KINGSTON – With a two-goal lead and two minutes left, Karen Klassner got too sentimental to hold it in anymore.
With the 700th victory of her illustrious coaching career all-but assured, the sometimes stoic and often no-nonsense leader of Wyoming Seminary’s field hockey program broke down and cried.
“I started thinking about all the kids,” Klassner said. “When you reach a milestone, it’s really because of your kids. It really doesn’t have a whole lot to do with you.
“I was very emotional.”
Making history will sometimes do that.
Emma Watchilla and Hannah Maxwell scored in the first 10 minutes and Mia Magnotta made nine saves Tuesday as Wyoming Seminary opened the door for Klassner’s entrance into the elite 700-win club by shutting out Wyoming Area, 2-0, at Spartan Stadium for the District 2 Class A title.
Klassner became just the seventh coach in the country to attain 700 high school field hockey victories.
“Seven-hundred victories, that’s a huge accomplishment,” said Wyoming Area coach Erin McGinley, who was once an all-state goalkeeper at Sem while adding more than a few of those victories to Klassner’s coaching ledger. “No one can take that away.”
The defending state champion Blue Knights locked down Wyoming Area’s high-powered offensive attack and remain unbeaten within Pennsylvania and improve to 19-2 overall.
“We played really well,” McGinley said. “We just didn’t put the ball in the cage. God, we had so many opportunities — shots and corners, tons of touches. It happens. We feel like they played a fantastic game of field hockey.”
Magnotta stood tall, though. A junior who is committed to Iowa, the goalie knocked away shot after shot to thwart more than a few prime attempts by Wyoming Area to rally back into it during the second half.
Wyoming Seminary finished with an 11-9 lead in shots. Wyoming Area had the edge in penalty corners, 9-4.
