Strath Haven upends Downingtown West

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/3
    Emily Garrity pumped in seven goals to lead host Strath Haven to a 15-10 victory over Downingtown West Friday in a non-league girls’ game featuring two teams ranked in the Phillylacrosse.com Scholastic Girls Top 10 Poll.
    Annalise Penikis had three goals and three assists and Alex Duckenfield added three goals for the Panthers (13-3), who are ranked eighth. Danika Ervin was strong in the cage for Strath Haven, making 12 saves in her best game of the season, according to coach Margie Garrity.
    Defenders Jamie Johnston, Caroline Murphy, Katy Loughran, Kim McClellan and Clare Sherry turned in key efforts for the Panthers and Duckenfield and Garrity also played key roles on defense.
    Sarah Phillips led Downingtown West (14-2) with four goals and Courtney Sicinski had two goals and tree assists for the Whippets, ranked sixth.
Radnor 17, Archbishop Carroll 9
    Courtney Campbell tallied six goals to pace No. 1 Radnor (16-0) to a non-league win over the visiting Patriots (10-3). Annie Brophy had four goals for Carroll, ranked seventh.

North Penn 12, Spring-Ford 9
    Lauren McDermott had five goals and two assists while Abbie Hartman added three goals as the host Maidens (11-4) downed the Rams (9-5).
Harriton 12, Garnet Valley 6
    Carli Sukonik scored six goals to lead the visiting Rams (10-5) to the non-league win. Tori Mitros had three goals for the Jaguars and Leah Dixon, the only player honored on Senior Night, had two goals.
Boys
Haverford School 12, Penn Charter 4
    Craig Owen, Steve Aitken and Pete Borror scored two goals each to pace the third-ranked Fords (12-4, 6-2) to an Inter-Ac League win over the host Quakers (10-7, 2-5, ranked eighth).

La Salle 13, Archbishop Wood 6
    Westy Hopkins scored six goals to pace the No. 1 Explorers (23-2 12-0) to the Catholic League Northern Division win over the visiting Vikings.  

Game Thursday at CBW to honor HH coach

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/1
    Tonight’s Suburban One girls’ between Hatboro-Horsham and host Central Bucks West will benefit the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure cancer fund in honor of longtime Hatters coach Marie Schmucker.
    The game will begin at 7 p.m. at War Memorial Field in Doylestown. Admission is $5 and all proceeds will go to the fund for breast cancer research.
    Schmucker, the lacrosse and field hockey coach at Hatboro-Horsham for the past 12 years and a teacher at Keith Valley Middle School, is on a medical leave this season after being diagnosed with breast cancer several months ago.
    The H-H team has also been selling "Hatters Hope" T-shirts to raise money for the Komen Foundation. All shirts are $12.
    Also, team members will be participating in the Race for the Cure on Mothers Day in Philadelphia. The team name is "Marching for Marie."

GA stuns La Salle, 3-2; snaps 21-game streak

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/1
    In the past two weeks Germantown Academy had beaten powers Episcopal Academy, Penn Charter and Springfield-Delco in one-goal games.
    On Thursday the Patriots won another one-goal game, but the stakes were higher.
    Reed Marko scored unassisted with 3 minutes, 34 seconds to play as the host Patriots stunned La Salle, the top-ranked team in the Phillylacrosse.com Scholastic Poll in a 3-2 thriller.
    The GA (10-4) victory snapped the Explorers’ 21-game winning streak. La Salle also was ranked fourth in the STX/Inside Lacrosse National Scholastic Rankings.
    “It was an outstanding game against a very good team,” said Germantown Academy coach David Martin. “Our team executed on both ends of the field. We did exactly what we wanted to do.”
    GA, ranked fifth by Phillylacrosse.com, used a solid zone defense and standout goaltending by Ryan O’Donnell (17 saves) to slow the potent La Salle attack. The halftime score was 1-1 as Explorer Rob Forster and GA’s Andrew Sih traded goals.
    J.R. Borneman gave the Pats a 2-1 lead in the third period, but Matt Lynch tied it with 10 minuets left in the fourth period. Play went back-and-forth until Marko went behind goalie Niko Amato (15 saves) and wrapped around the cage for the winning tally.
    The GA defense continued to stymie the La Salle attack and did not allow another shot.
    “It was a very tense game,” Martin said. “Every possession at both ends were tense. It was that kind of a game.
    “We’ve been in a lot of close ones, and fortunately all have gone in our direction. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling. We have 10 seniors and they’ve been through a lot together.”
Girls
Great Valley 13, Bayard Rustin 8
    Emily Ellisen tallied five goals as the host Patriots (11-2, 3-1) avenged an earlier defeat to the Golden Hawks (9-2, 3-1) with a triumph in a Ches-Mont League American Conference game.
    Bayard Rustin, ranked second by Phillylacrosse.com, won the first meeting between the teams, 11-10 in overtime. Great Valley is ranked third
    Kim Wenger and Haley Sheehan each had two goals and two assists for the Patriots while Keelin Hood added two goals and an assist. The defense was led by Wenger, and strong efforts wre alos turned in by Ellisen, Erica Buchholz, Kristina Hahn, Kelsey Morgan, Jasmine Colombel, Colleen O’Malley and Lauren Binstein
    Steph Berger made 12 saves for the Pats.
    Kelsey Corbett, Alyssa Gallon and Allison Tatios had two goals each for the Golden Hawks.

