Ever since the district playoffs were inaugurated in the early 1980s, the Fleetwood Tigers in northern Berks County have fielded success on the soccer pitch. And 2022 is no exception, as the undefeated Tigers met the Crusaders of Lancaster Catholic (7-4-1) in the District 3 Class 2A final at Mountain View Stadium’s Tanner Field in Mechanicsburg on a pleasantly warm November 5.
When the Crusaders scored at the 15th minute on a header off a corner kick to take a 1-0 lead, there was a definite murmur in the filled stadium. But Fleetwood’s methodical ball movement and notable speed on the perimeter began to achieve scoring opportunities aplenty in the first half’s closing minutes. When a free kick squirted by Crusaders’ goalie Nathan Hummer late in the half, the Tigers seized momentum which they then used to dominate the entire second half. Fleetwood scored in the first minutes of the second half to go up 2-1, and relentlessly pressured the Crusaders offensively in the game’s later minutes. Hummer finished with 20 saves, many of them stellar efforts that kept his team within striking distance.
Lancaster Catholic moves on to the state playoffs, and Fleetwood is the number one seed in the PIAA state tournament.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness
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