Birtwistle’s ‘crazy play’ gets Radnor going in win over CB East
RADNOR — The Radnor boys lacrosse team needed a spark Thursday night. After one quarter, it trailed Central Bucks East by two goals, led a category it didn’t want to with three flags and struggled to solve goalie Liam Rosenthal.
Over three minutes of uninterrupted possession to start the second quarter, they snapped six shots in Rosenthal’s direction, unable to find a way through.
That is until Jackson Birtwistle — in order — dodged a midfielder, ran by another, swam under the check of a sliding pole, then rifled an over-the-shoulder shot above a second slide and into the back of the net.
“It’s huge for us,” attackman John Austen said. “He makes some crazy plays. And that’s really a momentum changer. When you see something like that, everyone on the bench is going to go crazy, and that elevates the play of everyone on the field.”
That one 👀👀👀 https://t.co/PMP2muOzka
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 17, 2019
Birtwistle’s goal set the tone for a Radnor turnaround, the Raiders rattling off the next four goals on the way to a 12-8 win in the second round of the District 1 Class 3A tournament.
Sixth seed Radnor (15-4) advances to the quarterfinals to take on No. 14 Upper Dublin, which upset No. 3 West Chester East, 13-10. Saturday’s quarterfinal start time is TBD. Six teams make states, so Radnor is guaranteed at least two more games.
Birtwistle’s goal was a thing of beauty, the attackman looking to get involved with C.B. East opting to lock him off with a shot-stick defensive mid to deny him possession. But beyond that virtuoso moment, he also found a more mundane way to incorporate in the offense. If Birtwistle was going to get shadowed, then he would set picks on the ball to free teammates — which is how Jack Dooley and Austen followed with goals to put Radnor ahead for good at 4-3.
Or when, in the dying seconds of the third quarter, defenders swarmed to Birtwistle off a pick to hit a skip pass to Drew Brown to rifle home.
“We knew they would switch on picks, so we figured if we’re not dodging well, if we’re not doing things well, we can fall back on picks and feel like it’s an easy way to beat a man,” Austen said.
Birtwistle to Brown. 10-6 Radnor. 10 seconds left 3Q. pic.twitter.com/xJlL7GQ1aL
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 17, 2019
In all aspects, the second quarter was a more cohesive showing. Radnor outshot C.B. East, 15-2, outscoring the Patriots, 6-1. In the middle two quarters, Radnor scored nine goals; it surrendered just six total shots to the Patriots.
“Lacrosse is a game of runs, and they went on one early and we kind of got down,” midfielder Teddy Girton. “You can’t get down on yourself. And being able to go on that run in the middle of the game was really big, it just carried us through the rest of the game.”
The run that put the game away involved both sides of the ball. Radnor peppered Rosenthal, who finished with eight saves, with 28 shots. Austen brought his shooting boots with four goals and an assist. Birtwistle tallied a hat trick, Brown scored three goals and two assists, and Dooley paired a goal with two helpers. They were buoyed by Patrick Cullen going 17-for-22 at the X, and even if the incessant riding of long pole Jake Kueny and company accomplished its aim of causing turnovers, the Raiders still came out with the ball more often than not.
John Austen again. CB East not adjusting to Radnor’s screens (other than yelling that they’re all illegal always). 4-3 Raiders. pic.twitter.com/guGzgrcnVh
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 16, 2019
Then there was the defensive effort. As the last line, Archer Darrach made seven saves, but the strength was the Raiders’ D preventing shots. Radnor led 11-6, courtesy of Brown’s goal on a clear from Girton, with 3:37 left, meaning they held CB East to just two goals in the first 21 minutes of the second half.
Jimmy Knepp scored two goals and two assists for East, and Ryan Eife added two goals. But with a big lead to protect, Radnor was content with making it a rough-and-tumble game, grinding out the win.
“It’s never going to be perfect, and we understand that,” Girton said. “That’s why groundballs are one of the things we work on in practice every day, because when the ball is on the ground, you’ve got to be able to get it back in your hands and back to the offense. It’s not always going to be pretty, but you’ve got to figure out a way to get the ball back.”
