By Christiaan DeFranco
LOWER GWYNEDD — As bundled-up spectators were still laying down blankets on frigid aluminum bleachers, Gwynedd Mercy Academy found itself in a hole.
The Villa Maria Hurricanes took just 1 minute, 36 seconds to strike against GMA, a rival they were facing for the fourth time this year, in Tuesday night’s state semifinal.
Hurricanes sophomore sensation Caitlin Connell found open space and buried a blistering shot inside the far end of the net.
Bang! Just like that, GMA was on its heels.
“We just came out so fast, so quick,” Connell said. “We wanted to score really quickly. I got a nice lead across the circle and had a good shot to the far post.”
Connell, the team’s leading scorer, added another goal in the third quarter and Villa Maria held off the never-say-die Monarchs 2-1 at Wissahickon High School to reach the PIAA-2A championship game.
“Having the early lead is such an advantage,” Connell said. “Last time we played them, we scored in the first 30 seconds, and we almost did that again today. We’ve really had our foot on the gas. We’ve been really willing to score, really moving nicely.”
District 1 champion Villa will face District 3 champion Palmyra for the state title Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School.
“We are so excited,” Connell said. “Last year, losing in the state semi to Mechanicsburg, we’ve been working since then to get here. Going to the state championship this year is so important. Our program, we work so hard every single day, our coaches and everyone. Our program is so amazing, and I’m so lucky to be a part of it.”
Connell, who scored all four goals in the Hurricanes’ quarterfinal victory over Mount St. Joseph, scored her second goal Tuesday with 6:38 left in the third period, breaking free again to fire another dart.
“I think for a little bit, we started to coast when we were up 1-0,” Connell said. “But it was really important to get another goal to secure the lead. It was great passing movement. Without my teammates moving the ball like they did, I wouldn’t have been able to score.”
Villa has outscored opponents 10-2 in states after outscoring District 1 tournament opponents 29-2.
The Hurricanes (21-4) beat GMA 4-1 in their first regular season meeting on Sept. 5. The Monarchs won the second meeting 2-1 on Sept. 26, but Villa beat GMA 7-1 in the district semifinals Nov. 1.
“This is our fourth time playing them this season, so it’s obviously a familiar opponent,” Connell said. “They had an awesome season as well, and they came out with their foot on the gas too, but we capitalized early.”
Villa Maria produced 13 shots on goal and 11 corners against Gwynedd Mercy, which had just four shots on goal and five corners.
“Their one-touch balls were effective,” GMA coach Leah Westerman said. “They just constantly passed the ball looking for open space and moved the ball well.”
Rory Saxon, off an assist from Kendall DeLuca, scored the Monarchs’ only goal, which came late in the fourth quarter.
GMA keeper Jenny Keagy tallied 11 saves against Villa’s attack, while the Hurricanes’ Katie Connolly had three stops.
“The girls knew coming in that this was going to be a hard game,” Westerman said. “Villa is an amazing squad. Their coaching staff is incredible. The girls knew this is a game where they’d have to fight. Every chance we had, we told them, as long as there are minutes on the clock, there’s still time to score, still time to win.
“Their biggest focus today was that even if they got down, not to give up, and they didn’t,” Westerman said. “The fought until the very end, working hard to get that second goal to possibly go into overtime.”
After fighting out of its own end much of the night, GMA finally was able to push the ball upfield late, as Saxon found the net with 3:26 left in the game.
“We did beat them 2-1 this year, so we knew it was absolutely attainable to beat them again, and I think our girls came in with that mindset,” Westerman said. “That’s what they wanted to do, and they were going to fight until the very last second to try to do it.”
The Monarchs kept the pressure on in the final minutes. With 26 seconds remaining, they looked to start a breakaway from outside the circle, but Connell made a key interception and time eventually ran out on Gwynedd Mercy’s season.
“I just told them that every single one of them taught one of their teammates something,” Westerman said. “The veterans taught the younger players, the younger players might have taught something to the veterans. We had a really mixed group of ages, and I’m really proud of everyone on the team, from the seniors who showed leadership, to the freshmen who were willing to give it all.
“I’m proud of how they all worked together and meshed as a team.”
Gwynedd Mercy will lose seven seniors to graduation. Co-captain Maddie Bogle will play for Ohio State. But a talented core of starters will return next year, including several key underclassmen who now have state tournament experience.
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Email Christiaan DeFranco at cdefranco@thereporteronline.com. Follow him on X at @the_defranc, or visit ChrisDeFranco.com.
