Garnet Valley’s anticipated run falls just short of Manheim
EXETER TWP. — The law of averages, both benches and the lacrosse gods all would’ve told you the same thing Tuesday. Even as Manheim Township’s lead grew to six goals in the first half and to nine in the second half — one shy of a running clock, it was pointed out — Garnet Valley’s run would come.
Whether or not it would prove potent enough or arrive early enough, no one on the Manheim Township sideline was under any illusion that the final result would be as easy as the Blue Streaks made it look for 35 minutes.
“Definitely just trying to keep the energy up, saying, ‘we knew this was going to happen. They’re a good team, we knew they could play hard like this,’” midfielder Lucy Svetec said. “This is what we had to expect.”
The Garnet Valley surge arrived in the second half of this PIAA Class 3A state semifinal game. And it came just one goal short of a miraculous comeback.
The Jaguars rattled off eight straight goals, but it wasn’t enough to climb out of nine-goal deficit in what finished as a 14-12 loss to Manheim.
Kara Nealon from 8! Gv within 13-12. 1:52 left. 8 straight. pic.twitter.com/EyAmwrNOfx
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 4, 2019
The District 3 champions advance to their second straight PIAA final, where they’ll take on Harriton, a 13-10 winner over Downingtown West Tuesday. Manheim lost to Unionville in last year’s final.
The early damage wrought by the Blue Streaks was comprehensive. They scored the first six goals, blanking Garnet Valley for 11 minutes. They led 8-3 at half and pushed the edge as high as 13-4 when Svetec scored at 15:04 of the second.
Manheim got it done every which way. It made Garnet Valley uncomfortable in possession. It neutralized the massive weapon that is Madi McKee on draws. It ran an exacting and devastating attack.
Taylor Kopan scored four goals to go with an assist, the diminutive junior attacker scoring low at will. Svetec buried five goals. And Megan Rice directed the attacking arsenal with two goals and five assists.
“They’re a very good team,” McKee said. “So every single time after every goal, every girl, we went back and we kept patting each other on the back and said, ‘next one; we’ll get the next one.’ And we never gave up hope on each other and we all just believed in each other. I think that’s what makes us such a great team, that we all believed in each other, and even at the very end, we all still had faith in each other and we wanted it.”
In the rare chances that Garnet Valley found a way through, they couldn’t solve Gail Wilkes in goal. She made nine saves, including seven in the first half, four of them after Kara Nealon made it 8-3 with 3:47 left in the first half. The five-goal cushion proved massive, psychologically and mathematically.
“I think just playing as a team and just knowing to brush off if they make a goal,” Wilkes said. “It’s OK, just keep going, we’ve got this and to just not give up, keep going.”
Svetec to Campagna with 17 seconds left! 14-12 Manheim. pic.twitter.com/zhtBiJC4ab
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 4, 2019
On so many occasions, the expected Garnet deluge looked imminent. But Wilkes held it back, like when she stoned McKee one-on-one off the opening draw of the second half. Manheim would tally four of the first five goals of the half, and the Jags were held at bay.
Finally, the tide turned, with Kathryn Toohey grabbing a DC and scoring at 14:56. It set off a stretch of eight straight. Toohey and McKee each recorded hat tricks. Caroline Shaefer added a goal and two assists. Nealon was a force, with three goals, two assists and a game-high eight draw controls (including four straight during the run).
“We changed up a little bit of the things that we are doing and we decided we knew what we had to do and what we shouldn’t do,” McKee said. “We should slow it down on attack, our defense should be doing different things and honestly we all started working together. And every single person all went the extra mile, and that’s what changed the momentum in the second half.”
Shaefer scored to make it 13-9 with 6:01 left, then set up McKee two minutes later. McKee ripped one home with 3:47 left, and Nealon drew an eight-meter shot with 1:57 left.
But Ashlyn Campagna won the ensuing draw and, after a timeout, the Blue Streaks killed time, Svetec eventually finding Campagna alone on the doorstep to rifle home and set off the celebrations.
