Lilly Sweeney leads Gwynedd Mercy past Villa Maria

GWYNEDD VALLEY >> It’s been more than 10 months since Gwynedd Mercy Academy and Villa Maria Academy played for the 2021 District 1-2A championship in November.

When the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies rivals faced off Thursday, some players were different, some coaches were different and the location was different.

But the result was the same.

The Monarchs won by the same score that they did in last year’s district title game, 3-1, at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School.

“This was a game we were looking forward to just competition-wise,” GMA goalie Lilly Sweeney said. “We knew we have strong girls on both teams, but it was definitely something to look forward to.”

Sweeney was a stonewall in goal for the Monarchs (4-0-1, 3-0 AACA). She made more than 15 saves to help hold Villa Maria to one goal.

“Really focusing on the ball,” she credited for her strong game. “My defense is amazing. Catherine (Fitzgerald), Bria (Mahoney) and Caroline (Fitzgerald) – we absolutely know how to work together, just focusing on the ball and knowing the other team’s skills and where to cover definitely helps.”

The Hurricanes (2-3, 2-2 AACA) earned 10 penalty corners in the game and the Monarchs successfully defended nine of them. VMA frequently inserted to captain Gia Whalen, who consistently put her strong shot on the cage.

“I’m just focusing on the ball,” Sweeney said. “I’m not really looking at the player who’s shooting. Focusing on the ball, seeing if it’s being tipped from a different player, seeing if it’s going right or left. Just focusing on the ball.”

Gwynedd Mercy jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half.

Ava Huntley scored 3:07 into the game to put the Monarchs in front when she found the ball in a crowd in front of the cage and put it away for a score.

In the final 10 seconds of the first quarter, Penny Gilmore doubled the lead. Huntley passed to the far-side of the cage and Gilmore was there to re-direct it in for a 2-0 lead.

Sydney Mandato made it 3-0 with 2:04 left in the first half, but the Hurricanes managed a goal before the break. On a penalty corner, Brynna Hall scored, courtesy of Whalen, with just one second remaining to get VMA on the board and send the game to halftime with GMA ahead, 3-1.

“There is a little bit of a deflation,” Sweeney said of the last-second goal, “but we are very good at keeping and picking ourselves back up as a team. Both coaches keep the energy up along with everyone – Sydney (Mandato) and Catherine (Fitzgerald) know how to pick everyone up. We go out just as strong as we started.”

Both sides played strong defense in the second half. GMA earned two corners in the second half while VMA had three.

Gwynedd Mercy is back in action Saturday, traveling to Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

“We’re so extremely happy with how this season is going already,” Sweeney said. “With two new coaches you never really know how it’s going to go, but this season has been amazing so far and every single girl on the team is ready to win and ready to come in and play as a team.”

Villa Maria has a pair of games against Inter-Ac opponents and two games against out-of-state schools before returning to AACA play on Sept. 27 against Villa Joseph Marie.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy 3, Villa Maria Academy 1

Villa Maria Academy 0 1 0 0 – 1

Gwynedd Mercy Academy 2 1 0 0 – 3

Goals: VMA: Brynna Hill. GMA: Ava Huntley, Penny Gilmore, Sydney Mandato.

Assists: VMA: Gia Whalen. GMA: Ava Huntley.