MANCHESTER - Defense and timing were key components as the LaVille girls soccer team traveled to the Manchester Invitational.LaVille opened the tournament against Logansport. Mikalah Kuskye got the Lancers on the board first with a goal off a Reagan Mitchell through ball that found its way through the Logansport defense.The Lancers did have several opportunities to score but failed to score as LHS took a 1-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, coach Brandon Shafer's club tallied another Kuskye goal, this time assisted by Mackena Deason to make the lead 2-0 in the 53rd minute. Again, LaVille had a lot of scoring opportunities, but came up short and the defense along with the play of junior Haley Andert finished off the shutout.According to Shafer, LaVille took 25 shots with 15 on goal. "The defense did not allow many opportunities for the Berries allowing only 6 shots with 3 on goal," said Shafer. "Andert was in the net for the Lancers tallying 3 saves in the game. We have a few players that are a little banged up, so we had to make some changes to the lineup. Haley Andert started in goal and Denni Markin did a great job filling in on defense.” The line did a great job of bending, but did not break as they limited Logansport to a handful of shots.  “Our back line of Ava Barret-Heaton, Riley Aschenbrenner, Anna Medina, Morgan Schmidt, and Denni Markin allowed the Berries very few opportunities at the net and Andert took care of the shots that made it through," explained Shafer. “It was certainly not our best game, but it was enough to make it to the championship game.” CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH v. MANCHESTER In the finals, the scoring got off to a quick start. The host team scored inside the first minute. A free kick was cleared by the Lancer defense only to find the feet of an attacking Spartan who placed a shot into the side netting to take a 1-0 lead. “After giving up that first goal so quickly, I was worried that we would panic," said Shafer. "But the girls shook that off and Mackenna’s goal to tie up the game was exactly what was needed at that moment.” LaVille fought back quickly as Makenna Deason intercepted a goal kick and promptly drilled a shot into the back of the net just two minutes tying the score at 1-all.  The scoring slowed a bit before the Spartans tallied their second goal with a shot from the 18 that sailed over the head of Andert. The half ended withManchester clinging to a 2-1 lead over LHS. As the second half got underway, Kuskye found herself with the ball after a misplay by the Spartan defense. She got settled and placed a shot past the keeper to tie the score at 2-2 in the 46th minute.Both teams did have many scoring opportunities, with Lancers having the better chances. LaVille tallied 11 shots with 7 on target compared to the Spartan’s 6 shots with 4 on target.  The match finished in a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, forcing a penalty kick shootout to determine the winner. “We don’t play in a conference so we haven’t spent a lot of time on penalties," explained Shafer. "We practiced some in Friday’s practice just in case. Haley took a hit right at the end of regulation and I felt that Denni was the right option for the shootout. Haley did a great job of keeping us in the game to get us there and Denni stepped in and made some big saves in the shootout. They both deserve a ton of credit.” LaVille freshman Denni Markin stepped into goal for the penalty kick round. After goals by Regan Mitchell and Makenna Deason, and 2 saves by Markin, the Lancers were up 2-0. Both teams failed to score on their third kick, taking the score to 2-0 to the fourth round. The Spartans keeper saved the possible winner and Manchester followed with a goal on their fourth kick to make the count LaVille 2, MHS 1. Riley Aschenbrenner then stepped up with a chance to seal the win for the Lancers. The senior buried the ball in the back of the net to give the Lancers the championship. Aschenbrenner was named tournament MVP with her game winning kick and defensive performance.  “Watching the ladies sprint to Riley in celebration after the game-winner went in is what high school sports is all about," Shafer noted as he watched his team gather in celebration. "Sometimes you’re on the losing end and that’s what makes winning so much sweeter.” LaVille's record improves to 3-1 overall and will face Mishawaka on August 29.  The match is set for a 5:30 p.m. kick at Newton Park.  Deason and Kuskye scored one goal each in a 3-2 loss at Mishawaka last year.“I really hope this feeling sticks with the girls for the rest of the season. We have some tough games ahead of us still, so we need to remember what we’re capable of in times of uncertainty.” MANCHESTER INVITATIONAL First Match LaVille 2, Logansport 0 Score By Halves LaVille 0 2 - 2 Logansport 0 0 - 0 Scoring Summary LV - Mikalah Kuskye (Reagan Mitchell), 39th minute LV - Kuskye (Mackena Deason), 53rd Shots On Goal: LaVille 18, Logansport 2 Corner Kicks: LaVille 4, Logansport 3  Goalie Saves: LaVille (Haley Andert) 2, Logansport 16  * * * * * MANCHESTER INVITATIONAL Second Match LaVille 2, Logansport 2 (LaVille wins PK Shootout, 3-1) Score By Halves LaVille 1 1 - 2 (PK Shootout 3) Manchester 2 0 - 2 (PK Shootout 1) Scoring Summary Manchester - Goal, 1st minute LaVille - Mikalah Kuskye, 3rd Manchester - Goal, 22nd LaVille - Kuskye, 46th Shots On Goal: LaVille 8, Manchester 4 Corner Kicks: LaVille 6, Manchester 3 Goalie Saves: LaVille (Haley Andert) 2, Manchester 6