SPORTS Sunday, September 15, 2013 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 9 Strazdus steps up for Mountaineers soccer Dallas junior shared the team’s scoring lead with converted defender Talia Szatkowski at five goals each in the team’s 4-0 start @.. ROBINSON For The Dallas Post As the team assist leader a year ago when Dallas went 14-1 in the regular season and reached the District 2 Class AA girls soccer semifinals, Ashley Strazdus is well-established for her ability to set up teammates. After the graduation of Ashley Dunbar, an all-state player who was the Wyoming Valley Conference scoring champion and the school’s career leader in goals, the Mountaineers need something more from Strazdus this season. “Once she left, I realized that now that I'm a junior I have to step up a bit and take the scor- ing for myself,” Strazdus said. Strazdus delivered Sept. 7 in an early-season meeting of league leaders when she scored four goals — two more than her previous best effort — to lead a 5-0 win over Pittston Area. “I think I'm pretty good at feeding the ball and getting the assist to people,” Strazdus said. “I have to work on shooting for myself more often.” That work appears to be paying off. With the help of the big effort against Pittston Area, Strazdus shared the team’s scoring lead with converted defender Talia Szatkowski at five goals each in the team’s 4-0 start. Strazdus converted on a breakaway, knocked home balls that had deflected off the crossbar and the goalie’s hands and nailed a shot from inside the penalty area for her four goals. “Ashley and Talia are probably the best 1-2 for- ward combo in the league so far,” Dallas coach Abe Lewis said. They have helped the Mountaineers hand Pittston Area and Wyoming Valley West their first losses while also handling a strong Coughlin team. Finding a new scoring combination has been a big part of that success against a challenging early-season schedule. “I play more of an upper for- ward and Talia plays behind me,” Strazdus said. “She’s almost like an attacking center mid. She usually gets all the balls coming up from the center mids and then we just feed it to each other.” Szatkowski and Strazdus assisted on goals by each other 1:50 apart in the final 30 min- utes when Dallas broke open a 2-0 game against Pittston Area. The Mountaineers made the most of their chances during a game in which they held only an 11-10 shot advantage. Lewis said the play of the midfield, led by the starting combination of junior Courtney Wagner and sophomores Ruby Mattson, Katie Snedecker and Tiffany Zukosky, helps the team to make the most of its opportunities. Goalie Sydney Emershaw made six saves while combining with a defense that held Pittston Area without a corner kick. They shut out an oppo- nent that scored 11 goals just two days later and features 100-goal career scorer Allie Barber. Strazdus SPORTS BRIEF CAR WASH SLATED The Lake-Lehman girls basketball team will host a car wash/bake sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Sept. 15 at Newell's Exxon Memorial Highway, Dallas. Car wash is a $5 donation with tickets available through players. The event is sponsored by Newell's and the Lake-Lehman Girls Basketball Booster Club-LLGBBC. For more information, call Missy Eneboe at 696-5515. BANDITS REGISTRATION Registration for Back Mountain Bandits boys and girls lacrosse 2014 season will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 21 at the Dallas American Legion. Boys age groups are U-9, U-11, U-13 and U-15. Girls age groups are third and fourth grade (U9/U11), fifth and sixth grade (U13) and seventh and eighth (U15) grades. Family discounts apply and there are no mandatory fund raisers. Registration fee includes US Lacrosse registration, US Lacrosse magazine and team uniform. Gently-used equipment will be held dur- ing this registration. For more information, email bmtlax@gmail.com. he Cook’s Pharmacy Father-Son Baseball Game is all about sport and camaraderie. The annual event was held Sept. 8 at the Back Mountain Little League field and ended in a 14-14 tie. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE DALLAS POST Aidan Conrad joins his teammates in a show of sportsmanship after the Back Mountain Little League father-son baseball game. The pra game ended in a 14-14 tie. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE DALLAS POST Frank Lombardo looks out of the dugout during the father-son baseball game sponsored by Cook’s Pharmacy. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE DALLAS POST Ron Ostrowski, right, gets high-fived by teammate Brian Wesley after belting a home run in the father-son baseball game spon- sored by Cook’s Pharmacy at the Back Mountain Little League. row Et YOUTH FOOTBALL RESULTS ) ®.llas crushes Swoyersville in C team action ' BTEAM . Kingston Twp. 28 Wewt Pittston 0 | The Kingston Twp. Raiders B team put together an offensive and defensive showcase in its win over the West Pittston Rams. | First-half action was highlighted by Michael Starbuck’s 30-yard breakaway run followed by Luke DelGaudio adding another 22 yards to bring the ball to the 25-yard line. Once again, Starbuck broke loose around the end and scampered into the endzone to put the Raiders ahead, 6-0. The 2-point conversion failed. | The next drive had RJ Wren connected with DelGaudio on a 22-yard pass then Matt Maransky with a run that placed the ball on thed4-yard line. Wren then connected with DelGaudio in the endzone to make it 12-0 in favor of the Raiders. Matt Maransky ran it in for the 2-point conversion, making it 14-0. i The second have was a stellar defensive performance. Dylan Schuster and Maransky combined for five sacks as well as great per- ances by Jake Sorber, Hideki Takagi, Vonderheid, Jack Luke, Josh Balara, e Perrego and Ryan Nita. Raiders offense In the second half, the came alive again with great runs by Zack Chamberlain and Maransky. Touchdowns by Maransky and Starbuck plus a 2-point conver- sion pass from Wren to Starbuck made it a 28-0 final. The Raiders are now 2 and 2 for the season with a winning streak of two in a row. C TEAM Dallas 30 Swoyersville 12 The Dallas Junior Mount C team remained unbeaten at 3-0 with a dominating 30-12 vic- tory over previously-undefeated Swoyersville. The Sailors received the opening kickoff and their offense got to the Dallas 18 before the drive stalled. Dallas took over on offense and went on an 82-yard scoring drive capped off with a Jared Adamski touchdown. The drive was highlighted by excellent downfield blocking from Nick Spencer, Jared Adamski, Mitch Burgess and Alex Hajikowski .Mitch Burgess added the 2-point conversion and Dallas held an early 8-0 lead. After a Swoyersville 3 and out, Dallas took possession and again methodically drove the ball down the field. Mitch Burgess had a huge gain on a sweep, nearly making it to the end zone. Alex Hajikowski finished the drive with a TD. Hajikowski ran in the conversion and Dallas led, 16-0. On Swoyersville’s next possession, Sailors QB Jake Griffen was intercepted by corner- back Mitch Burgess who returned the inter- ception to the Swoyersville 1-yard line. The Junior Mount offense took over and Alex Hajikowski bulled his way into the end zone. The 2-point conversion was successful and Dallas led, 24-0. The Sailors got on the board before half- time with a long TD pass and Dallas led, 24-6, at half time. Dallas got the ball to start the second half and added another Alex Hajikowski touch- down. The conversion was no good and Dallas led, 30-6 . The Dallas defense stymied the Sailors potent outside running attack all day. Corners Matt Esposito and Mitch Burgess and outside linebackers Luke Shultz, Jace Chopyak and Mark Karcutskie did an excellent job of con- taining the Sailors. Inside linebackers Alex Hajikowski and Ayden Berndt made several tackles behind the line. Swoyersville added one more score in the waning seconds of the game to make the final, 30-12, in favor of Dallas. ABOVE: The Kingston Twp. Raiders B team defensive line was stel- lar against the West Pittston Rams. BELOW: Michael Starbuck gains yardage for the Kingston Twp. Raiders B team. ; Clements Dentistry a’ FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Iclementsdentistry.com Best of Luck to All Fall Sports Athletes! Robert D. 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