Conestoga rallies past Garnet Valley

Maggie Stetson hasn't always been the most confident player on the lacrosse field.

So when the Conestoga senior dropped a few balls early in the game Tuesday night against defending state champion Garnet Valley, Stetson used her inner monologue to boost her morale.

"I was like, 'I don't know what you're doing right now,' " she said. "And then I was tearing up, and I was like, 'Don't tear up, you got this!' And once I scored my first goal, I was like, 'OK I got it.' "

That's because her first goal proved to be the game-winner.

Conestoga scored seven-straight goals late in the second half to rally for a 13-11 win.

"This was so important, because we had to win this game and our next three games to win the Central League," said Stetson, who will play at Drexel next year. "This was the biggest game we had. Every single year, they're the biggest competition we have. Last year, they ended our season, so we were really gunning for [this one]."

Garnet Valley (8-6) jumped to an early 4-0 advantage in the first half and lead 10-6 with 13 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the game.

"We basically got ourselves in a huddle and had our silent moment," Stetson said. "We just gathered our thoughts and were like, 'We need to breathe. We know we can win, we got this, and we know we can catch balls and score goals.' "

Sophomore Scottie Growney (two goals) pulled Conestoga (13-1) within three with 12 minutes left, and junior Sondra Dickey (four goals, two assists) tied the game at 10 with just less than 10 minutes remaining.

"Sondra Dickey, she played awesome," Stetson said. "She's a really great shooter . . . and she really helped us out; same with Liz Scott and Scottie Growney."

Although it found the net, Stetson's go-ahead goal wasn't exactly a thing of beauty. Her shot ricocheted off a stick (she called it "lucky").

More importantly for Conestoga, it also gave her confidence.

"Well, the whole entire game I was dropping balls, so I was like, 'All right, you gotta get it together,' " she said. "And once I got one, I was like, 'All right, I'm feeling it now.' "

Years from now, Stetson hopes she can look back on her senior season with a championship gleam in her eye.

"It would mean so much," she said. "To look back and be like, 'Ah, that was our team!' That would be sick. That would be really cool."

Garnet Valley 6 5 - 11

Conestoga 4 9 - 13

GV: Emily Matthewson 2, Maddie Mansi 1, Kamryn McNeal 3, Michelle Koscinski 3, Madison Valerio 1, Kara Nakrasius 1.

C: Sondra Dickey 4, Liz Scott 2, Hannah Ashton 3, Scottie Growney 2, Maggie Stetson 2.

Saves: C-Laney Stenson 5. GV- Lauren Kinnee 6.

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