DISTRICT 4 GIRLS SOCCER: TOP-SEEDED SHIK PULLS AWAY IN SECOND HALF; TOPS ATHENS, 5-1, IN CLASS 3A SEMIS (24 PHOTOS) (2025-10-25)

Valley Sports Report
HEPBURNVILLE, Pa. — Top-seeded Shikellamy scored a pair of quick goals to take immediate control, then blew the game open in the second half in a 5-1 win over fourth-seeded Athens here Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the District 4, Class 3A girls soccer playoffs at the Balls Mills Soccer Complex.

"I thought we played really good soccer throughout the game," said Athens coach Rich Pitts.
 
"We continued to play fantastic soccer in the second half, we just could bury anything to keep it close," noted Pitts.

"We played a full 80, and gave a team that's won District titles the last couple years a great run," he added.

The Wildcats close out the season with a "deceptive" 9-10 record.

"I thought the record didn’t indicate the season we had," said Pitts. "We could have had a much better record, if we could have finished like we did the end of the year."
 
Jilly Deivert chased down an over-the-top ball from Lily Persing and beat the Athens keeper 1-v-1 just 80 seconds into the game to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

A little more than three minutes later, Deivert and Persing duplicated the first goal to make it 2-0.

Senior Abby Burgess beat a Shik defender, then beat the keeper 1-v-1 about 10 minutes into the game to close the gap to 2-1.

The defenses stiffened over the final 30 minutes of the half, and Shik led 2-1 at the intermission.

Kaci Grimm scored off a corner kick from Deivert just four minutes into the second half to give the Braves a 3-1 lead.

Deivert finished off the hat trick midway through the second half to extend the lead to 4-1, and Persing scored on a direct kick from 30 yards out with nine minutes remaining to provide the final margin.

Shik had a 12-4 advantage in shots-on-goal, and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.

Athens sophomore Annika Lezak recorded six saves in net for Athens.

"Lezak probably played the best game of her season," said Pitts.

The Wildcats will graduate nine seniors.

"The seniors left their mark on the program and will be remembered for years to come in how they played and how they led," said Pitts. "I will miss them greatly."

Pitts is confident in his underclassmen.

"We will look very different next year as we lose seven starters, but I’m confident the underclassmen will step up and we will be Athens soccer."

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