HERSHEY, Pa. -- Sometimes, soccer results -- particularly if one side appears to have a clear edge -- can be unjust and downright cruel.

Allowing just two shots, Springdale watched Loyalsock's Sarah Heilenman bury one of those into the net early in the second half as the Lancers claimed a 1-0 victory against Springdale in the PIAA Class AA girls' soccer championship yesterday at Hersheypark Stadium.

Loyalsock goalkeeper Amanda Daneker, a freshman, made seven saves for the Lancers (21-4-1), but Heilenman made the biggest save of the game, clearing the ball away from Loyalsock's goal with 9:30 remaining.

"Kudos to the other team, Loyalsock," said Springdale coach Jerry Concannon. "They clearly capitalized on their opportunity to score, got the goal and were able to hold us off."

Despite the score, Concannon thought the Dynamos did enough to win the game.

"I thought we were a little bit better, a little more creative on the attack," he said. "And clearly, statistically, we had way more shots on goal."

That statistical advantage -- the Dynamos (21-2-2) outshot Loyalsock 10-2 -- proved moot when Heilenman nodded a Marlee Hibbs cross just inside the right post about six minutes into the second half. Up 1-0, the Lancers made that lead stand.

Barely.

Given a chance to equalize, Springdale's Ally Overly nodded the ball over the outstretched arms of the challenging Daneker. Dipping toward the goal line, Heilenman cleared the ball away.

"It was just amazing," Loyalsock coach Kyle Bidelspacher said. "Sarah was on both ends. She was defense, she was offense, she was all over the place. She saved the day, and then she scored the goal to win it for us."

Storybook stuff, at least for one side.

"It almost seemed to me, if you go back and look through who that team had to beat to get here and then the way this game went today, they struck me as maybe a team of destiny," Concannon said. "Like maybe we weren't on the good end of it."

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