PIAA CLASS 3A GIRLS LACROSSE: Radnor’s Esgro has high expectations for grand exit

SPRINGFIELD — Sheila Esgro will mark the end of her lacrosse career Saturday at West Chester East’s Zimmerman Stadium.

The talented Radnor senior, who has produced from midfield and attack, is hanging up her stick. In the fall, Esgro will be attending Lehigh University to pursue a degree in engineering and will not play lacrosse.

Rest assured, Esgro expects her final game to be her best when Radnor meets Manheim Township for the PIAA Class 3A championship.

“I’ve never been in this spot, and obviously none of the younger kids have, so it’s pretty exciting,” Esgro said after Radnor’s semifinal win over Conestoga Wednesday. “We definitely want to make our mark and this is our opportunity to leave something behind, something special. Hopefully we can do that.”

Radnor’s girls lacrosse program has been to the final on several occasions, but this is its first appearance since the 2017 campaign, when it captured the Class 2A title. When lacrosse was a PIAA sport with only one classification, Radnor claimed back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

Radnor (District 1) and Manheim Central (District 3) each finished third in their respective district tournaments.

Esgro will be a key piece to a Radnor offense that is producing an average of 15.3 goals per game in the PIAA playoffs. Esgro netted a goal in each half to help Radnor defeat Conestoga, 12-9.

While All-American Tori DiCarlo is Radnor’s most effective goal scorer, the team has so many ways it can beat you with its offense. Margaret Mooney, another All-American, is a standout on draw controls. Sarah Kelley had a game-high four goals against Conestoga. All-American Cierra Hopson does a little of everything.

“I feel like in practice that we all know our strengths and we all work to use each other’s strengths,” Esgro said. “We all want to spotlight everybody, and if can get the ball to people’s strengths, we know they’ll put it away.”

This will be the first chance for Radnor High grad and second-year coach Kristin Addis to win a state title. Addis was a standout defender in her heyday in the early 2000s before going on to play at Notre Dame.

“I feel like she’s changed the program in a way and it’s definitely been for the better,” Esgro said. “We’ve definitely adapted to her coaching style and I think it’s benefited us, and if can continue to use that to our advantage, we’ll come out on top.”

Central League teams have dominated Pennsylvania girls lacrosse since forever, so Radnor is the favorite to win Saturday. But Esgro said that her teammates will not take Manheim lightly. After all, Garnet Valley discovered how good Manheim is in the first round of the state tournament. In a shocking result, Manheim handed perennial state title contender Garnet Valley an 8-6 defeat.

The Class 3A title game is scheduled to begin at noon.

“In a way we have to defend our territory, I do think there’s a little bit of that,” Esgro said. “I also feel like we have to definitely prove ourselves and prove that we have what it takes to win. It should be interesting and it should be a great game.”

Manheim is in the 3A final for the third tournament in row. The Blue Streaks fell to Unionville in 2018 and Harriton in 2019. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After beating Garnet Valley, the Blue Streaks went westward and beat District 7 champ Shady Side Academy (20-10) and knocked off Sewickley Academy (7-3), the No. 3 team out of District 7.