The Daily Item

LEWISBURG -- Any hockey coach will tell you that the most important goal of the game is the first one. But there's a lot to be said for the second one, especially if it comes right on the heels of the first.

Selinsgrove produced two quick goals in the first three and a half minutes Monday, a stunning beginning that ended in a 6-0 romp over arch-rival Mifflinburg in a District 4 Class AA semifinal on the turf at Bucknell University's Graham Field.

The No. 2 seed Seals (19-1) will take on top-seeded Bloomsburg (19-0) Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Graham Field in search of their fifth consecutive D-4 title. The last time Selinsgrove didn't win districts was a 2004 double overtime loss to Lewisburg. Both the Seals and Panthers will advance to the PIAA Class AA tournament that begins next week, and it marks the eighth consecutive season Selinsgrove has made it to states.

The Seals got their first goal just two minutes in, when Hope Burke scored off Ashtin Klingler's assist on a well-executed give-and-go off a free hit. Just a minute and a half later, Claire Steininger's goal off a length-of-the-field rush made it 2-0, and Mifflinburg (15-4) was looking up at a two-goal deficit against a team that doesn't give up many goals.

"You can't start any better than that. That's always our goal," said Selinsgrove coach Cathy Keiser, whose only loss this season came against District 11 power Lehighton. "They were outstanding. They passed well, they did a good job of supporting, and they showed fine tackling skills."

Mifflinburg coach Ann Beckley, whose squad finishes 15-4, with three losses to Selinsgrove and another to District 3 power Wyoming Seminary, admitted the Seals' quick start put the Wildcats back on their heels.

"We came ready to play, but you get scored on boom-boom and it sets you in a defensive mode right away," Beckley said. "It was not where we wanted to be."

Beckley called an immediate timeout after the second goal to try to settle her team, but the situation didn't get any better for the 2007 Class AA state champions, who will miss the PIAA tournament for the first time since 2006.

"I told them that there was a lot of game left. (Selinsgrove) scored two goals in three minutes, so we could do the same thing," Beckley said. "We weren't going to give up."

But Selinsgrove's Coli Deckard made it 3-0 at the 13:10 mark of the half, off an assist from Burke, on an impressive surge that started on a free hit that began at about the Seals' 25-yard line.

Mifflinburg's day was typified by their best scoring opportunity of the first half, when Maria Caruso's blast from the left side of the circle hit the left post of the cage and caromed out of play beyond the end line.

It got no better in the second half. Burke had a goal and two assists over the final 30 minutes as the Seals continued to pull away. Ashley Youngman and Rachael Lawton scored the goals on Burke's assists as Selinsgrove finished with a 19-2 advantage in shots.

Though Mifflinburg had a 7-6 edge in corners, the Seals' defense was quick to the ball on those corners and even quicker to clear. Goalkeepers Amber Wendt (first half) and Gabby Pagana (second half) were called on to make just one save apiece as the Seals quickly morphed from defense to offense in transition.

"Our defense was great at receiving. We were able to get the ball out right away," Keiser said. "We play defense and offense together. It's a team thing."