Girls Soccer: Gamber helper helps patient Penncrest slip into semis

MIDDLETOWN >> For 60 minutes Thursday night, the contrast in play between Penncrest and Sun Valley was as stark as that of a 6-foot forward shadowed by a 5-1 defender. The only things uniting the teams — and consequently Corryn Gamber and Deanna Baker — were the zeroes somehow enduring on the scoreboard.

Over that hour, Baker and the No. 10 seed Vanguards valiantly held their lines against incessant pressure from Penncrest. With the score not changing, it fell to Gamber, the Penncrest target forward, to break in the inertia.

Gamber set up Carly Baillis’ opener in the 62nd minute, starting a deluge of three goals in nine minutes as Penncrest claimed a 3-0 win in the quarterfinals of the District 1 Class 3A tournament. Kenna Kaut and Kara Mullaney also netted for Penncrest (17-1), which seeks to return to states Monday on home turf against third-seeded Pope John Paul II.

To get to that point, the Lions had to breach the sturdy defenses of Sun Valley, the 10 seed with an upset in hand. And converting the one-way traffic into a goal required a little improvisation.

For most of the night, the lanky Gamber deployed the usual tricks in the forward’s arsenal, picking out diagonal runs between the center backs of a high-lined Sun Valley defense or checking back in possession to distribute out wide.

When Morgan King made a bombing sortie down the left wing in the 62nd, though, Gamber zagged against a defense used to her zigging. She took a touch to get around a defender, gained the byline and squared a left-footed ball to Baillis that the senior winger dutifully side-footed home.

“They definitely underestimate her,” Baillis said of Gamber. “She has so many foot skills, it’s insane. And she has so much confidence in herself, so I think once they give her that space, she’ll go right for it and make things happen.”

All that was left for Baillis after Gamber finally unlocked the defense was to quell her nerves and pick out a composed finish.

“It’s a rush of emotions,” Baillis said. “You know you need it because I’m a senior, this is my last season. We work so hard, we pushed so hard, it’s just running in my mind to just do what you practiced, remember everything you’ve worked for.”

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PETE BANNAN-DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Penncrest senior (7) Corryn Gambler and Sun Valley (5) Devon Linn looks for the loose ball Thursday evening at Penncrest.