In the same breath that she introduced herself, Spring Grove sophomore Katie Holtzapple pointed her head in the direction of her red-haired teammate.

"And this is my best friend Maggie Hoff," Holtzapple said, enthusiastically throwing her arm around her fellow sophomore as Hoff smiled and rolled her eyes.

Holtzapple's giddiness, as playful as it was, seemed sincere. And Hoff looked completely at ease next to her on the sidelines Wednesday night following another Spring Grove victory -- this one advancing the Rockets to a YAIAA championship game they ended up winning 4-2 against Central York on Friday.

But even as the tandem reminisced about playing one-on-one soccer as 10-year-olds with their matching wide grins, they still didn't look as comfortable as they do on the field together. That's just too high a hurdle to clear.

Following a midseason lineup shift that moved Holtzapple up to the forward position, the two have become the most potent scoring tandem in the YAIAA, teaming up to produce eight Spring Grove goals in the last month and creating yet another weapon on a loaded squad that is unbeaten against league opponents since a season-opening loss to Dallastown in March.

"We have players that can play pretty much anywhere and we have a ton of different options," Spring Grove coach Ashley Rohrbaugh said. "These two seemed to work pretty well together, so we decided to go with it."

In an April 29 showdown at Susquehannock, Hoff found a streaking

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Holtzapple on the right side during a break toward the goal. When Holtzapple's shot was only partially blocked by goalkeeper Emily Mullinary, Hoff was there to boot in the rebound for the eventual game-winning goal in the 3-2 victory.

It was the fifth time one had assisted on the other's goal in a two-week span. A few days later, Holtzapple found Hoff three times -- twice on similar crosses through the box the led to goal-scoring headers -- as the Rockets cruised past York Suburban in the YAIAA quarterfinals.

They credit their success to a close bond that goes beyond the typical high school friendship.

"We're around each other all the time," Holtzapple said. "We know each other. It just works."

The two met in elementary school when their sisters were soccer teammates. They befriended each other on the sidelines, quickly growing bored of their siblings' game and deciding to play on their own. The youngsters kicked the soccer ball to each other in what developed into a consistent alternative to watching the older girls play.

Hoff and Holtzapple joined separate club soccer teams and played different positions on Spring Grove's varsity team, with Holtzapple staying in the midfield. But when Rohrbaugh paired them together up top in April, the on-field connection was instantaneous.

"We realized right away we knew we would make the runs and what each other were thinking," Holtzapple said. "We knew we could play the ball and we know that the other person could be there."

Holtzapple is the pure shooter of the tandem, as strong in her judgment of when to pull the trigger as she is with her foot when she lets it fly.

Hoff's strength lies in her aggression and ability to get to the ball. They each claim to have an intimate knowledge of what the other can do.

"The connection is always there," Hoff said with a laugh, looking toward Holtzapple.

Holtzapple chuckled and chimed in: "Yeah. We got the connection."

It's strong enough for the tandem to believe they'll be back up top together for next season and beyond.

"It's been clicking," Hoff said. "Hopefully the defenses don't catch on. We've got two more years together to perfect it."

smclernon@ydr.com; 771-2045