Wissahickon holds off late Hatboro-Horsham rally
HORSHAM >> The Wissahickon girls lacrosse team took a big step towards the District 1 Class-3A playoffs Monday night.
The Trojans, who entered the game No. 20 in the district, knocked off No. 22 Hatboro-Horsham, 17-14, at N. Dennis Steinly Memorial Stadium at Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School.
Wiss concludes its regular season this week against Abington Wednesday and Chichester Friday, hoping to secure a spot in the top 24 for a playoff berth.
“We knew coming in that if we didn’t win this game there was no playoffs for us,” Wiss sophomore Sophia Chiodo Ortiz said. “We really got our heads in the game, watched film. We just kept going. We knew what they were going to do. We planned what we were going to do. With this win going into district definitely gives us a lot more confidence and it makes us feel like we can do it. We have the momentum now to play Abington on Wednesday and just keep the intensity and make sure we get into playoffs.”
The Trojans (12-4, 6-2 SOL American) needed to overcome a slow start, but that’s nothing new for them. They fell behind 3-0 less than five minutes into the game and 4-1 eight minutes in.
“We start every game out losing,” Wiss coach Rob Intrieri said. “I always tell them start fast and they’re, ‘Yes coach we’re going to do that.’ Then we don’t. We’re used to being down three or four goals then they wake up and they’re ready to play.”
After trailing, 5-3, with 13:55 remaining in the first half, Wissahickon went on an 8-2 run to take an 11-7 lead. Sam Intrieri had two goals during the stretch — both direct sprints down the field immediately after the faceoff — and Chiodo Ortiz also had two.
The Hatters (9-7, 4-4 SOL American) scored in the final minute to send the game to intermission with Wissahickon ahead, 11-8.
The Trojans built their lead up after the break. They scored the first three goals to make it 14-8 and five of the first six to take a 16-9 advantage with 13:06 to go.
“We were just keeping up the intensity,” Chiodo Ortiz said. “Our draw controls are key. As soon as we got the ball and had possession — this game is about possession. In order to win it you have to have possession at least 75 percent of the time and just be careful with the ball. That’s what we did and saw the fastbreaks, we saw the open girls and we saw the (isolations) and we just went for it.”
Then the Hatters made their run.
Hatboro-Horsham scored five straight goals over a 3:32 span to cut its deficit from seven to two, 16-14, with 7:51 to go.
“We fought back,” HH coach Marie Schmucker said. “I thought it showed a lot of character and integrity. Overall, to be down seven and we came back, they didn’t give up. We’re young, but at the end of the day we had opportunities that we could’ve capitalized on and we didn’t, but overall to fight back by that many goals — you can’t ask for any more.”
That’s as close as the Hatters would get.
Wissahickon possessed the ball for the entire final six minutes of the game and Chiodo Ortiz added a goal with 3:47 left to extend the Trojans advantage to three, 17-14.
“It helps to have speed to run away from the girls doubling you,” she said, “but it’s also smart to know the way they play. I know they’re going to push me, so I just let it happen I wasn’t going to fight it. I got the call mostly every time. They kept pushing, they were getting aggressive, they want the ball it’s their Senior Night and we just kept going hard in and drawing the doubles to make sure the open girl was there.”
“Our kids will not panic ever,” Rob Intrieri added. “They know how to play. They’ve been playing together all year. We have something for everything, like we were able to hold the ball for the last five or six minutes there. It was nice that they were able to move the ball around and play team lacrosse for the whole 50 minutes.”
Chiodo Ortiz led Wiss with six goals — four coming in the second half. Sam Intrieri had four goals — all in the first half — and Quinn Gaffey and Emma Baker each scored twice.
Gabby Liott led the Hatters with six goals. Audrey Leibfreid added a hat trick and Megan Acker scored twice.
Hatboro-Horsham concludes its regular season with Upper Moreland Wednesday and Lansdale Catholic Thursday. The Hatters will be trying to finish in the top 24 for a playoff berth.
“I really believe we will (get in the playoffs),” Schmucker said. “We still have Upper Moreland and then Lansdale Catholic, which I don’t really think that matters. Seeing how close this game was tonight is going to be a big part of — even though it’s power ranking — that will have a lot to do with just losing by three goals. I’m putting it out there — we’re going to get in the postseason. We’ll see.”
