LOWER MORELAND >> Little things can add up and that’s certainly been the case for Lower Moreland this season. After winning one game in 2022 and two games in 2023, the Lions focused on the little things this year and won eight games, the most in a single season since the program started in 1978.
“The biggest thing that we’ve been able to do and has really helped take us to the next level is focusing on the little things,” LM coach Steve Wittmer said after the regular season finale against New Hope-Solebury at Valley Center Park Wednesday afternoon. “Focus on the little things, one aspect of the game at a time. In the past two years it has made a huge difference.”
One big thing that has helped the turnaround was Wittmer teaming up with assistant coach Deb Lawlor, who was Lower Moreland’s head coach for nearly 15 years before having a long and successful run as head coach at Gwynedd Mercy Academy.
“The big thing when I took over, looking at who shared my love of this game and who shared a vision of building this program with me, I could not have handpicked a better coach than coach Lawlor,” Wittmer, who’s in his second season as head coach, said. “She is amazing in everything she brings to this program. She has 30-plus years of coaching experience and knowledge of the game. Her energy and the standard that she sets for our girls, coaching young women, is second to none. I could not be more thankful for everything she brings to the table. She is just amazing to coach with.”
The improvements were evident across the board this season. In addition to winning four times as many games as they did in 2023, the Lions (8-10) went from 83 goals scored to 157 and trimmed their goals against from 250 to 189.
“I think this season we worked much better as a team,” Lower Moreland’s Olivia Buczacki, who scored five goals against NHS, said, “rather than a bunch of individuals on the field. I think we’re passing more, we’re getting better shots off.
“I think we have really good shooters, honestly. We have good runners, so good drives. I think driving is our biggest strong suit.”
It didn’t take long to see that this season would be different for the Lions. They started the season with three wins – matching the combined win total from the previous two seasons – by beating Norristown, 16-8, Archbishop Ryan, 16-9, and Academy of the New Church, 10-5.
“To come out 3-0,” Wittmer said, “it just solidified everything that we’ve been working towards and it was just such an amazing foundation for us as coaches, for the girls, for their level of confidence.”
Wittmer also pointed to things off the field that sparked the program’s turnaround – the sisterhood between the players and the support from athletic director Rob Dominick, parents, teachers and other Lower Moreland programs. Members of the baseball team lined the fence during Wednesday’s game against NHS.
“Athletics has a way of bringing us together,” Wittmer said, “not just on the field, but as a community, and if done right the sky is the limit. Coach Lawlor and myself are so excited of how far we’ve come these past two years and looking forward to our continued growth.”
The Lions have never made the District 1 playoffs. They are currently No. 15 in the District 1-2A standings, where the top 16 teams qualify for postseason play. While their regular season is complete, teams have until May 12 to play games that count for seeding.
“(Making districts) would be really exciting,” Buczacki said. “It would be history for Lower Moreland, I don’t think we’ve ever made districts. I think it would be very exciting and we will come out with our best attitude.”
Whether they make the playoffs or not, the 2024 season was a big step forward for a Lions team with a bright future. They graduate five seniors at the end of the school year.
“I’m really excited for (the future),” Buczacki, a junior, said. “Even if we don’t make playoffs this year, I think we have a very good chance next year. A lot of the eighth-graders coming up are good, the team we have now is really good. Even though we’ll be missing a few of our main people, I think we have a good chance of going further next year.”
