Pottsville head coach Bob Stock talks to his team after Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Cocalico in the PIAA Class 3A girls' soccer playoffs at Blue Mountain High School's Eagles' Nest. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

ORWIGSBURG — Pottsville held on as long as it could.

Through the first 40 minutes, the Crimson Tide and Cocalico battled to a scoreless draw Tuesday night in a PIAA Class 3A girls’ soccer first-round match. Prime scoring chances were few and far between as the teams went to halftime nil-nil.

Pottsville’s defense held firm until the 53:26 mark, when Cocalico’s left-footed striker, Livia Smith, drilled the eventual game-winning goal as Cocalico held off the Tide 1-0 at Blue Mountain High School’s Eagles’ Nest.

Kira Lehman delivered the assist for the District 3 runner-up Eagles (15-5-2), and Smith made no mistake to give her team the only goal it needed.

“Scoring goals. We couldn’t score,” Pottsville coach Bob Stock said. “We have a very strong defense, and that one breakaway, otherwise we’d be going to overtime or possibly PKs.  We knew 18 (Smith) was their go-to girl.”

Cocalico almost made it 2-0 with a shot off the crossbar with 19:07 left. The Eagles outshot Pottsville 10-2, and nine saves by Aubrey Scanlan kept the Tide in it.

With about 16 minutes to go, Pottsville (15-6-1) mounted some of its best offense of the night. Abbie Davis drilled a hard shot that Cocalico keeper Molly Barrett pushed away. The save out of bounds gave the Tide a corner kick, and Pottsville got the ball in front of the goal. After a few anxious moments in a scrum, Cocalico barely cleared the ball away from danger.

Pottsville’s season ends with a District 11 championship and the trip to states that recognizes the Tide as one of the last 16 teams playing in the state in their division.

The match also marked the end of the soccer careers for a highly successful group of seniors: Emma Adams, Davis, Lauren Goodman, Lauren Kelly, Trinity Mendofik, Kailey Olenick, Brooke Palko, Cami Quirin-Morris, Scanlan, Aubrey Snyder and Hadley Snyder.

“They’re a fantastic group of girls. They played their hearts out all year long,” Stock said. “They achieved their goals. They didn’t get league champs, but they won districts. They got that, and they wanted to get to states. They did it.

“They’re leaders on the team, and we’re going to miss them dearly next year,” Stock added about the seniors. “There’s 11 of them. … They took their roles, even if they weren’t starting, to come off the bench. They’re team players. I’m so proud of them because they worked so hard. They wanted to be district champs. They’re only the second team in school history to get a district title in girls’ soccer.”

Cocalico advances to meet District 1 runner-up Strath Haven (17-4), a 3-2 winner over District 12 champion Archbishop Ryan, in Saturday’s quarterfinals at a site and time to be announced.

PIAA Girls’ Soccer

Class 3A First Round

At Blue Mountain

Cocalico (15-5-2)                                   0           1           —        1

Pottsville (15-6-1)                                       0           0           —        0

C — Smith (Lehman), 53:26

Shots on goal: Cocalico 10, Pottsville 2. Corner kicks: Cocalico 3, Pottsville 1. Saves: Cocalico (Barrett) 2, Pottsville (Scanlan) 9.