Fast start guides Great Valley to convincing win
EAST MARLBOROUGH >> Jumping out to a fast start is on every coach’s to-do list. Great Valley girls lacrosse coach Kim Wenger was more than satisfied as her team jumped out to a big lead and cruised to a 12-3 victory in a Ches-Mont League American Division contest on a cool Tuesday afternoon.
The Patriots won the first five draw controls and turned them into four goals as they notched the initial six goals of the contest.
“Feels good, said Wenger. “The kids were hungry for the ball, winning the draw. We were six of eight in the first half, so happy with that. It had not been our story all season.”
“We were definitely confident when we came out,” said senior midfield maestro Kaitlyn Giandonato. “We know they’re a tough team and we just got on top first.”
It took them less than a minute to do that as Noelle Albanese drove in from right to left, got a step on her defender and drilled a shot into the net.
Giandonato got on the board seconds later — her first shot was stopped by goalie Layla Watson, but she scooped up the rebound and deposited it into the net.
Giandonato collected her second after winning the ensuing draw. She went around the net from right to left, got a sliver of daylight and ripped a shot into the net to make it 3-0 just eight minutes into the contest.
“I thought we all did great,” added Giandonato.
Charlotte Borger notched a goal on a free position to bump the advantage to 4-0. Giandonato recorded her third of the half as the lead grew to 5-0. The run ended with Sophia Geibel scoring on a free position.
Unionville played from a disadvantage, losing the possession battle. When they did control the ball, either turnovers or goalie Sydney Manning (four saves) stymied them.
“We had to figure out what we were doing on the draw. Great Valley was coming out and winning draws,” said Unionville coach Marie Pepper. “We did switch it up a little bit and we got a couple more than we did in the beginning, but since they controlled the draw, they controlled the time of possession and that’s where we were lacking.”
The Longhorns got on the board with 8:31 left as Maddie Baughan converted a free position to make it 6-1.
The second half did not get much better for Unionville, as the Patriots scored the first three goals to grow the lead to 9-1. Albanese tallied the last one of the run by firing a sidearm laser from distance.
Delaney Harlan and Jane Gutting also scored for the Longhorns, who fell to 4-3 in the American and 5-7 overall as they fight to capture a spot in the District 1 3A playoffs.
“Definitely with our draw,” said Pepper when asked what had to improve in the drive for a district spot. “We need to kind of tighten that up a little bit and then we’ll have more time of possession and we need some of our attackers, who I know are younger, to step up.”
Unionville did have its opportunites, but Manning and Catie Borger kept the lid on the net. Borger came in after halftime to relieve Manning and made seven saves to frustrate the Longhorns.
“Both goalies played great games. Defense did well,” added Wenger. “First half did a nice job clearing the ball. Second half not so much. Solid effort from both of our goalies.”
The win kept Great Valley in first place in the American at 6-1-1 with four league games left, and 7-2-1 overall.
Great Valley 12, Unionville 3
Great Valley 6 6 — 12
Unionville 1 2 — 3
Great Valley goals: Giandonato 5, Albanese 3, Ch. Borger, Geibel, Palmer, Schneider.
Unionville goals: Baughan, Gutting, Harlan.
Goalie saves: Manning (GV) 4; Ca. Borger (U) 7; Watson (U) 6.
