All-Delco Girls Lacrosse: Matey, Detwiler enabled Carroll to keep title streak intact
In addition to Player of the Year Maria Pansini of Agnes Irwin, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:
Sam Hamalak, Garnet Valley: In a league dominated by scorers, the senior goaltender proved capable of stymying the opposition with brilliant games. Springfield can attest, with Hamalak stopping 14 shots in a 10-8 regular-season win that propelled the Jags to the Central League title. She added 11 saves in beating Conestoga, 9-8. The District 1 Class 3A champs and PIAA semifinalists allowed an average of 7.1 goals per game on the way to a 21-3 record. Only five teams scored in double-figures against the Jaguars. Hamalak, a second-team All-Central selection, will continue her career at Cabrini.
Rachel Matey, Archbishop Carroll: The two-time All-Delco fought nagging injuries to impact the Patriots on both sides of the field. Shifted to a more defensive role, Matey was a star on draw controls as well as in controlling opposing offenses. Thanks to Matey, the Patriots allowed an average of 4.24 goals per game and pitched three shutouts, all in the Catholic League en route to an 18th straight title. The All-American and All-Catholic pick found time to scored 10 goals and 10 assists. She had two goals against Episcopal Academy, three assists against Conwell-Egan and recorded a hat trick in the PCL final victory over O’Hara. Matey will join reigning national champion James Madison in the fall.
Belle Mastropietro, Springfield: For a player that coach Keith Broome had to constantly cajole into shooting more, the junior midfielder provided clutch offense to the Cougars’ run to the District 1 Class 3A final and PIAA semifinals. Mastropietro finished with 44 goals and 29 assists, tied for the team lead in the latter category and third-best in the former. Four times this season, the Temple commit recorded six points in a game, led by five goals and an assist in a win over Strath Haven. Mastropietro elevated her game in the playoffs with All-American sophomore midfielder Alyssa Long out due to injury, her steady two-way play guiding the Cougars to five wins by two goals or fewer, including two overtime decisions. Mastropietro scored the OT winner in the district semis against eventual state champ Unionville. She added two goals and two assists in the district final setback to Garnet Valley, a hat trick in besting Wilson in the state quarters and four goals and a helper in the state semis vs. Manheim Township.
READ: The full list of All-Delco honorees
Katie Detwiler, Archbishop Carroll: The senior midfielder earned All-Delco honors in helping the Patriots to their first PIAA title in 2017, then followed it up with 18 wins and a berth in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals this spring. Detwiler was the leading scorer in a balanced Carroll attack with 47 goals, 27 assists and 74 points. She scored four times in a loss to Unionville, five times in topping Notre Dame and added four goals and two assists in the Catholic League final march past Cardinal O’Hara. The latter was the same total she posted in a win over Episcopal Academy. In two states games, Detwiler notched six goals and three assists. The All-American and All-Catholic honoree will continue her career at Loyola.
Natalie Pansini, Agnes Irwin: Like her Player of the Year sister, Pansini starred in midfield on the way to All-American and All-Inter-Ac nods. Natalie outscored her big sister with 47 goals and 13 assists, and both played significant roles as two-way middies. Natalie showed her defensive mettle with 42 ground balls and 49 draw controls. The Princeton commit weathered an early-season injury to reignite the Owls offense on her return. She scored five times each in wins over Notre Dame and Germantown Academy and added three goals and a helper in the return meeting with the Irish. She chipped in two goals and two assists as Agnes Irwin topped PIAA Class 3A finalist Manheim Township.
Olivia Little, Springfield: The Saint Joseph’s signee was the driving force of Springfield’s offense from midfield. She finished second on the squad with 59 goals and tied Mastropietro for the lead with 29 assists. Her 88 points tied for fifth-best in Delco, and she remained a two-way force who contributed significantly on draw controls. The All-American was at her best in a midseason overtime win over Carroll, notching five goals and two assists, including the winner for a side that went 3-0 in overtime and 9-4 in games decided by two goals or fewer. Little added three and five against Ridley, three and four against Strath Haven and four and two in the regular-season finale against Parkland. She notched hat tricks against Downingtown East and Unionville in districts, then four-goal outings against Exeter (with an assist) and Wilson (with three helpers and the game-winning goal late in regulation) in states.