Springfield-Delco 11, Conestoga 5

     Madison Poplawski pumped in five goals and Sam Tajarian aded three as the fourth-ranked Cougars (12-3, 7-1) claimed the central League win over the host Pioneers (10-5, 5-3).

    Brooke Campbell had two goals and an assist for Conestoga, which led, 4-3, at halftime.

Villa Joseph Marie 15, Gwynedd Mercy 9

     Steph Lawall collected four goals and three assists and Sarah Magnone had four goals while Brigid Crane added three goals and an assist to pace host VJM to the Catholic Academies League win. Goalie Jess Glace made nine saves.
    Emily Valeo led Gwynedd with four goals.

Episcopal tops Merion; GA defeats Peddie

Phillylacrosse.com, posted 5/1
    Megan Spagnola scored five goals and Blake McHugh added three to lead visiting Episcopal Academy to an 18-13 victory over Merion Mercy Wednesday non-league girls’ action.
    EA, ranked ninth by Phillylacrosse.com, improves to 10-4. Merion Mercy drops to 9-3.

    Avery Curley, Sammi Arbitman, Kate Ivory and Ashley McCormick scored two goals each for the Churchwomen.
Germantown Ac. 19, Peddie (N.J.) 12
    Kate Henrich tallied five goals while Amanda Jones and Heather Rittenhouse had four each to pace the host Patriots (7-7) dealt the Falcons (9-1) their first loss.

Radnor passes 'gut check,' defeats Cougars

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/29
    After blowing out every opponent it saw this year, one wondered how Radnor would react to a legitimate challenge.
    Tuesday the Red Raiders had their chance – and they didn’t mess it up.
    Radnor fell behind, 9-7, to defending Central League champion Springfield-Delco, but rallied for a 13-12 victory over the Cougars in a showdown of league unbeatens.
    The win left the Raiders – ranked No. 1 by Phillylacrosse.com - alone atop the league standings with a 7-0 mark (14-0 overall). Springfield, ranked fourth, falls to 6-1 (11-3 overall).
    “It was really kind of a gut check and we hadn’t been in that situation yet, but we knew we had it in us,” said Radnor senior co-captain Kelly Barnes. “We know the target on our back keeps on getting bigger.”
    The Cougars had seized the two-goal lead by rattling off the first four goals of the second half – two by Madison Poplawski and one each by Rebecca Hartrum (three goals) and Samantha Tajarian (three goals).
    But senior co-captain Beth Ellis (three goals) cut the deficit to 9-8 with 18 minutes, 33 seconds to play and sophomore Courtney Campbell (six goals) scored twice to give Radnor a 10-9 advantage with 16:22 left.
    Springfield-Delco responded with goals by Aly Adams and Tajarian to take the lead again, 11-10, but Ellis fed Molly Early for the game-tying tally and then put the Raiders ahead for good off a free position shot with 8:35 to play.
    Barnes (three assists) scored on a crucial insurance goal with 4:49 to play before Hartrum made it 13-12 with 1:34 to play.
    "For the Central League title this was an important game,” said Barnes. “They won it last year and the last time we won it was in 2003. This is something we all really wanted, and a goal we set in the beginning of the year.”
    One key to Radnor’s comeback was its ability to gain possession of the draws. Ellis, Barnes, Kelyn Freedman and Kelsey Martin shared in taking the draws.
    “Draw controls were the most important thing, because every time we got a draw we’d score,” Ellis said. (CONTINUE)

