WEST PITTSTON – All those goals, all that glory, all the good times will soon become little more than marvelous memories.
Because it’s all coming to an end for Lauren Parente.
But before she leaves the sport of field hockey, she’s leaving a shot of excitement behind.
Parente scored the 100th goal of her career with a hat trick Oct. 5, then followed that up with another hat trick and a two-goal effort in her two games since.
“Just because I hit 100 doesn’t mean I’m going to back off,” Parente said. “It was super special (to reach 100), I wouldn’t have been able to do it without everyone on this team. I needed every one of them. It was a really good feeling.
“I won’t be like, ‘I got 100, I’m done’.”
Although she has 105 goals, Parente’s field hockey career won’t last past high school. The senior forward is headed to Bloomsburg to major in education.
“But I’m not going to play,” Parente said. “I’ve had some hip problems. It was a tough decision. It’s definitely sad. When the season ends, hopefully on a good note, it’s going to be tough knowing that I’ll never pick up a stick again, or play with my teammates anymore. But everything comes to an end.”
Parente is showing she is intent on making this ending a happy one.
While Parente piles up the goals, goalie Ellie Glatz and the Wyoming Area defense have been preventing them.
The Lady Warriors, who took a streak of eight straight shutouts into Saturday’s non-league game with Northwest, will play at Wyoming Seminary Tuesday to decide the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title.
Wyoming Area is 11-0-1 in Division 1 heading into the season finale. It was 15-0-1 overall.
Wyoming Seminary is 12-0 and 15-2 and held a slim .749-.746 ratings lead in the race for the top seed in the District 2 Class A playoffs going into the weekend.
Wyoming Area 8
Pittston Area 0
Kayla Kiwak scored three goals and assisted two others Thursday as host Wyoming Area defeated rival Pittston Area in a Division 1 game.
Lauren Parente scored twice. Mackenzie Switzer had two assists.
Arianna Pisano made 28 saves for Pittston Area, which is 0-12 and 1-13.
Wyoming Area 5
Honesdale 0
Lauren Parente had her second straight hat trick Tuesday as Wyoming Area made sure to keep momentum and remain within range of claiming the division title with a win in the season finale.
“We did not take this team lightly,” Parente said. “We went in with the mindset that we had to work for this to keep our place.
“We’re in a good spot right now.”
Kari Melberger and Kayla Kiwak each added a goal and an assist in the first half.
Kiwak’s goal came one second before intermission to build the lead to 4-0.
Wyoming Area held Honesdale without a shot until the final five minutes when goalie Ellie Glatz made three kick saves and Morgan Beppler added a defensive save by blocking a shot at the goal line with her stick.
“We played a nice game of hockey today,” Wyoming Area coach Erin McGinley said. “Everybody knows big picture, what you’re looking for at the end of the season. Of course, we know what’s coming next week. But we do keep on telling them, ‘One game at a time.’ ”
For Parente, it’s more like one goal at a time that keeps stacking up to big numbers with the team’s biggest regular season game right on the horizon.
She scored the only goal of the second half 7:07 after intermission to set the final score and record a hat trick for the second consecutive game.
“Lauren has a great knack for the goal,” McGinley said. “Always has. She can get rebounds, she can get tips, she can get great shots. Lauren puts pressure on herself to succeed and do well. She also wants the team to win and also to be successful.”
Lake-Lehman 5
Pittston Area 0
Lake-Lehman broke away from a tight game late Tuesday, with Grace Ciaccia adding a pair of goals in the final 4:55.
The Black Knights had a 19-2 advantage in shots on goal and held Pittston Area without a penalty corner.
Wyoming Area 6
Lackawanna Trail 0
Lauren Parente’s hat trick and 100th career goal led Wyoming Area to the win in the non-league game between the WVC’s two second-place teams.
Parente scored twice in the first half and reached the milestone in the second half.
Toni Minichello had two goals. Kayla Kiwak scored on a penalty stroke and had two assists.
Central Columbia 2
Pittston Area 1
Pittston Area scored its only goal in the past seven scores Oct. 5, but lost the non-league road game.
