Horan keys second-half surge, Haverford pulls away
MIDDLETOWN >> After Tuesday’s Central League victory over Radnor, Haverford High girls lacrosse coach Nancy McGoldrick was telling her players about how long it had been since the Fords had beaten the Raiders.
“She said it was 1998,” Haverford senior Tess Horan said. “That was the year I was born.”
The Fords (7-4, 5-1) took some time getting started in their Thursday league game at Penncrest (4-6, 2-4) before they took over in the second half and rolled to a 19-9 decision over the Lions.
“I told them that there will be a lot of tough games playing in this league,” McGoldrick said. “The league has more parity, and you have to come ready to play each game.”
The Fords earned only two of 11 draw controls in the first half Thursday and turned the ball over six times in the opening half, which ended with the score tied, 5-5. Grace Harding was the Penncrest player who did the most damage to Haverford in the circle, and she scored a pair of goals in the first half.
Horan, who finished with four goals and two assists, had a hand in three of her team’s first four goals after halftime.
“We capitalized more on our offense,” Horan said of the Fords’ second-half success. “Our defense was better, and (goalie Rhiannon Connell) made some big saves.
“We also were getting to more of the 50/50 balls. A lot of us have played together for a long time, and we’ve started really connecting.”
Horan, an All-Delco field hockey player, is in her final lacrosse season. She will play hockey at Drexel University.
“I’ve learned to appreciate each (lacrosse) game a lot more,” she said.
With the score tied, 6-6, one minute into the second half, Horan started coming up with draw controls, and her team went on a run in which she scored twice and set up Carly Gannon to spark a burst in which Haverford tallied eight goals before Penncrest could counter with one.
“Tess’s play really gave us what we needed there in the second half,” McGoldrick said.
Junior Laura Winters finished with five goals and five assists for Haverford, which takes on defending Friends League champion Friends’ Central at the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival Saturday, then has Central League contests with league-leading Conestoga and Harriton next week.
“We know we’ll be playing a tough schedule,” McGoldrick said. “But that’s what we want because we know it can only make us better.”
In other Central League action:
Radnor 10, Harriton 5 >> For a half, the Raiders and Rams were locked in a defensive struggle. And then Radnor’s offense began to click.
The Raiders scored seven times to break open a game that was deadlocked 3-3 at halftime. Katie Quinn and Hope Smith paced the Radnor offense with three goals each. Emily Games added two goals and one assist.
Goalie Alexa Solomon made four saves, cause one turnover and picked up one ground ball to help the Raiders (6-5, 3-3 Central League) snap a two-game losing streak.
Springfield 12, Upper Darby 0 >> Goalie Julianne Clemens faced just two shots on goal thanks to a strong defensive effort by the Cougars (9-1, 5-1).
The Cougars scored all 12 goals in the first half. Dana Carlson led the offense with three goals and two assists. Bridget Whitaker added two goals and three assists. Bailey O’Brien and Olivia Little contributed two goals and one assist each, while Cailyn Gormley also scored twice.
Conestoga 18, Strath Haven 8 >> Monica Borzillo did most of the damage for the Pioneers with four goals and five assists. Sondra Dickey pitched in with three goals for Conestoga.
Maddie Ruffini led Strath Haven with three goals. Sophie Haas and Nicole McNeeley added two goals each.
In the Catholic League:
Cardinal O’Hara 20, Archbishop Ryan 3 >> The Lions sure have their offense in high gear.
A dozen players scored as O’Hara topped the 20-goal mark for the second time in as many days. The Lions defeated John W. Hallahan Wednesday, 22-3. Erin Grady led the way against the Ragdolls with four goals. Molly Grady and Anna DiRita both had hat tricks for the Lions (6-4, 5-2 Catholic League.
The game also was played for the benefit of the HEADStrong Foundation, which raises funds to help patients with cancer.
In the Del Val League:
Chichester 17, Penn Wood 3 >> Chi had its offense clicking early with 13 goals in the first half. Maura Murray was one of 11 players to score for the Eagles. She had five goals and one assist. Hayley Fritz (four goals) and Crislyn Cassidy (three goals) both found the net multiple times.
Hervelange Auguste, Herveline Auguste and Jenique Jeffers scored for the Patriots.
Interboro 8, Academy Park 2 >> The goalies stole the show in this game. Moriah Marr made 18 saves and did not allow a goal in the second half to pace the Bucs. Terae Mason stopped eight shots for the Knights.
Steph McCool paced a balanced attack for Interboro with two goals and three assists. Karleigh Kennedy also scored twice and Hailey Fisher added one goal and two assists. Emily DeLuca and Cheyanne Farmer scored for Academy Park.
In the Inter-Ac League:
Episcopal Academy 19, Baldwin 9 >> Olivia Cunningham did just about everything for the Churchwomen. She scored four goals, handed out one assist picked up a ground ball and caused a turnover.
Cunningham, though, wasn’t the only EA player to have a big day. Six other players scored two goals each as the Churchwomen topped the double-digit mark for the fifth straight game. Corrine Zannoli had two goals, two assists and caused one turnover. Katie Crager contributed two goals, two assists and two draw controls. Olivia Dirks had two goals and one draw control. Julia Hondros added two goals, one draw control and one ground ball. Grace Norley had the same stats as Hondros. And Lindsay Wailing chipped in with two goals, one draw control, one ground ball and one caused turnover.
