Girls Lacrosse: Late Surge Propels Springfield to League Championship Clincher

SPRINGFIELD — Close matches have become par for the course for Springfield’s girls' lacrosse squad. Therefore, hosting Garnet Valley on Tuesday to kick off the last week of the regular season felt more like another typical contest rather than a precursor to the playoffs in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The way Springfield handled the fourth quarter, though, was both reason for the celebratory tone of its post-game huddle and perhaps a harbinger of how the Cougars could navigate postseason challenges.

Tied at 7 after three quarters, the Cougars controlled the first 10 minutes of the final frame, scoring four unanswered goals for an 11-8 win that clinches the Central League title.

Springfield (16-1, 10-0) still has one more match left, which is on Thursday against Conestoga. However, as each team in the Central League has incurred at least two losses, the championship will be heading to Leamy Avenue irrespective of the outcome.

Maddie Kane netted two goals in the last quarter. Eva Lemieux, contributing two goals and two assists, helped set up one of those scores. Kylie O'Donnell notched an assist on two goals and added another score herself, finishing with a six-point performance along with leading the game with six draw controls.

Most importantly, the top seed in District 1 Class 3A demonstrated composure with the ball during crucial moments, even though Garnet Valley won five out of six face-offs in the quarter and Springfield had to play shorthanded due to a yellow card penalty.

We've experienced several close matches like this one, so when stepping onto the field, our mindset remains at zero-zero," stated O'Donnell, noting his contribution with one goal and five assists. "In the huddle, we emphasized that each possession matters, every ground ball could be decisive. Our strategy was about working cohesively as a team to generate high-quality shots rather than rushing things.

The match seesawed nearly every quarter. After the first, Garnet Valley held a lead of 2-1, yet Springfield answered with four goals in the second period. This turnaround was largely due to their dominance in draw controls during the opening half, where they outperformed by a margin of 8-2, significantly aided by the agile play of O'Donnell.

Lemieux bullied her way to the cage to make it 6-3 early in the third quarter, but Garnet Valley (12-5, 8-3) shifted the game onto its terms. Taylor Halloran and Brooke McGovern, the latter on a Ryan Razzano feed, scored with Springfield down a player to tie the game at 7.

“Being down at halftime, we just needed to get the ball and have good shots,” Halloran said. “Possession is key for us. And I think we did really good in the third quarter with that, and that helped us.”

In Springfield, the momentum shifted dramatically. The turning point came when Macy Gougler caused a turnover during the last 20 seconds of the third quarter, preventing GV from taking the lead. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Katie Keffer won the initial faceoff. Despite O'Donnell attempting to force a pass through a narrow gap, Kane managed to intercept it, spin around, and complete the play effectively.

The Garnet Valley team secured the subsequent draw and gained an extra player advantage; however, Kane managed to scoop up a loose ball. Following his run-through, O'Donnell navigated past two opponents and scored a goal, giving them a 9-7 lead with just over seven minutes left in the game. The Garnet Valley squad won possession again after their successful draw control, yet they turned the ball over soon after, returning it to Springfield. Lemieux spotted Kane who was open at the top of the field, allowing him to score another goal. Finally, O'Donnell clinched victory with a precise pass to Mia Wainwright for what became the decisive eleventh point.

Keffer, Kane, and Allie Hunter netted two goals apiece. O'Donnell had an exceptional performance, primarily focusing on marking Sammy Wood. Despite being dynamic for Garnet Valley, scoring twice from set pieces, all of Wood's draw controls came only after the fourth quarter.

Sammy and I are great buddies, we team up in clubs," O'Donnell stated. "We understand each other quite intimately and our playing styles too. This can be an advantage and disadvantage for us both. It's enjoyable yet challenging to guard her as she excels at what she does.

Wood, Halloran and McGovern had two goals each, McGovern adding an assist. Merrin Mink made six saves. The Jaguars, who sit 14th in the D1 standings, took plenty of lessons from the fourth.

“We might see this team again in playoffs,” Halloran said. “And we just said that we really stuck with them throughout the beginning of the game, and I think that will help us in playoffs.”

Among Springfield’s goals this season was rectifying a rare states miss last year, when it finished with the 16th seed and lost in the second round to top-seeded Downingtown West by one goal. That will have to wait for the business end of districts. Picking up a league title on the road to that quest is a nice accolade to add.

O'Donnell stated, "This was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of our team objectives before heading into the playoffs." He added, "Securing the Central League championship was incredibly significant, and we're hoping to use this as a springboard for playoff success."

Additionally, in the Central League:

Conestoga 5, Marple Newtown 4 >> Courtney Smock recorded six saves with five distinct Pioneers finding the scoresheet.

Lizzie Leads Marple with Two Goals and an Assist; Riley Mattson Reaches Century Mark in Career Goals, While Rowan Hilden Makes Seven Saves.

Reese Bigler netted seven goals, marking her 100th career goal, along with Cara Childs who contributed four goals and added two assists. Lyla Pompetti (with two goals and three assists) was one of the seven players scoring more than once. The final score had Penncrest at 19 against Lower Merion’s zero.

Callie Bryan contributed four goals along with two assists, while Nadia Henkel and Brynn Murray each netted four goals apiece for the Green Raiders. Chloe Extor and Keira Small also chimed in with two goals each. The final score was Ridley 19, Harriton 7.

Radnor 20, Haverford 10 >> Kayla Elliott netted a hat trick, while Maddie Shafer and Annie Walker each contributed two goals apiece for Haverford. Information about Radnor’s performance was not provided.

In the Catholic League:

Cardinal O'Hara scored 13 points, while Bonner & Prendergast managed only 9 points. >> Evan Marquis netted seven goals, and Fran Fazio contributed with three goals along with two assists to guide the Lions. Goalkeeper Marina Mersch recorded nine saves in the match.

Archbishop Carroll 16, Lansdale Catholic 4 >> Kate O'Neill netted three goals, while Kallee Clark contributed two goals along with four assists as the Patriots dominated. Ava Wood, Greta Potten, and Charlene Smith each added two goals to the tally.

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