Strong stretch powers Gwynedd Mercy past Upper Perkiomen, into District 1-2A title game

PENNSBURG >> Athletic Association of Catholic Academy (AACA) teams have a solid reputation in the Philadelphia region for productive, successful play.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy did its part to reinforce that perception Tuesday. Playing Upper Perkiomen in a District 1 Class AA semifinal at Bill Keeny Stadium, the Monarchs upended the Indians, 4-2, to qualify for the bracket’s championship game against Villa Maria Academy — another AACA entry.

Scoring three unanswered goals in little more than a 22-minute span of the second half, third seed GM (14-2-1) broke open what had been a close game with second seed Upper Perk (20-2-1). The Tribe, bringing a 20-game win streak into the contest, finds itself playing for the district’s third spot in the PIAA field against yet another AACA team, Merion Mercy.

“Catholic Academies is a strong league,” UP head coach Jamie Warren said. “They mentally play a whole game.”

The Monarchs, who shut down their previous district opponents (Strath Haven and West Chester East) by a combined 19-0, supported the validity of that superior stance against a UP squad that was a combined 10-1 against Mount St. Joseph and Phoenixville (8-1) in the early rounds. It got two goals from Sydney Mandato and solo tallies from Ava Huntley and Alaina McVeigh. While outshooting the Indians 8-4, it got three solid stops from keeper Lilly Sweeney to thwart the home team.

“We worked on it (scoring) a lot this year,” head coach Allison Fuller said. “Our players watch what’s going on, and they do what they can do.”

Mandato staked GM to its first lead by connecting on a shot angling from left to right at the 4:57 mark in the first quarter. That stood until 11:07 in the second, Jess Traynor collecting a rebounded shot and converting through a crowd to the front of the cage.

The Monarchs went up for good with 10:18 in the third frame, Mandato capping a 1-on-1 fast break with her second goal of the night. Insurance came just under five minutes later, Huntley angling a shot home. The visitors closed out their scoring with McVeigh hitting a frontal shot at the game’s 7:40 mark.

“Scoring is not the end focus for us,” Fuller said. “We’re very fast, and in a big ballgame our defense gets under passes.”

UP got one back with 3:07 left in the game, Jade Traynor converting a corner shot. That came soon after it saw a 2-on-1 break come up empty at 3:34.

“I think we were well-matched with them at times,” Warren said. “They’re a very fast team … the most powerful offense we’ve faced.”

Lynnsi Joyce gave the Indians a nine-save game in goal, handling a total of 11 shots. They also had an 11-8 edge on the Monarchs in corners.

“On corners,” Warren said, “we try to shoot if we can, or pick it up if we can’t. That’s what we need to do, read the defense and play accordingly.”

GM goalie Sweeney matched Joyce’s number of saves on a similar number of shots.

“I think their goalie did well,” Warren noted. “She was stopping shots.”

While the Monarchs go for a district title against a Villa Maria team it played twice during the regular season, Villa has a win and tie against GM, both in overtime.

UP, in turn, hosts Merion Friday. With the district’s top four teams already securing state berths, the Indians will be seeking the third seed.

NOTES >> GM found itself a player down for two minutes of the first quarter after being assessed a green card. The Monarchs also had one final scoring opportunity with 34 seconds left, but UP stopped the try.