ABINGTON – Annalise Messina secured the draw control, dashed down the field and sent a shot into the back of the net, giving the Upper Moreland girls lacrosse team the lead just 11 seconds into the fourth quarter.
“I think we just needed a momentum shift,” Messina said. “Abington had it in one of the quarters and I think we just needed the momentum shift for the fourth quarter. And I saw the opportunity.”
Abington scored the final three goals of the second quarter to take a 6-3 halftime lead in Wednesday afternoon’s SOL American Conference contest. The visiting Golden Bears spent the third working their way back from the deficit, pulling even 7-7 on Messina’s tally with eight seconds left in the quarter.
Messina’s strike in the fourth’s opening moments gave Upper Moreland its first lead since the junior made it 1-0 less than two minutes into the matchup.
“I feel like we just had trust in each other,” said Messina, a Rutgers verbal commit. “We never actually felt like we were down, we always just kept playing our game. And a lot of the girls on our team are very fast, have a lot of endurance so it’s definitely just something we use to our advantage in the later quarters when we recognize that the other teams are getting tired.”
A goal from freshman Keira Hess with 7:57 remaining made it a 4-0 Bears run and pushed their advantage to two, which proved to be enough to hold off the Ghosts for a 9-8 victory at Memorial Field and keep pace in the race for the conference title.
“I knew that if we could catch up in the third quarter we would be able to turn it on the fourth quarter,” Upper Moreland coach Kim Franz said. “So that’s kind of what we talked at half, I was like all we need to do is close the gap in the third quarter, cause I know we have kids that are just, they’re like gazelles. I mean, they can run for hours and so I know once we get to that fourth quarter if it’s close that they can really turn it up a notch.”
Messina scored a game-high five goals while Olivia Meakim added two goals as the Golden Bears (12-2, 7-1 SOL American) earned their third straight win to match Springfield-Montco and Upper Dublin as the lone one-loss sides left in the conference play. Springfield was unbeaten until falling to Plymouth Whitemarsh 7-6 Monday.
“After our Senior Night we found out, we told ‘em and they were ecstatic,” said Franz of the Springfield loss. “So I think they know what’s at stake which is a big deal but they also handle that pressure too and so that’s exciting.”
Upper Moreland, Upper Dublin and Springfield finished in a three-way tie for the American crown last season. The Cardinals and Spartans both have two conference games left while Upper Moreland has three. The Bears, first in the District 1-2A rankings, host New Hope-Solebury 3:30 p.m. Friday then visit Upper Dublin 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Abington’s Katie Pennekamp scored twice to put the sophomore at 99 career goals. Addison Doyle and Piper McGinley also had two goals as the Ghosts (8-6, 5-4) lost their second straight after an 18-13 defeat to Wissahickon Monday.
“Usually we’re a second-half team and we kind of played a little flat, forced a couple things that we shouldn’t have,” Abington coach Meg MacClain said. “Dug ourselves in a hole and then just tried to come back from in the hole and just ran out of time unfortunately.”
Abington has play the top teams in the conference tough but have found themselves on the wrong end of a few close games – an 8-6 loss to Upper Dublin April 11 then getting edged by Plymouth Whitemarsh 9-8 April 22 then Upper Moreland Wednesday.
The Ghosts, 23rd in the District 1-3A rankings, visit Springfield 3:30 p.m. Monday.
“All season, we’ve made a name for ourselves,” MacClain said. “We come out strong, everyone kind of gets worried for us and then unfortunately it doesn’t end up falling our way but those girls have the fight in them, the confidence to compete with all the top teams.”
Messina knotted things 3-3 at 8:29 in the second quarter but Harper McGinley gave Abington back the lead at 7:29. A Doyle goal at 3:35 put the Ghosts up 5-3 while Pennekamp scored with just 14 seconds before halftime to make it 6-3.
“In the first half we were finding those holes in their defense to make those cuts, find those feeds and find that open person to get the easy shot off,” MacClain said. “I think the second half, Upper Moreland started to play a little tighter in the middle and we were trying to force things instead of playing smart with the ball like we were in the beginning of the game.”
A Meakim goal 49 seconds into the third quarter then Willow Taylor converting on an eight-meter shot had Upper Moreland within 6-5 at 9:07.
Pennekamp’s second tally of the afternoon had the Ghosts up 7-5 but Meakim scored at 5:41 then found Messina for a goal with eight seconds left in the quarter to tie the game 7-7.
“Olivia’s a great feeder, she sees the field really well,” Messina said. “And I just recognized that I had that extra step and I just cut through and Olivia found me with a good cut.”
Messina’s strike 12 seconds into the fourth gave the Bears their second lead of the game with Hess scoring off a Maggie Brophy assist at 7:57 to make it a 9-7 advantage.
Nora Luskin got Abington within 9-8 with 2:50 remaining. Upper Moreland worked the clock after collecting the ensuing draw control, the Ghosts getting the ball in the final seconds but could not get a try on goal.
In the first quarter, Messina gave UM a 1-0 lead at 10:37 before goals from Doyle and Piper McGinley – the latter on an eight-meter shot – had the Ghosts up 2-1 at 7:04.
Messina tied it 2-2 at 2:03 but Piper McGinley put Abington ahead with 40 seconds left in the quarter.
Upper Moreland 9, Abington 8
Upper Moreland 2 1 4 2 – 9
Abington 3 3 1 1 – 8
Goals: Upper Moreland: Annalise Messina 5; Olivia Meakim 2; Keira Hess; Willow Taylor.
Abington: Addison Doyle 2; Piper McGinley 2; Katie Pennekamp 2; Harper McGinley; Nora Luskin.
