Mastropietro helps Springfield survive to title match
EXETER TWP. — Belle Mastropietro couldn’t quite put it into words Tuesday, but then neither could her coaches. Something about the midfielder’s demeanor at Exeter Township High School, though, made the “why” of it clear, if not the “how.”
Tuesday’s PIAA class 2A semifinal would not be her last high school game, the Temple signee decided. And for 50 minutes, she did the work to make that decision come true.
“I didn’t want this to be my last game of high school lacrosse,” Mastropietro said. “So I played that way, I guess.”
Mastropietro scored twice and picked up four draw controls. But it was her dogged determination on both ends of the field that helped Springfield outlast District 3 champion York Catholic, 11-10, Tuesday.
Mirigliano stones Doyle!! Then Mastropietro the GB. Springfield ball. 53 ticks left. pic.twitter.com/191wPDOPnY
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 4, 2019
The Cougars led the entire way, booking a rematch of the District 1 final against Villa Maria in Saturday’s PIAA championship game (10 a.m., West Chester East). But it wasn’t until Julie Schickling’s goal to start the second half that Springfield enjoyed its first two-goal edge, and not until Olivia Pace bounced home a goal with 11:08 to play did Springfield lead by three. When Natalie Neiman scored with 1:57 left to make it a one-goal game again, matters had most definitely not been settled.
The Irish won the ensuing draw, and Grace Doyle rounded the cage, setting the stage for a pair of heroic turns — one perhaps unexpected, and one entirely anticipated, yet still extraordinary.
First was Dana Mirigliano, the junior goaltender. In a season where she struggled early, to the extent that sophomore attack Rachel Conran was shifted to goalie to provide cover and began splitting time as the regular season ticked down, Mirigliano picked a huge moment to step to the fore, standing up tall and fighting off Doyle’s effort.
“When she was rolling, I knew she was going to roll around the crease,” Mirigliano said. “So I was just ready to save it, so we didn’t have to go into overtime.”
Alyssa Long draws a yellow because she’s the fastest kid alive, then Schickling scores. 6-4 Springfield. pic.twitter.com/8oUNWqmUJS
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 4, 2019
The ball caromed into the area, resting briefly in a York Catholic stick. That is until Mastropietro, quickest to react, found the ball momentarily free, grabbed it and was off in a flash. After long possessions trying to drain clock (Springfield fired just one shot after Pace’s goal), Mastropietro had plenty of yards on her legs. But there was nothing that would stop her from burning more energy and clock.
“After Dana made the save, they got the possession,” Mastropietro said. “And I saw the girl kind of looking inside, so I kind of had my stick up and at least tried to knock it down. I got the interception and just ran as fast as I could down the field.”
Try as it might, Springfield just couldn’t shake York Catholic, a team starting four freshmen and four sophomores. The teams alternated goals on the first nine tallies, and even when Springfield extended the lead, the Irish didn’t wilt. Goalie Morghan Kilduff kept them in touch in the first half with seven saves, including a denial of Schickling late in the first half to keep the margin at one. She denied Erin Gormley’s attempt to make it a four-goal game late in the second.
That gave York’s offense room to operate. Sydney Mentzer was the principle animator, scoring three times and adding two assists. But her last scoring contribution came with 17:49 to play when she set up the first of Ella Linthicum’s goals to bring YC within 7-6. From then on, Carli Johnston drew the job of locking Mentzer off, and she accomplished it perfectly.
Belle Mastropietro runs it out (and absorbs a dirty cross check at the end).
Final: Springfield 11, York Catholic 10 pic.twitter.com/dEIxvSDBfA— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 4, 2019
“After a while we knew she had three of the four goals, so we really had to lock down here,” Johnston said. “She would kind of go back, so we knew we had to stay on her body, on her stick. At the end, face-guarding her was a good idea because it really took her out of it.”
Alyssa Long scored four goals and grabbed a team-high seven draw controls. Gormley and Schickling scored twice each. But when the game was decided, there was no safer place for the ball than in Mastropietro’s stick.
“In the last 53 seconds, she was going to run until she couldn’t run anymore,” Long said. “She knew no one was catching her, and that play was all on her. There was a turnover, a big stop by Dana, and she got the interception and she knew her career wasn’t ending. That’s a lot of kudos to her, and she’s playing really well.”
