CONCORD TWP. — After one quarter Thursday night, Drew Goldt advocated for calm on the Garnet Valley sideline.
The Jaguars had committed four penalties in the first 12 minutes of their District 1 Class 3A second-round game. They had allowed visiting Owen J. Roberts to score four times.
The key for the third-seeded Jaguars, the attackman knew, was to just let the game settle.
“We talked with the offense about just every ball we have a chance at getting, just give 100 percent,” Goldt said. “Every single ride, every single groundball has to be ours, and when we come up with those balls, we’ve got to possess it, and that’s what we did.”
Goldt did his part with four goals, and Garnet Valley stabilized the game behind a second-quarter zero and 14 saves from a tremendous Drew Keaveney in a 13-7 win.
The victory sends Garnet Valley into an all-Central League affair next Tuesday against No. 11 Ridley, which upended No. 6 C.B. West, 7-6. The winner of that quarterfinal game Tuesday advances to states, with the loser earning a chance to playback into the field.
The Jaguars started about as poorly as they could, defensive middie Evan Wilkens’ goal 67 seconds in notwithstanding. The Jaguars were called for four flags in the first quarter and another early in the second, getting overly aggressive with their sticks.
OJR cashed in twice, on carbon-copy goals fed by Danny Walker at the left side of the cage to fellow sophomore Brody Calle in the slot. The last, with 1:58 left in the first, put the Wildcats up 4-2.
“Momentum was great,” senior attackman Gabe Dellapenna said. “We were winning faceoffs, we were getting penalties. Everything was flowing. The offense was moving quick. Things were flowing in the first quarter.”
But the Jags, superior on talent, knew the game would balance if they stopped beating themselves. Goldt soothed nerves with a solo drive to the cage, then senior middie Luke Mingioni, in his first game of the season after a knee injury, evened the game at four after the Jags’ third penalty kill.
Joshua Graham took a feed from Kai Lopez at 6:07 of the second to put GV up for good at 5-4.
“When we go down, we never want to put our heads down,” Goldt said. “It showed in this game. We want to be as relentless as possible. That’s what we did.”
Parker Williams capitalized on a man-up chance in the final minute of the first half, off one of three pinpoint dimes from Luke O’Donoghue. Lopez won the opening draw of the second half and tic-tac-toed it through Goldt to Ethan Potochar to make it 7-4 just four seconds in. Lopez scored again before Dellapenna stopped the bleeding at seven straight goals.
Lopez had a goal and two assists despite a rough night at the X, handled by Justin Daubert, who went 14-for-23.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Dellapenna said of Daubert. “We counted on him all season, and he really showed out.”
Keaveney was a big reason why OJR’s momentum never restarted. He posted 10 saves in the first half. Many of OJR’s 15-yard efforts simply weren’t good enough to beat the goalie, who has been rock solid all year. Once they curtailed the infractions, the Jaguars effectively funneled OJR attackers to the kinds of shots they knew their goalie could handle, and he duly repaid that effort.
“It’s been great all year,” Goldt said. “He’s only gotten better and better since freshman year, and this is the best I’ve seen him play. He’s an amazing goalie.”
“He was great all game,” Dellapenna said. “Got to give respect where it’s due. He made some big saves. We hit a couple of pipes. Sometimes, that’s just how it goes.”
Calle and Dellapenna had two goals and an assist each, all of the latter’s in the second half. Walker had a goal and two helpers, and Blake Walther added a goal and an assist.
In other District 1 Class 3A action:
Springfield 16, Conestoga 1 >> The top-seeded Cougars routed their league rivals behind four goals each from Ty Gougler and Luke Valerio, Valerio adding two assists.
Patrick Flaherty had three goals and three assists. Brad Barber paired three goals with two helpers. Springfield led 10-1 at half and never looked back.
Radnor 17, Central Bucks South 6 >> Owen Smith paired five goals with two assists as the fourth-seeded Raptors put the game away with a seven-spot in the third quarter.
Nate Lucchesi, Kessy Cox and Sawyer Smith scored twice each, Cox adding three helpers.
Ridley 7, Central Bucks West 6 >> Aaron Headley scored four goals to go with an assist, and Chase Staley scored the gamewinner as the No. 11 Green Raiders pulled the upset.
Luke Showalter had a goal and an assist. Chris Capozzoli had two assists. Colin Wintrode stopped nine shots.
