross to Bridge with 2 minutes left and Courtney scored the game winner for LV! It was a stressful final minute the defense held strong and LV got a great first game win!

In addition to Daugherty and Bridge, LV got great offensive play from midfielders Jess Davis, Grace Yanits, and newcomer Shawnise Frei. Defensively, Erica Lattanzio and Katie DeMayo gave great efforts along with Emily Payne giving great defensive effort off the bench. Sophomore goalie Sarah Youngblood was rock solid in the net for LV.

The girls have a long weekend and are back in action this Tuesday at 4:00 against United at Laurel Valley High School. This is an exciting, never say-die group who took a great first step towards advancing back to the playoffs!

2008 may go down as the year of 1-0 for the LV girls. Thankfully, they now have been on right side of the last two as they would prevail on senior night against Meyersdale- winning 1-0 in overtime! The JV girls would win by the same 1-0 score making it 7 varsity games and 3 JV games for the year which ended with scores of 1-0.

It was an even first half with both sides creating lots of chances. Emily Daugherty had several chances for LV but just could not finish. Lindsay Heider made several nice saves on near misses by Meyersdale.

The second half looked bleak when star forward Daugherty and star defender Ashton Burns both went down with an injury. On top of this, forward Leah Pleskovitch and defender Margo Lattanzio were playing hurt and probably also should have been sitting out. When the game went into overtime things did not look great for the LV girls with all the injuries piling up as well as it being their 5th game in 7 days. LV answered all the non-believers with inspired play. Erica Lattanzio was rock solid at sweeper filling in for Burns and freshmen Courtney Bridge and Katie Knupp gave great minutes filling in for Daugherty.

The game would end just 1 minute into overtime. Senior Sam McKnight went into the corner and played a great cross to the middle. Pleskovitch, playing with a noticeable limp, dug deep and found the wear with all to head the cross over the keepers end and slowly rolled into the goal to end the game for LV.

The JV girls also won by a 1-0 final. Freshman Marlena Tosh scored a great goal early in the first half that held up for the 1-0 final. In addition to Tosh, LV got great minutes from Hannah Henderson, Jessica Davis, Brianne Bloom, and keeper Sarah Youngblood who recorded her second straight shutout for the JV's.

Monday afternoon LV traveled the long trip to Patton to face the Cambria Heights Highlanders. In the history of LV soccer they had gone their twice before. In 2002 LV lost an 8-1 decision to Heights in Patton only to win 6-1 in Ligonier. In 2005 LV played to a 1-1 tie in Patton only to win 2-0 at home. LV was well on their way to more heartbreak in Patton Monday, well on their way to a crushing loss until...Lauren Cassler stepped in. LV would pull out a 4-3 victory that they will certainly remember for years to come.

LV was up 2-0 at halftime although they hardly played their best game. Laura Kennedy scored the first goal on a nice finish off a Lauren Cassler cross to make it 1-0. Cassler would score the second goal when sophomore Leah Pleskovitch went deep into the corner to dig out a ball and play it right to Cassler to make it 2-0.

The first 20 minutes of the second were like a nightmare for LV. LV seemed to be going in slow motion and before they knew it Cambria Heights had scored 3 times and were a missed penalty kick away from scoring a 4th time. LV's chances looked bleak, Heights was dominating the game and LV looked like they were going to see heartbreak again in Patton in and lose a game that could severely damage their season.

Then, when it looked like all was lost, Laura Kennedy would play a beautiful cross to Cassler who would score her second goal of the game to make it 3-3 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. As the final minutes ticked away everyone on LV was a little apprehensive about going to overtime with LV playing their 3rd game in 4 days. However, that's where it seemed to be headed as Cambria Heights cleared away an LV chance with 20 seconds to play and it looked like the final whistle wwould blow.

However, Emily Daugherty had other ideas. Daugherty, who was nursing an injured knee and ankle and could barely walk at this point, would come out of a crowd at midfield with the ball and play an amazing pass right to Cassler's feet. Cassler took off down the right side as the seconds ticked down and miraculously would bury one past the Heights keeper with 3.6 seconds to play for the 4-3 victory! Cassler's 3 goals now put her at 47 for her career, 1 goal shy of tying the LV all time record held by Kelly Morrisey.

