Lewisburg (17-1-1), who lost only to No. 2 seed Central Columbia and whose tie came against No. 3 seed Midd-West, scored three goals in the first half against the fourth-seeded Hornets and added their final goal in the second period to move onto the District final, where they’ll face Midd-West, a 2-1 winner over CC in the other semi.

The Hornets entered this year’s postseason after winning their third straight NTL title and reached the semifinals after avenging an earlier season loss to No. 5 seed Montoursville by beating the Warriors 1-0 in the District quarterfinals. Head Coach Todd Fitch was optimistic despite his club’s exit from the championships.

“Throughout the season we’ve talked about breaking barriers,” said Fitch. “We’ve never beaten Lewisburg .. haven’t even had a shot on goal in our two previous post season match ups with them (6-0 loss in 2019 and a 3-0 loss in 2018). Tonight, however, we did create some opportunities with six shots on goal. It’s a small consolation, but it’s a step forward in our quest to break through.” 

The Spartans had 12 shots on goal against Wellsboro, while the Hornets held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. Keeper Camden Tom recorded five saves in net for the Hornets.

Lewisburg opened the scoring three minutes in on a deflected direct kick, broke free for their second goal at the 22:42 mark of the first half and took a 3-0 lead with just over 15 minutes left before the break. Viktar Permyashkin completed a hat trick with his third goal with three and a half minutes left in the match.

Coach Fitch was reflective of his team’s many successes following the loss, pointing out a senior group that includes captains Jack Bryant and Alex Citrino, Gabe Sprouse, Micaiah Fitch, River Moyer, Lucas Cuneo, Owen Stevens, Braeden Abernathy and Micah Vickery.

“This group of seniors have had a remarkable three year varsity career,” said Fitch, “finishing with a league record of 34-1-1 and an overall record of 45-10-1. They certainly leave big shoes to fill as players .. and as overall quality young men.”

The Hornets finish the 2024 season with a 15-5 overall record, including a 12-0 mark in the league and their third straight NTL title.