MCFARLAND — Platteville/Lancaster’s regional semifinal match at McFarland was both a battle on and off the pitch.

Forced to wait out a weather delay for more than an hour before the match, the Hillmen came out sluggish.

The host Spartans, however were unaffected by the delay.

Megan Smitz  in the first 31 minutes and McFarland cruised to a 5–0 weather-shortened victory.

Smitz scored 27 seconds into the game, then again in the 13th and 31st minutes.

Mahoney and Hollard also scored for McFarland in the first half.

The game was delayed at halftime for another hour due to the prevailing bad weather and eventually called.

“When we first arrived, we were immediately put in the press box with the other team due to the poor weather,” said Hillmen head coach Mary Hardyman. “We had to sit there for almost an hour waiting. We then only had a 30-minute warm-up and no introductions.  When we started we played flat and without the intensity we needed.”

McFarland advanced to Saturday’s regional final, where the eighth-seeded Spartans (9–11) suffered an 8–2 loss to top-seeded Lodi.

Platteville finished the year 16–7 after going 14–0 in the SWC.

“In conference, I felt we dominated overall,” added Harydman. “We had a few difficulties with Dodgeville in the invite, but in the other games, we did very well. There were certain games when the girls were extremely strong, but at others, the lack of a deep bench, didn’t give us enough subs to give relief to the other players.”

Last Tuesday the Hillmen closed out the regular season with a 3–0 Senior Night victory over visiting Prairie du Chien in a match played at UW–Platteville’s Pioneer Stadium.

Senior Courtney Bowen scored all three goals in the shutout. Fellow senior Taylor Pagliaro assisted on two of the goals, while freshman Brianna Hampton assisted on the other.

Senior goal keeper Ashley Fitzgerald made one save to record the shutout.

Platteville/Lancaster 3, Prairie du Chien 0
(from Tuesday, May 28 @ Platteville)
Prairie du Chien                 0    0       —    0
Platteville/Lancaster        3    0       —    3
First half — P/L: Courtney Bowen (Brianna Hampton) 14:18; Bowen (Taylor Pagliaro); Bowen (Pagliaro).
Second half — none.
Saves — P/L: Ashley Fitzgerald 1; PdC: Stoeffler 16. Shots on Goal — P/L: 19; PdC: 1.

WIAA Division 2 Regional Semifinal
McFarland 5,  Platteville/Lancaster 0
(from Thursday, May 30 @ McFarland)
Platteville/Lancaster        0    x       —    0
McFarland                            5    x        —    5
First half — M: Meghan Smitz (Taschwer) 0:27, Mahoney (Hlland) 11:45, Smits 12:25, Smits (Zagzedski 30:58, Hollard (Oleinik) 38:12.
Second half — none.
Saves — P/L: Ashley Fitzgerald 9; M: Larsen 5. Shots on Goal — P/L: 5; M: 14.