The JV girls lost a 3-1 decision with Leah Pleskovitch scoring the lone goal for the JV girls.

LV's marathon stretch of the schedule ends today as they face Jeanette at 4:00 at Laurel Valley before an off day, one practice, and a 4:00 Friday showing at Latrobe.

Pulling off an upset in the playoffs in soccer requires several things. First and foremost it requires a team that believes it can win. LV certainly had that. Secondly it requires a team with good senior leadership. LV had that. Next you need a team that plays good defense. LV had that. Next you need a goalkeeper that plays amazing. LV absolutely had that. And finally you need some luck. LV had that for the first 74 of the 80 minutes but...in the end....the strong Crusher squad from Bishop McCort would finish when it mattered and LV would be sent home with a 1-0 setback.

LV got a quick breakaway early in the game which would have, obviously, been a huge difference had they finished but it just wasn't meant to be. Much of the first half was spent in the LV defensive end with LV not able to generate more than a few counteratttacks. But...McCort was not getting any quality chances to amount to anything and Lindsay Heider was there to answer the call anytime there was. At the end of the half Heider made a brilliant save to keep McCort off the scoreboard in the first. As they went into the break 0-0 LV knew they were a second half team and knew that maybe, just maybe, they could even be a second half team against a powerful 18-1 McCort team.

The second half started out pretty even with LV simply unable to capitalize on counterattacks. After several minutes it returned to McCort dominance but...LV would not relent and stellar defense and amazing goaltending still kept them off the scoreboard and with 8 minutes play it was still 0-0. Finally...everyone on LV started to think that maybe this was their night...maybe it was fate. But...just a minute and a half later those hopes were dashed when McCort superstar junior Marissa Basille played a cross to Maggie Nokes who finally slipped one past Heider for the 1 goal the game would have.

LV had nothing to be ashamed of. Defenders Kassie Enos, Nichole Derk, Alex Grab, and Heather Kraus all played brilliantly in their last game ever. Heider and sweeper Cassie Nath also played amazing games and showed that, while there will be some tough losses, there is still plenty of hope for the future! Offensively Anita Boyd and Rachel Blistan turned in strong games as well as Rebecca Sharbaugh- all in their last games ever. And LV got break bench help from Brooke Piper, Mariel McMarlin, and Sam McKnight. McCort will move on Wednesday to face Westmont in the district title game. The one goal was McCort's lowest offensive output of the season!

Everyone from LV girls soccer would like to thank the wonderful crowd in attendance last night. It really helped the girls play their best and almost pull off the upset.

LV finished the season at 13-7- a far cry from last year's 4-12-4 record. Their semi-final game last night was the furthest they've ever advanced in the district playoffs. LV loses some invaluable seniors from this special team but returns enough strong players and enough players wanting to work hard in the off-season that they hope with an off-season full of hard work that they will be right back in this spot if not further next year!

7-0, 4-0, 5-0, 4-0, 5-0, 6-0. Up until yesterday afternoon those had been the scores of past LV/Richland girls soccer games. The Rams of Richland have one of the better programs around and are perenially contending with schools like Westmont for district titles. Heading into the game yesterday it seemed like it'd be more of the same when LV and Richland suited up for a 4:00 contest at Weller Field- especially since LV was coming off a disheartening 5-0 defeat in their home opener while Richland was coming off a 6-3 victory against a strong Bedford squad. However....someone forgot to tell the LV girls!

In the first half Richland started out dominant but simply could not score. Strong marking by LV defenders gave the Rams little opening and they got more and more frustrated as the half wore on. With that, LV's offense started to pick up. Anita Boyd created several chances with her speed and was helped by Lauren Cassler and Rachel Blistan to put lots of pressure on the Richland defense. Finally...late in the first half....captain Kassie Enos would play a free kick into a crowd that Amy Pompelia would play to Cassler for the first goal of the game and a 1-0 lead for LV. As the teams went into halftime, even the staunchest of LV supporters still felt it was only a matter of time before the Richland offense took over and this fun little dream ended.