Freshman scores 100th as Baldwin stuns EA

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/29
    Freshman Sloan Warren scored nine goals – including her 100th of the season – to lead visiting Baldwin School to a 17-16 upset of Episcopal Academy Tuesday in Inter-Ac league girls’ action.
    Maggie Mae Shields added five goals and three assists for the Bears (13-2, 5-2), and junior goalie Ali Pedersen posted 13 saves.
    “It's history making for Baldwin,” said coach Kathleen Harte Simone. “We've closed the gap on our competitors over the last few years and to beat an undefeated EA today is just incredible.
    “The win today was a team win; every athlete played smart and every athlete played aggressive." 

    Avery Curley scored four goals for the Chucchwomen (9-4, 6-1), who are ranked 9th by Phillylacrosse.com. Taylor Trimble, Megan Spagnola and Sammi Arbitman added three goals apiece for EA.
    Warren now has 104 goals this year.

Villa Maria 14, Germantown Acad. 12
    Kathy Young pumped in five goals while Kirsten Mackrides had four and Chelsea Fay three for the Hurricanes in their non-league win over the Patriots.
    Sara Radic turned aside eight shots. Amanda Jones had five goals for GA and Kate Henrich added three.
Strath Haven 20, Garnet Valley 4
    Emily Garrity collected six goals and three assists while Alex Duckenfield had five goals and two assists and Ana White contributed four goals and three assists for the eighth-ranked Panthers (11-3, 5-2) in their Central League win over the visiting Jaguars.
North Penn 20, Neshaminy 2
    Lauren McDermott had six goals and four assists and Abbie Hartman had five goals and three assist for the host Maidens (10-4, 8-1) in their Suburban One National Conference win.

Germantown Fr. 17, Ac. of New Church 6

    Betsy Sachs and Mariah Barstow each scored four goals and Lydia Kring added three goals and three assists as the Tigers claimed the non-league win. Rebecca Williams had 13 saves.
Boys
Malvern Prep 10. Haverford School 6
    JK Poirier scored three goals to lead the second-ranked Friars (13-2, 7-0) took a major step in winning the Inter-Ac League crown with the home victory over the third-ranked Fords (10-5, 5-2).
    Malvern scored all four second-half goals and rebounded from a 3-1 deficit. Haverford junior goalie Dan Wigrizer, who recently committed to Duke, was strong with 14 saves and Malvern's Andrew O'Connell matched him with 10 saves.

Episcopal Acad. 8, Penn Charter 7

    Drew Green scored the game-winner in overtime and had a hat trick as the visiting Churchmen (8-9, 2-4) edged the Quakers (10-6, 2-4) in an Inter-Ac League contest. Robert Fitzpatrick led EA with four goals.

Radnor 6, Springfield-Delco 5

    Robbie Norton (two goals) scored the game-winner in overtime to lift the host Red Raiders (8-7, 5-2) to a key Central League win over the Cougars (10-5, 4-2). Jordan Demcher scored twice for Springfleld. 

O'Connor lifts Fords past Cougars in OT

By Chris Goldberg & Willie McGonigle
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/26
    Two teams that figure to make some noise in the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association playoffs hooked up Saturday in classic battle at the 8th Annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival at Radnor.
    Rory O’Connor took a perfect feed from Colton Growney and scored the game-winner with 1 minute, 43 seconds left in the second overtime to give Haverford School a 6-5 triumph over Downingtown East.
    The goal capped a strong comeback by the Fords, who trailed, 4-0, until scoring three goals within a 49-second span in the closing minutes of the third period.
    Shane Sturgis, however, gave the Cougars a 5-3 lead on a steal and a breakaway goal with 6:49 to play. But Stephen Aitken cut the deficit to 5-4 with 3:46 to play and Mike Rufo sent the game into overtime off a Craig Owen feed with just two seconds to play.
    Haverford, which had possession most of the second half, also controlled the ball during the entire overtime periods. O’Connor had plenty of room to beat Mike Strathy (12 saves) after taking the pass from Growney.
    “My teammates just set it up perfectly,” said O’Connor, a senior who was mobbed by the Haverford team after the goal. “I don’t think I could have asked for a better setup. It was the greatest experience of my life.”
    Downingtown East (8-6), which had its six-game win streak snapped, took a 4-0 lead on a pair of goals by Dylan Hoff and one each by Taylor Nelson and Andrew Zelinski. But Growney, Owen and Rufo ended the shutout in style with the late third-period flurry.
    “Our seniors really stepped it up today,” O’Connor said. “And we had some great play from juniors like Mike Rufo and Colton Growney. One of our mottos is, ‘We can never give up.’”
    O’Connor said the Fords (10-4), who have five straight wins and are ranked third by Phillylacrosse.com, are peaking for the end of the season.
    “We’re starting to turn the corner,” he said. “We started off strong, then we went into a little slump. We didn’t play as well as we should have, but we played well enough to win.”
    The Cougars, ranked seventh, also appear primed to make a post-season run.
    “We started out well and couldn’t clear the ball out of our end, and when we did in the third period we threw it away,” said Downingtown East coach Tom Slate. “And they possessed the ball 80 percent of the game. We got caught at the end there.
“This stings a little, but we’re geared up for the playoffs.”
La Salle 9, Ridley 4
    Westy Hopkins scored four goals and goalie Niko Amato had nine saves to pace the No. 1 Explorers (21-1) to a win over the fourth-ranked Raiders (13-2). La Salle, ranked fourth in the STX/Inside Lacrosse National High School Poll, won its 20th straight game.     Tyler Johnston had two goals for Ridley. (CONTINUE)
Katie Samson cherishes her annual homecoming

