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Robinson propels PV past Whitehall in EPC girls soccer playoff game

Rylee Robinson’s first attempt just missed.

Her second effort was perfect.

The freshman defender delivered the game-winning goal in double overtime Saturday to lift the Pleasant Valley girls’ soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Whitehall in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference quarterfinals.

Robinson had an opportunity to win it in the first overtime. She lined up a free kick with a little over nine minutes to play in the first extra period, but just missed the mark, hitting the top crossbar.

She made the most of her second opportunity, steadying a pass from Brianna Clark to put the third-seeded Bears (14-3-2) into the EPC semifinals with her first goal of the season.

“My first thought was to know where the goalie was, and to figure out in my head quickly what her weakness was, which was the low shot,” Robinson said. “But then I remembered how my first shot (in the first overtime) was too high, so I had to remember how I had to like lean back and stuff.”

Though Robinson isn’t a prolific scorer, Pleasant Valley head coach Derek Strohl was far from surprised to see her find the back of the net.

“Our defense is solid, and with her being like an outlet pass on the outside, she’s got a big leg,” said Strohl. “So we look for our outside backs to serve the ball in the box for our forwards and midfielders to try to run onto.

“And she was in that spot, where it was almost like an in-between, do I cross it far post or do I take the shot. And she took the shot, and it was obviously the right call.”

The Bears also got a stellar performance from goalie Mikaela Miller, who made 15 saves to shutdown the sixth-seeded Zephyrs (11-5-1).

“Mikaela has been here four years now, that we’ve been coaching her, and you could see confidence keeps building, which is good,” Strohl said. “She’s got tons of experience. We’ve been through this before in the playoffs.

“She’s a good shot-stopper, she’s got good movement overall. She sees plays develop, and is able to kind of help the defense out by calling for the ball when she knows she can get to it. And when she can’t get to it, she communicates with them so they know to clear it.”

Miller’s counterpart, Grace Clary, stopped 13 shots.

Whitehall had chances. But Miller and the Pleasant Valley defense executed their game plan to near-perfection.

“The strategy was, to not maybe limit No. 5’s (Kate Bonshak) touches, but at least when she got the ball, we had people around her,” Strohl said of Bonshak, who had 26 goals and nine assists last season as a freshman. “We man-marked her the whole game, and Addison Borger, she did a fantastic job. When she kinda got turned on her, the defense or midfield was there to kind of step-up.”

But it was more than the play of any one person that has Pleasant Valley moving on to face No. 2 seed Easton in the semifinals.

“I’m just super proud of the girls,” said Strohl. “They’re playing really hard, and things are clicking at the right rime, which is good coming into the playoffs.”

STRONG FINISH … The Bears went 5-0-2 in their last seven games of the regular season. The run came after back-to-back losses to Parkland (1-0) on Sept. 23 and Northampton (3-2) on Sept. 26.

SCHYLER STRONG … There has been an outpouring of support for Pleasant Valley freshman goalie Schyler Herman, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Players and coaches wore orange #SCHYLERSTRONG shirts, headbands and bracelets on Saturday. Several other PV teams have also been wearing the gear, which is sold at the school and games in support of the Herman family.