Central Pennsylvania is a hotbed for field hockey, but at its epicenter is the talent from the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
What if there was one tournament that brought all that flair together? Good thing there is.
The L-L field hockey quarterfinals are set for Saturday. At 10 a.m., Section One champion Warwick hosts Section Three runner-up Annville-Cleona while Section Four winner Lancaster Country Day welcomes Section Two runner-up Manheim Central to Lancaster Catholic’s Crusader Stadium. At 11 a.m., Section Two champ Conestoga Valley duels Section Four runner-up McCaskey, and Section One runner-up Penn Manor treks up to Myerstown to face Section Three champ Elco.
The winner of the 10 a.m. matchups will meet in Tuesday’s semifinals at Lampeter-Strasburg. The same applies for the latter half of the bracket.
Before first touch Saturday, here are five things to know about the league championships.
New bragging rights
The L-L will crown a new champion this fall with Manheim Township missing the tournament. The Blue Streaks were the two-time defending champions and appeared in the last four title tilts.
Warwick holds the most recent championship-game experience, having qualified for the last two finals. The Warriors dropped a 1-0 decision last year and a 3-2 result in 2023.
Penn Manor is the most recent program participating in this year’s tournament to ascend the league mountain. The Comets won three straight titles from 2020-22.
Fiery Fisher
The league’s top scorer doesn’t come from the heavyweight clubs in Section One or Section Two. No, the L-L’s kingpin is LCD’s Anna Fisher, who’s racked up 82 points as of Thursday morning.
With Fisher’s contributions, the Cougars have roared to a 15-0 record and captured their third consecutive Section Four crown. The Penn pledge has tallied 35 goals while distributing 12 assists.
LCD drew Manheim Township in the 2024 quarterfinals and exited with a 5-0 loss.
McCaskey keeps making history
It’s been an uphill battle for the Red Tornado this season, and Saturday’s game with CV won’t get any easier. Despite its 6-11-1 record, McCaskey has advanced to the L-L dance for the second straight year.
Last fall’s appearance snapped a 53-year playoff drought. The Red Tornado fell to Warwick 10-0 in the quarterfinals.
McCaskey has momentum entering the postseason with three wins in its last four games. The victories include a 4-0 shutout of Lancaster Catholic and tightly contested affairs against Lancaster Mennonite (3-2) and Eastern York (2-1).
Underclassmen’s time to shine
The spotlight doesn’t get any bigger than postseason play, and three of the league’s best will take part in the action. The only catch: They’re in the process of building their resumes.
Annville-Cleona sophomore Claire Francis, Penn Manor sophomore Kelby Dings and Conestoga Valley freshman Brooke Harting rank in the top five in the league in scoring. Francis sits second behind Fisher with 74 points (30 goals, 14 assists). Dings is fourth with 23 goals and eight assists while Harting is fifth, notching 20 goals and 11 assists.
Harting, arguably, has made the most impact, steering the Buckskins to a 10-0 league mark and an overall 17-1 record.
Warwick’s missing link
The Warriors corralled Section One, District Three Class 2A and PIAA titles in 2024. Township spoiled the gold grand slam with the 1-0 victory in the L-L championship game.
Warwick has the L-L crown in its crosshairs as it attempts to repeat in all other facets. Future Ohio State Buckeyes Taylor Hess and Karys Craver give the hungry Warriors the best chance, having amassed 48 and 46 points, respectively, this season.
Penn Manor handed Warwick its only league setback this fall, collecting a 4-2 decision Sept. 25. At the time, it was the Warriors’ first in-state loss in 343 days.
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