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, posted 4/26
    Katie Samson admits she is one of the luckiest people around – after all, who gets to have thousands of people come to their homecoming every year?
    Saturday at Radnor, Samson enjoyed perhaps the most special homecoming yet at the 8th Annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival.
    Samson, after all, is the namesake for the charity event that has raised approximately $800,000 for spinal cord injury research and short-term care for spinal cord patients. This year’s festival drew the largest field (48 high school teams and many youth teams) ever and featured nearly every ranked boys’ and girls’ team in the Philadelphia area, according to local polls.
    For Samson, this event held even greater meaning. For one, her alma mater got to host the event, which for the first time was held at one site.
    After the morning games, Samson was introduced at the turf field by her former coach, veteran Radnor mentor Phyllis Kilgour. A presentation was made for $10,000 to the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in the name of the Katie Samson Foundation.
    Samson – who now resides in Tucson, Ariz. - said she is amazed by the growth of the event and how the entire Philadelphia lacrosse community has embraced the role of fundraising.
    “It’s really overwhelming because I spend a large major of the year not in Philadelphia,” she said. “When I come back it’s overwhelming, emotionally, to see the amount of support. There are so many friends and family members here.”
    “Plus, there’s the importance of young people having (more than just) an event to play for. They now can fundraise for the event themselves.”
    Samson noted how high school players assist in the fundraising drive by selling Wings tickets and encouraging fans to attend the event.
    “Every year it keeps getting bigger and bigger and one team wants to outdo another team for fundraising,” she said. “When have you ever heard of a high school kid wanting to compete to fund raise? That’s tremendous that we can instill that in a young athlete in high school." (CONTINUE)

Springfield-Delco comes back from tough defeat

By Chris Goldberg & Willie McGonigle
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/26
    As if Springfield-Delco needed any more motivation.
    The Cougars were playing Inter-Ac League power Episcopal Academy in the first girls’ game at Saturday’s Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival at Radnor. And they were still smarting from Friday’s surprising 12-11 overtime loss to Unionville.
    Springfield (11-2), ranked No. 3 by Phillylacrosse.com, took out its frustration by seizing an 8-2 halftime lead and rolling to a 13-6 win over the seventh-ranked Churchwomen.
    “Unionville really played well and we didn’t play as well as we’re capable of playing,” said Springfield coach Keith Broome. “I think today was really huge because we have had a tough group of games – Ridley, Strath Haven, Unionville, Episcopal and this week we have (No. 1) Radnor (Tuesday) and Conestoga (Thursday).
    “So, to be at the top of your game every game is hard, but we have to be. I thought today was really important because after losing to Unionville I wanted to see how we’d overcome that obstacle.”
    Sam Tajarian led the Cougars with six goals and Rebecca Hartrum scored four. Sammy Tulskie added two goals and Shannon Burns had one while goalie Meghan Kearney posted 14 saves.
    Sammi Arbitman and Taylor Trimble scored two goals each for Episcopal (9-3) while Blake McHugh and Megan Spagnola had one apiece.
Strath Haven 16, Tower Hill, Del. 8
    The eighth-ranked Panthers (10-3) rallied from a 4-0 deficit and whipped the No. 1 team in Delaware behind a remarkable 10-goal outburst by Emily Garrity.

