Pottsville's girls' soccer team poses with the District 11 championship trophy and placard after defeating Blue Mountain 1-0 in the 2024 Class 3A title game at North Schuylkill (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — As the clock ticked under 20 seconds before halftime, the crowd started to yell … “Watch the clock. Hurry up, hurry up.”

15 … 14 … 13 … 12 …

Lauren Kelly wasn’t fazed. The Pottsville senior calmly placed the ball down in the corner, lined it up and booted it toward the front of the goal.

11 … 10 … 9 … 8 …

On the other end, in the middle of a sea of players, was fellow senior Kailey Olenick, who headed the ball past the Blue Mountain goalkeeper into the net with 5 seconds left in the half.

It proved to be the game’s only tally as the Crimson Tide defeated the Eagles 1-0 in Wednesday’s District 11 Class 3A girls’ soccer championship game at North Schuylkill’s Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium.

The victory gives Pottsville (15-5-1) its second District 11 championship in three years and advances the Tide to the PIAA Tournament. Pottsville will face the loser of tonight’s District 3 championship game between Lower Dauphin (18-2) and Cocalico (14-4-2) on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at a District 11 site.

“I felt that there was no need to panic,” Kelly said of the corner kick. “The clock was ticking. I felt if I rushed it and I had a bad ball then we might not have succeeded from the ball that I played, with Kailey finishing it.

“Giving them more time to get the ball up and get a counter on us was not ideal, so I just took my time, I calmed myself down and I just played a ball that somebody could put in the net.”

Olenick was at the right place at the right time.

“I didn’t think there was any reason to rush,” Olenick said. “I was in the 18 and I saw the ball curving toward me. I thought, ‘I have to finish this. It’s very important. We only have 5 seconds left.’

“I just angled my body and headed it in.”

The goal was the only offensive highlight in a game dominated by both defenses.

Pottsville collected only three shots on goal, and none in the final 28:15 of the game.

Schuylkill League champion Blue Mountain (16-7), meanwhile, had five shots on goal but wasn’t able to mount a serious offensive threat against the Tide defense, with Pottsville keeper Aubrey Scanlan making five saves.

After losing to Blue Mountain in the Schuylkill League semifinals two weeks prior, Pottsville switched to a 3-4-3 alignment. The back three of Jes Siminitus, Aubrey Snyder and Myla Fegley kept the ball away from the net with countless successful clears.

They also kept the ball away from Blue Mountain sophomore standout Hailey Scheuer, who had two goals in the Schuylkill League championship game and the only goal in the Eagles’ semifinal victory over Southern Lehigh.

“We changed our formation a little bit and we told them any time (Scheuer) touches the ball, make sure she got doubled so she couldn’t get any shots off,” Pottsville head coach Bob Stock said. “These girls wanted it so badly. They played up to their potential. They did everything we wanted them to.”

Pottsville defeated Blue Mountain 2-0 and 2-1 in Schuylkill League play en route to the Division I title. In the league playoffs, however, the Eagles beat the Tide 2-0 and then topped North Schuylkill 2-0 for the Schuylkill League title.

That loss served as motivation for Stock’s squad Wednesday.

“They beat us for the Schuylkill League and the girls were really upset with losing to them. They really wanted to win the district and beat them for that title. They didn’t want to go down that way. They came out and played their hearts out tonight.”

Pottsville starts seven seniors. Kelly and Olenick said winning a district championship as seniors was special.

It’s Pottsville’s fourth girls’ soccer district championship overall, joining the 2022, 2006 and 2005 squads.

“This means a lot. We have worked so hard and obviously with Blue Mountain kicking us out of the league championship, it made us want it a lot more,” Kelly said. “Tonight we came to play and we succeeded.”

Added Olenick: “We worked hard all season, trying new formations, new starters. It’s our senior year, so it was great to go out on that.”

District 11 Girls’ Soccer

Class 3A Championship

At North Schuylkill

Pottsville (15-5-1)                                   1           0           —        1

Blue Mtn. (16-7)                                       0           0           —        0

P — Olenick (Kelly), 39:55

Shots on goal: Pottsville 3, Blue Mountain 5. Corner kicks: Pottsville 3, Blue Mountain 1. Saves: Pottsville (Scanlan) 5, Blue Mountain (Keck) 2.