Great Valley girls advance after delay
They came out loose after the rain stopped. The Springfield (Delco) boys also had to wait before completing an overtime win.
When scattered thunderstorms delayed the start of the game for 90 minutes, Great Valley's girls' lacrosse team didn't spend the extra time stressing out.
The players relaxed and had fun with each other.
"They're friends on and off the field," Great Valley coach Kim Wenger said. "They're teammates first. That hour that they killed, they were going crazy and having a great time."
It paid off, as the Patriots scored the first goal of the game less than 90 seconds after it began and never relinquished the lead. They topped Kennard-Dale, 17-7, in a PIAA state first-round playoff game at West Chester East on Wednesday.
The Patriots jumped out to an 8-1 lead and led, 10-2, at halftime. Attacker Linnea Hughes scored four of her team's first six goals. On each one, her teammates cleared to one side of the field, leaving Hughes on her own with one defender.
"We were just looking for the open dodges, and in the beginning they weren't sliding toward me," Hughes said. I was getting a little bit of an advantage."
Hughes was quick to credit her teammates, saying that the Patriots were looking for the best scoring option, and that just happened to be her in the beginning of the game.
Kennard-Dale, located south of York, Pa., near the Maryland border, was not a team Great Valley is familiar with. That didn't significantly alter the Patriots' game plan.
"We had some notes," Wenger said. "We got some film. Strategy is always about us first. And then, 'By the way, this is what they do, let's be aware of this.' "
There was a stretch in the second half when Kennard-Dale scored three straight goals to close the gap to 14-5. Great Valley responded with three straight goals of its own to take command again.
Great Valley will meet Conestoga in the quarterfinals Saturday. This will be the third matchup between those teams this year. Conestoga won the regular season game, 11-10, and Great Valley triumphed in the District 1 semifinals, 12-11.
"They know us as well as we know them," Wenger said. "Whoever comes out to play, whoever wants it more is going to get it."
"We have to come out guns-a-blazing as well," attacker Natalie Kahn said. "They're always our toughest team, but we have to come out stronger."
PIAA Boys' First Round
In the nightcap at West Chester East, Springfield (Delco) topped Hershey, 9-8, in overtime. Lucas Spence scored the game-winning goal 3 minutes into the first overtime.
The game, which started an hour and 45 minutes late, was halted for another 30 minutes halfway through the third quarter, with Springfield winning, 7-3.
Hershey tied the game after scoring four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter. The teams then traded goals before heading to overtime tied at 8-8.
Great Valley 10 7 - 17
Kennard Dale 2 5 - 7
KD: Morgan Day 4, Madeline Day 1, Hannah Bracey 1, Lyndsey Duty 1.
GV: Linnea Hughes 5, Natalie Kahn 3, Kristen Knaff 3, Megan Buettner 3, Stephanie Aker 1, Olivia Muscella 1, Ashlyn Smith 1.
Springfield (D) 3 4 0 1 1 - 9
Hershey 2 0 1 5 0 - 8
H: Jacob Wilson 3, Karl VanBlargen 2, Brock Briggs 1, Jonathan Sickler 1, Matthew Stewart 1.
SD: Lucas Spence 3, Mike Gerzabeck 1, Joe Debarnardi 1, Kyle Long 1, Mike Vent 1, Dan Wasson 1, Colin Blake 1.