Scrappy Clearview gets past Lenape

There were plenty of goals illustrating the scrappy, hard-nosed abandon of the Clearview girls' lacrosse team.

But the ultimate symbol might have been the freshman who ended up being the game's hero - and not just because she netted the winner with 1 minute, 2 seconds left in regulation.

Clearview midfielder Gianna Bowe's go-ahead score helped seal a 10-8 win over Lenape on Tuesday in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals.

But Bowe, a freshman midfielder standing a littler taller than 5-foot, was a warrior in the draw circle. She was the catalyst for her team's holding possession for nearly the entire second half against the Indians, including the possession immediately after her winning score.

Bowe's attitude against a bigger, older, more seasoned opponent mirrored the rest of her team.

"We lost to Lenape by one goal in the playoffs last year. We lost to them by one in the second game this year, which made us 0-2. They just refused to lose to them by one again this time," said Clearview coach Megan Conklin, whose third-seeded Pioneers (16-4) will play Washington Township on Thursday for the sectional title.

Second-seeded Lenape (13-3) and Clearview traded goals, and the lead, for much of the second half Tuesday at the Mount Laurel Turf Field.

In the end, Bowe capped a relentless effort with the winner from just in front of the net.

"I just got the ball and remember thinking,'OK, I'm going to get this goal,' and I made it in the right corner," said Bowe, who led all players with four goals. "We've just come so far as a team, and this win shows it."

Lenape, kept in the game largely because of the strong play of goalie Caroline Huelster (12 saves), erased a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead into halftime.

The lead expanded to 5-3 before the game essentially turned into a shootout in the final 16 minutes.

After Lenape's goal, Clearview went on a 5-3 run, led by three goals by junior attack Sara Kramer.

"In the back of my mind, I kept thinking about us losing to Lenape by one in the beginning of the year," Kramer said. "I was so mad, so devastated. I just said, 'This isn't happening to us again.' "

Alison McCardell scooped a ground ball just behind the net, dodged a defender and netted a goal to give Clearview an 8-7 lead with nine minutes left.

Lenape rarely had possession for the rest of the game, and tied the game only when Nicole Donnelly escaped for a fastbreak with 2:10 left.

"Both teams played really hard," Lenape coach Jill McCarthy said. "They completely won the draw ball, and when they were given opportunities, they capitalized.

"But our senior class is amazing. They're the heart and soul of our team, and we're going to miss them."

For Clearview, the win is a sign of the progress the team has made after starting the season 0-2.

"We were a young team," Conklin said. "I'm so proud of the way we played. The biggest thing was our ability to jell and play like a team as the year has gone on."

Clearview   3 7 – 10

Lenape   4 4 – 8

Goals: C-Gianna Bowe 4, Sara Kramer 3, Megan Donnelly 2, Allison McCardell; L-Rebecca Daub 2, Rena Carrabases 2, Nicole Donnelly 2, Courtney Norton, Olivia Streilein.

Saves: C-Lexi Lomano 7; L-Caroline Huelster 12.