WHITEHALL The Crestwood field hockey history is so full of success that even in the most ominous of circumstances, coach Patsy Moratori was able to reach into the past and find hope from a positive precedent.

They know theyve done it before, Moratori said of scoring a last-minute goal when needed in the state tournament. They did it against Selinsgrove two years ago in the quarterfinal game.

I think they knew it was possible. They didnt give up.

But unlike that last-minute score to produce a 1-0 victory on the way to Crestwoods most recent state championship in 2012, there was no dramatic goal for the Comets as the clock ran down Saturday afternoon.

Instead, the season came to a painfully familiar conclusion.

Just as they did last year, the Comets arrived in Whitehall for the PIAA Class 2A state title game with an unbeaten record.

Crestwood held a slight advantage in play during a scoreless first half and took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, only to have the lead get away as the midway point in the second half approached.

Then a late goal by Villa Maria, another team with a lengthy string of state playoff success, put Crestwood behind too late to recover while suffering its only loss of the season, 2-1, in the final game.

Villa Maria Academy spoiled Crestwoods bid for an unbeaten state championship season just as Wyoming Seminary did one year ago with a 2-1 victory.

I really didnt think about last year and what we did, Moratori said. I thought that we played hard and unfortunately it was the same ending.

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Comets defeat eerily familiar