    Annalise Penikis and Alex Duckenfield added two goals apiece for Strath Haven and Ana White dished three assists while goalie Danika Ervin made eight saves.
Conestoga 11, Penn Charter 3
    Brooke Campbell scored four goals and had two assists while Taylor Mallory scored three goals as the Pioneers (8-5) dumped the Quakers (5-5). Kim Shoup recorded eight saves for the Pioneers.

Abington 25, Lawrenceville (N.J.) 6

    Rachel Dirksen and Lisa O'Donnell tallied eight goals each as the Ghost (13-0) continued to roll with the rout of the Larries.   

    Kailee Ashby added five goals for the fifth-ranked Ghosts, who outscored Lawrenceville, 12-0, in the second half as Kelly Condon had six draw controls and Alisha Aquilino posted six saves.

Great Valley 19, Agnes Irwin 3

    Kim Wenger collected six goals and five assists while Emily Ellisen had four goals and Keelin Hood three, lifting the third-

ranked Patriots (10-2) to an easy win.

Radnor 17, Germantown Academy 3

    Courtney Campbell tallied five goals as the No. 1 Raiders (13-0) coasted -past the Patriots.

Springside 10, Lower Merion 9

     Courtney Caputo scored the game-winner in the final four minutes to lift the Lions past the Aces.

Hill School 13, Marple Newtown 12

Archbishop Carroll 16, Ridley 3

Villa Maria 8, Downingtown East 4

Boyertown girls move to 11-1, top Conestoga

Phillylacrosse.com, posted 4/26
    Maggie Tamasitis pumped in six goals to lead visiting Boyertown to a 14-8 victory over Conestoga Friday in non-league girls’ action.
    Emily Austerberry added three goals for the Bears (11-1), who are ranked ninth by Phillylacrosse.com and host No. 6 Downingtown West today.
    Sam Mazzie and Lyndsey Robinson added two goals apiece. Kaitlin Hildebrand and Christina Fiorentino had two each for the Pioneers (8-4).
Germantown Acad. 20, Springside 13
    Amanda Jones scored five goals and Kate Henrich added four while Maggie Ebbott, Mary Haynie and Brittany Bell had three each to power the Patriots (6-5, 3-4) to an Inter-Ac League win over the host Lions (3-7, 0-6).
    Nora Langan led Springside with four goals and Leslie Jacoby added three.
Episcopal Acad. 12, Penn Charter 10
    Megan Spagnola fired in five goals and dealt two assists and Blake McHugh tallied three goals as the seventh-ranked Churchwomen (9-2, 6-0) topped the Quakers (5-4, 4-3).
North Penn 13, Pennridge 6
    Abbie Hartman scored three goals while Lauren McDermott, Dani Horn, Hali Lear, Lauren Caminiti and Ali Herman added two apiece to lead the Maidens (9-4, 7-1) past the visiting Rams (5-9, 2-6).

Germantown Academy avenges loss to Quakers

Phillylacrosse.com, posted 4/25
    J.R. Borneman scored the last of his three goals with just over three minutes to play, lifting Germantown Academy to a 6-5 victory Thursday over host Penn Charter in Inter-Ac League boys’ action.
    GA (7-4, 3-3), ranked 10th by Phillylacrosse.com, avenged a 12-8 loss to the fifth-ranked Quakers (9-5, 2-3) on April 8.
Girls
Conestoga 19, Haverford 8
    Christina Fiorentino scored four goals while Kaitlin Hildebrand had three goals and two assists and Taylor Mallory added three goals and an assist to lead the host Pioneers (8-3, 4-2) past the Fords in the Central League.

    Brooke Campbell added two goals and for assists for Conestoa and Liz Bassani had four goals for Haverford
Strath Haven 20, Marple Newtown 4
    Ana White and Annalise Penikis each scored four goals while Emily Garrity had three goals and dished off nine assists for the visiting Panthers (9-3, 4-2) in their Central League rout of the Tigers (6-5, 2-4).
    Jackie Roebuck and Emily MacCart each had two goals for Marple Newtown.
Harriton 11, Chichester 5
    Carli Sukonik pumped in six goals while Jess Rothstein and Allison Zuzelo added two apiece as the Rams (9-4, 4-0) remained undefeated in the Del-Val League.