Olivia Dirks, Episcopal Academy: It’s a testament to the Churchwomen’s depth that the junior midfielder finished third on the team in points behind Olivia Cunningham (96) and Katie Crager (92) but was still recognized by Inter-Ac coaches as the league’s MVP. The Penn State commit starred first and foremost on draws, where she corralled an astronomical total of 212. The fact that she tallied 58 goals and 26 assists for 84 points (each total ranked 10th in Delco) followed as a natural consequence. The All-American scored in all but one game. She punished Agnes Irwin for five goals in an overtime loss early in the season. She tallied seven points in wins over Springside Chestnut Hill (five goals, two assists) and Hill School (four, three) and had five or more points on seven occasions.
Regan Nealon, Garnet Valley: Another member of Penn State’s class of 2023, the midfielder emerged from a deep Garnet attack that averaged 13 goals per game as its top marksman. She scored a team-best 63 goals to go with 11 assists. He goal tally is sixth in Delco, made more remarkable given the options surrounding her. Nealon scored in each game for the District 1 Class 3A champs and was held to one goal in just seven of 24 outings. She started the season with six goals and an assist against Downingtown East (in which sister Kara dished seven helpers), then rattled off five consecutive hat tricks in April. Nealon notched a hat trick in the district final triumph over Springfield and in the opening round of states against Perkiomen Valley. She tallied four goals and a helper in the state quarterfinal ousting of Parkland. The All-Central pick was also selected as an All-American.
Kamryn McNeal, Garnet Valley: The senior attacker was the beating heart of the Jaguars attack, working doggedly on the ground to gain possessions off the draw and often steering the Jags to capitalize on those chances. McNeal was third on her team with 49 goals and led them with 38 assists and 87 points. Her assist total is third in Delco; the points figure ties for eighth. The Central League MVP superbly adapted her output to the needs of each game. She could score, like four-goal outings against Owen J. Roberts, Radnor and Parkland (the latter with two assists in the state quarters). Or she could influence games without scoring, as when she dished four assists in the District 1 Class 3A semis and six helpers in the final vs. Springfield. McNeal scored in all but three games; in those goal-free outings, she notched 13 assists. Voted an All-American and Academic All-American, McNeal will continue her career at Towson.
Katie Crager, Episcopal Academy: The senior attacker heads to Georgetown in the fall on the heels of her second All-Delco nod. She finished second in Delco with 82 goals and fifth with 92 points. Crager’s ability to snipe goals was nearly unmatched. She scored multiple goals in all but two games and recorded at least two points every time out. She bested Hill School for six markers in the season finale and scored five goals on three occasions, including against Archbishop Carroll and league foe Baldwin. The latter victory was part of a 17-game winning streak to earn the Churchwomen a share of the Inter-Ac title and post an 18-7 record. Crager was recognized as an All-Inter-Ac and All-American selection.
Cate Cox, Radnor: The junior was the primary distributor in a Radnor attack that compiled 19 wins and made the District 1 Class 2A final and PIAA semifinals. Cox scored 53 goals and was Delco’s leader in assists (59) and points (112). She topped out at nine points (five goals, four assists) in a win over Plymouth Whitemarsh in April. Cox tallied at least one goal and one assist in 16 games. She started districts with a goal and six assists against St. Basil, then fired home four goals and three assists vs. Phoenixville. Cox registered three and four in the states opener against Wyoming Seminary and added four helpers in the states ouster against Villa Maria. The All-American, All-Central and Academic All-American pick is a Lehigh commit.
Ellie Mueller, Radnor: The lanky sophomore established herself as one of the most fearsome goalscorers in Pennsylvania. Mueller’s 77 goals were third in Delco. She added 18 assists to register 95 points, also third-most in the county. Mueller posted three six-goal outings, including in the opener against Mater Dei and in the PIAA Class 2A semifinal loss to Villa Maria, accounting for three-quarters of the Raiders’ eight markers that day. She added six goals and an assist in beating Harriton. Mueller scored in all 25 games, recording three or more goals 15 times. She supplied four goals and two assists in the districts opener against St. Basil and four and three in the states first round. Mueller was selected All-Central and All-America.
