DAVIDSVILLE — The one-two punch of Conemaugh Township’s Izzy Slezak and Ashlyn Fetterman has been nearly unstoppable the past two seasons on the pitch.
The junior duo led the way in top-seeded Conemaugh Township’s 10-1 District 5 Class 1A girls soccer semifinal victory over fourth-seeded Northern Bedford County on Monday. In the process, Slezak continued her torrid scoring barrage, recording three goals and two assists to reach 100 career goals.
“Going into the game, I was nervous a little bit,” said Slezak, who delivered her 48th goal of the season. “I had a feeling, and I knew we were going to go out and do good things.
“To be honest, I had no idea where I was stats-wise. I thought I was six or seven (goals) away. It feels good because I worked really hard for that. I’m glad to see my hard work paid off.”
Conemaugh Township’s Izzy Slezak scores from out front against Northern Bedford County during a District 5 Class 1A girls soccer semifinal, Oct. 30, in Davidsville.
Conemaugh Township also set a new program record for goals in a season with 122. The previous mark of 120 was set in 2013.
Slezak’s running mate, Fetterman racked up four goals and an assist.
“We’ve been playing together for so long,” Fetterman said of her bond with Slezak. “We’re connected. We always know where each other is going with the ball. We always know where to pass it.”
Matty Mauzy opened the scoring for Conemaugh Township, putting in a rebound off a Slezak shot that hit the post in the sixth minute.
Conemaugh Township-Windber Part I Conemaugh Township edges rival Windber in 1st girls soccer showdown of the season
Northern Bedford evened the score less than a minute later on an Ava Helsel goal.
However, it was all Conemaugh Township from there. Slezak assisted on two Fetterman goals and Slezak tallied a goal herself to make it 4-1.
Vayda Korenoski gave Conemaugh Township a 5-1 advantage when she put a ball off a Black Panther defender, which found the left corner of the net.
Slezak walked in all alone and scored to propel Conemaugh Township to a 6-1 advantage at the break.
Conemaugh Township’s Ashlyn Fetterman (1) battles to bring the ball down the sideline against Northern Bedford County’s Lydia Barton (5) during a District 5 Class 1A girls soccer semifinal, Oct. 30, in Davidsville.
Fetterman netted two goals and Taylor Jarvis added a tally in the second half, to go along with Slezak’s milestone moment.
“They are just so much fun to watch,” Conemaugh Township coach Scott Thomas said of Slezak and Fetterman. “You just couldn’t ask for two better girls up front.”
Briar Berkey contributed two assists while Jenna Brenneman added one. Jordyn Snyder made six saves in goal.
Conemaugh Township (18-1) will meet rival, and two-time defending District 5-1A champion, Windber (18-2) in the title match at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, in Somerset. The two teams split their regular season matchups.
Slezak is looking forward to the showdown with the Ramblers.
“Our energy is high. We are more than ready. It is going to be an excellent game,” Slezak said. “Our team works really well, and I’m hoping we just go out there and do our thing.”
Conemaugh Township has not won a district crown since 2019. The squad will get its chance against a familiar foe.
“To prove we are as good as we are, we have to go beat Windber,” Thomas said. “That’s all there is to it. They’ve been the champs for years. I’m excited to play them. They are a great team, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Windber edges McConnellsburg
Trailing 1-0 at the half, third-seeded Windber rallied to knock off second-seeded McConnellsburg 2-1, behind a pair of goals from senior Riley Brubaker.
Mariah Andrews tallied an assist for Windber. Rylee Baer was the winning keeper.
Windber will play for its third straight District 5-1A title.
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X (Twitter) @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Conemaugh Township punches ticket to District 5-1A soccer title match
