SPRINGFIELD — On the field, Ty Gougler is still one of the most dynamic high school lacrosse players in the area. That was apparent Tuesday evening.
The Springfield senior has been a role model for his teammates, his journey back to the field marked by resilience and determination. It was nearly one year ago when Gougler suffered a season-ending knee injury, moments after scoring a pivotal goal late in the District 1 Class 3A final.
Springfield’s head coach Tom Lemieux praised Gougler after his attackman scored four goals to lead the No. 1 Cougars to a 16-4 triumph over ninth-seeded Upper Dublin Tuesday night, noting that his work ethic has been a source of inspiration for the entire team.
“The kids have seen how hard he’s worked hard to get back,” Lemieux said. “And they see how he stepped up as a leader and kind of assumed his role early on. As he’s started to feel better and better, it’s really nice to see. You can tell he’s almost back to where he was. The adversity he’s dealt with and how he’s handled it has been unbelievable. He’s one of the best kids we’ve ever had in our program.”
Because the Cougars are so loaded with talent, Gougler hasn’t needed to be “the guy” every game. The ball doesn’t always have to be in his stick. He has teammates like Luke Valerio, Brad Barber and Pat Flaherty who can create offense and score the ball.
“It feels great because our whole offense is great,” Gougler said. “I know I can do as much as I can, but not too much so that I hurt my knee again. Our offense is just so awesome, our ball movement is good. The pressure is off of me because we have great attackmen like Brad and Pat. I know they’ll be there if I need help “
Flaherty, who takes pride in being a facilitator for the Cougars, had a huge game Tuesday with two goals and five assists.
“I know when they are coming fast at me, I can dodge and just look for the open guy,” Flaherty said. “I know someone will be open.”
The Cougars had to weather the storm in the first quarter against the Cardinals, who led 2-1 courtesy of goals by Ben Guagliardo and Kyle Spirt. Gougler scored the equalizer, on a Flaherty assist, with 2:53 left in the period.
Springfield proceeded to dominate the rest of the game, scoring eight unanswered goals to take a commanding 9-2 lead into halftime. Lucas “Cheese” Aaron was a machine on faceoffs. The Cougars pounced on Upper Dublin turnovers and responded with points when the Cardinals were whistled for two penalties in the second quarter. Gougler netted three goals in the stanza and Valerio added two.
Springfield handled Upper Dublin, 13-6, on the final day of the regular season May 10.
“They did a couple of different things on offense, so we had to figure out what we were going to do,” Lemieux said. “They changed a lot up, which is a credit to them. That’s a good team. I thought we did a nice job and we started clicking in the second quarter.”
Next up for Springfield is a rematch with No. 4 Radnor, which destroyed Pennridge, 18-4, in another quarterfinal game. The rivals met in both the District 1 and PIAA final a season ago, with Radnor taking the state title. This year the teams shared the Central League championship, but Radnor won the head-to-head matchup.
“I expect to see a ton of energy and excitement,” Lemieux said. “(Radnor) is really good, all over the field. It’s a big rivalry and we have a ton of respect for them. It’s going to be fun.”
In another District 1 Class 3A quarterfinal:
Garnet Valley 17, Ridley 6 >> The Jaguars were ready from the start, running out to a 9-0 lead after one quarter as the district’s third seed moves on to states.
Drew Goldt and Joshua Graham scored four times each, Goldt adding an assist. Kai Lopez had two goals and two assists to go with a 13-for-23 day at the X. Luke O’Donoghue dished four assists, and Ethan Potochar tallied a hat trick. Drew Keaveney made 11 saves in goal.
Ridley, the No. 11 seed, will have a chance to reach states if it wins a playback game on Thursday. Six teams get to states in the boys field.