LV started the second half dominating play but then Richland woke up. The Rams would score the tying goal with approximately 23 minutes to play and it, again, seemed to be the beginning of the end. However, the LV girls had other plans. A moment of weakness on Richland and hard work on LV would lead to newcomer Brooke Piper scoring the game winning goal with 11 minutes to play- putting LV ahead 2-1. In the final 11 minutes LV withstood every bit of the Richland charge with a wonderful team effort on defense. The 1-2 punch at center midfield of Piper and Laura Kennedy were instrumental in controling the final 10 minutes.
LV's JV girls played to a 0-0 tie against a MUCH more experienced Richland JV squad. Megan Bennett gave a stellar performance defensively and Emily Daugherty keyed the chances for the JV offense!
With the win, LV moves to 1-1 with a date against Derry coming up Saturday morning. Last season, LV lost to the Trojans for the first time so they will be looking to exact a little revenge this Saturday and hopefully momentum from today's huge win will carry into Saturday's game!

Snyder Stadium in Berlin, Pa just seems to bring out the best of the LV Girls and the Berlin Lady Mounties. Every time these teams have met on that field it's been a classic matchup. Last night was no different as the LV girls rallied from a 3-0 deficit to play to a 3-3 tie after 2 overtimes!

The game started out all Berlin. LV had issues marking their strong attack and just didn't come out with the intensity needed against a tough Berlin team. Berlin scored 3 times within the first 15 minutes of the game. It was 3-0 and looked like it was going to be a long night ahead for the the LV girls and their strong contingent in the crowd. Laura Kennedy was able to catch Berlin off-guard on a free kick and quickly play a ball to Rachel Blistan who finished it for to make it a 3-1 game. Slowly but surely LV was picking up their game but it was still 3-1 at halftime, on the road, against a 5-1 Berlin team- certainly a tall order for any team.

But, throughout the year, LV has been a second half squad. The defense played MUCH better and shut down most of their attack. Kassie Enos made countless big plays. Freshman goalie Lindsay Heider was absolutely outstanding stepping up against the big competition with many great saves herself. Once again off a free kick, LV would strike next. Laura Kennedy played a ball into crowd where midfielder Amy Pompelia was able to redirect it towards the goal where Lauren Cassler would finish it to make it a 3-2 ball game. Minutes later Kennedy played a beautiful ball into space to speedster Anita Boyd who would put the ball past the keeper to tie the score at 3-3. This is where we could remain after regulation.

In overtime, Berlin stepped back up and their ferocious attack returned. LV answered the call every time. Seniors Kori Tetkoski and Jeanne Simons stepped up big in OT. Midfielders Rebecca Sharbaugh and Kenzie Harbison also made big plays in the extra period. LV got their chances but just couldn't finish another and settled for a 3-3 tie. Not a bad result at all considering how the game started.

The JV girls lost a 3-1 decision with Priscilla Chavez scoring a pretty goal for the lone score for LV.

The girls home to use this momentum to carry them into Friday's game against North Star- scheduled for a 4:00 kickoff at Laurel Valley!

The LV girls have certainly played their share of exciting soccer games this season. However, none was as exciting as their first playoff game tonight against Central Cambria. LV ended prevailing 3-2 in a shoot-out after 4 overtime periods!!
The first half was all LV as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Kelly Morrisey scored the first goal off of a Gitti Bertalan assist to make it 1-0. Morrisey's goal was her 19th of the season and her 37 of her career tying her with LV alum Rachel Springer for most all time for the LV girls soccer team! Freshman Rachel Blistan, who played a great game off the bench, scored the second goal making it 2-0.
Central Cambria came back strong in the second half scoring 2 goals to make it 2-2. Nina Graham made many great saves to keep LV in the game
LV and Central Cambria would then battle through 4 overtime periods: 2 10-minute and 2 5-minute and there was still no scoring!
The game then moved on to a penalty kick shootout. This was all LV from the start! Kelly Morrisey and Katie Little scored for LV and, the story of the night was goalie Nina Graham who stopped EVERY penalty kick Central Cambria would attempt and LV won the shoot-out 2-0 to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year! Liz Zorch, Amanda Barnhart, Kassie Enos, Rachel Blistan, and Gitti Bertalan all played very strong games but LV had great efforts by every single girl leading to the playoff win!
LV now moves on to top seeded Westmont Thursday: site and time to be determined.