Soccer team

Boys Soccer Second in State

For the fourth time in six years, the Lancaster Mennonite boys soccer team reached Pennsylvania’s state championship game at HersheyPark Stadium. For the third time, the championship trophy eluded them.

The Blazers, now 27-2-0, ran undefeated through a regular season that included their fifth consecutive L-L League Section Three title. After advancing to the league-championship game and suffering its only loss of the season to AAAA Elizabethtown, Lancaster Mennonite captured the District Three Class 2A crown and racked up impressive state-tournament wins over Lansdale Catholic, Notre Dame Green Pond and powerful defending-champion, Lewisburg.

Their opponent, the Quaker Valley Quakers, now 22-2, finished atop the WPIAL’s Section 4 standings in Class 2A with one regular-season loss and a loss in the WPIAL championship game.

The Blazers seemed to dominate the first half, but racked up only one goal to match a Quaker breakaway near the start of the game. Team-leading goal scorer Matt Lynch (38 goals) and Shota Totani  scored for the Blazers.

Lancaster Mennonite’s trophy case already includes one state championship from 2011. The Blazers also reached the final in 2012 and 2014.

Congratulations to the whole team:

Carter Hurst ’18, goalkeeper; Gabe Willig ’19, goalkeeper; Tristan Benner’19, def.; Brett Diller ’18, mid.; Shota Totani ’19, forward; Chet Hoober’18, mid.; Joe Lapp ’18, forward; Ben Lefever’19, mid.; Paul Peachey ’19, mid./forward; Zack Steffen ’19, def.; Matthew Lynch ’18, forward; Mesa Dula ’20, mid.; Dominic Mattilio ’18, def.; Tyler Wagner ’19; Max Brubaker ’18, def.; Andrew Nell ’18, def.; Nathan Landes ’19; Josiah Kanagy ’18, mid.; Chad Dinger ’19, def.; Josiah Kanyiha ’18, def; Hunter Brubaker ’20, def.; Noah Swartzentruber ’20, forward; Nathan Longenecker ’20, mid; Owen Nell ’20, forward; Levi Nelson ’20, mid.; Cameron Hoober ’20, mid; Dominic France ’20, goalkeeper.

Girls Volleyball and Soccer End Seasons in Districts

The LMH girls volleyball team won the Lancaster Lebanon League Section Championship and qualified for the District 3 playoffs. The third-ranked Blazers (15-3) advanced to the semifinal game before bowing to the eventual champion, undefeated Delone Catholic. The sixth-seeded LMH girls soccer team also advanced to the District 3 semifinal game after defeating Delone Catholic in the quarterfinals, but their season ended with a loss to Schuykill Valley.

Cross Country and Golf Success

The LMH golf team won the Section 3 championship. In the L-L League Tournament, team members included Mesa Dula ’20 (#14), Jon Glick ’21 (#20), Connor Edie ’19 (#33), Stephen Baak ’18 (#73), Gavin Baer ’20 (#42) and Shawn Oshikawa ’18 (#65). The team placed third in District 3, and Edie qualified for the eastern regional. In girls golf, Madison Bailey ’20 was #12 in the league and qualified for districts.

The boys cross country team finished ninth in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, led by Logan Horst ’19 (#10), Ebenezer Abebe ’18 (#12) and Nathan Yoder ’19 (#17). Hannah Steckbeck ’19 was the top girls runner. The LMH team placed seventh in District 3, where Horst was #4 and Abebe #7. Horst, Abebe and Yoder qualified for the state meet, where Horst led the trio of Blazer runners to the finish line with his 20th-place and medal-earning finish. Abebe crossed the line in 26th place, missing the medal stand by one place. Yoder placed #42.