Little has more time to ponder her career after leading Springfield charge
WEST GOSHEN >> With two hours and one minute to sit in the locker room at West Chester East High School, Olivia Little got to thinking.
The Springfield senior midfielder had pondered the end of her high school career in the last two weeks. But as thunder pealed and rain poured on the Cougars in an extremely extended halftime break of their PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal with Wilson, the concern grew more palpable.
But so was the opportunity that lay ahead of her, for at least one more game in a Springfield jersey.
Little responded with four goals, three assists and six draw controls, including the game-winning tally with 3:46 to play, as Springfield conquered Wilson, 13-12.
The win moves the Cougars (20-4) to Tuesday’s semifinals against District 3 champ Manheim Township for the right to return to East next Saturday for the state final. That owes to Little taking control of a game that went into halftime tied at 5.
“I really started to think about, ‘wow, this could be it,’” Little said. “So I just came out and knew I had to take control. I think my team’s confident with me on the ball, so if I just tryst myself, I think I can make things happen.”
Olivia Little scores! 13-12 Springfield. 3:46 left. pic.twitter.com/vjYYYJ3gPB
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 3, 2018
Little scored the first two goals of the half to open up the first multi-goal lead for either side. She set up markers by Julie Schickling and Dana Carlson as the Cougars scored three times in a minute, 13 seconds to take a 12-9 lead.
When Wilson struck back, leveling the score at 12 with 7:39 to play on Emily Magliotti’s goal, Little knew it was her time again. On an extended possession, Dana Carlson rolled around the crease and fed to Little cutting underneath, and Little whipped a shot into the top corner.
“The game of lacrosse is about making adjustments,” Little said. “Things can change in seconds. I think if we just take our time, settle on our attack, get our breath, get a chance to see things and see what’s happening, we get to see things well.”
The Cougars’ postseason has been about doing just enough to advance. All five playoff wins have been by two goals or fewer. Saturday’s was their fourth one-goal win, two in overtime.
That toughness, from a team that qualified for last season’s District 1 and PIAA Class 3A finals, continues to pay dividends.
“We’ve had a lot of practice in these close games because a lot of our games have been close,” Mastropietro said. “We’re really good at holding the ball and being able to waste time and run out the clock when we need to.”
Carlson and Mastropietro scored three times each, the latter adding three draw controls. Schickling tucked away a pair of goals.
Wilson did not go quietly, despite never leading in the second half. Kendall Duffy proved dangerous in transition with five goals, but goalie Aidan Gallagher stopped her point-blank bid to tie the game with three minutes to play. Magliotti added an assist to her four goals.
When it came to closing out the game, Springfield’s experience showed. They won the draw after Magliotti’s last tally and held for nearly four minutes before Little put them ahead. Off the clear from Gallagher’s denial of Duffy, they again drained the clock, Mastropietro running to the point of exhaustion with possession for more than two straight minutes.
“During practice when we don’t have games the next day, we’ll run sprints still,” Mastropietro said. “(Assistant coach Kathleen Geiger) always says, that’s the end of the game. And it really is because I just, you know, ran a lot.”
The last 45 seconds elapsed with the ball secure in Little’s stick, the senior running off into the West Chester night and into the state semifinals, a trail of teammates in her wake.
“It makes the ride more fun,” Little said of all the close games. “I think if we blew out a team, it’s like, ‘woo we won.’ But beating them and it being back and forth, it really makes winning feel a lot better.”
