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RADNOR — The Radnor girls lacrosse team continued its reign over Garnet Valley Tuesday evening in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A tournament.
Building on two triumphs over their Central League rivals this season, the Raptors earned a 13-8 victory to advance to Saturday’s state quarterfinals.
Taylor Murphy scored a game-high five goals, while Kate Gallagher recorded a hat trick. Grayson Buono and Sarah Kelley produced two goals apiece for the District 1 champions.
“We approached this game like we were the team that lost twice,” said Buono, who is bound for the University of Delaware. “We didn’t take any chances. We know how hard it is to beat a good team like Garnet Valley three times. I think it just speaks to our culture. We do not take anything for granted. … And we went out today and we killed it.”
Radnor (21-2) came out strong, establishing a 5-1 advantage in the first quarter. Gallagher and Murphy each netted two goals, while Buono added another.
Undeterred, Garnet Valley fought back in the closing seconds of the opening period. Goals by Jenny Green and Sammy Wood cut the deficit to 5-3, signaling that the Jaguars had enough in the tank to stay within striking distance of the high-powered Raptors. The second quarter saw GV capitalize on Radnor’s three yellow card penalties, which provided a crucial man advantage.
“Especially the third time playing them, we knew that today was all or nothing,” said Green, a junior midfielder, who finished with two goals. “Everybody put everything they had on the field and that’s why we didn’t get down, even when we were losing by four or five goals. We still put everything out there and believed in each other.”
Mia Raucci and Wood took full advantage of the power play, each scoring to narrow Radnor’s lead to 6-5 with 3:31 left before halftime. The Jaguars’ aggressive play put significant pressure on the Raptors.
And yet …
“We didn’t worry,” Buono said. “I think no matter what happens, we have (the attitude) that we can bounce back and never give in. They played us man-to-man, which we haven’t seen a whole lot recently, but we could play through it.”
As the first half drew to a close, Radnor regrouped and Murphy once again rose to the occasion. Her two goals in the final minute of the second quarter extended Radnor’s lead to 8-5, quelling Garnet Valley’s momentum and reasserting Radnor’s control over the game.
Radnor put the game away in the third quarter. Gallagher and Kelley both found the back of the net, pushing the Raptors’ lead to 10-5. This offensive burst ensured that Radnor maintained a comfortable margin, allowing the Raptors to dictate the tempo and stymie any further comeback attempts by Garnet Valley.
Radnor faces District 11 champion and unbeaten Pleasant Valley (24-0) Saturday at a neutral site. Pleasant Valley advanced with an 18-9 decision over Upper Dublin, District 1’s seventh-place team.
Radnor bowed in the quarterfinal round of last year’s tournament. They have no intentions of going home early this season.
“We have a better team and I think we are more prepared,” Buono said. “We have been wanting to get back ever since last year and we all know what we have to do for us to be successful.”
Co-captains Green and Wood are returning for the Jaguars next season. Also coming back is junior goalie Merrin Mink, who notched four saves against Radnor and helped keep the Jags competitive in many games.
“This team is like a family to me,” Green said. “All of these girls put so much into this team, making it so easy to love the sport of lacrosse. To be surrounded by so many supportive teammates means the world to me. Obviously it’s a disappointing ending, but I’m glad I have one more year with GV girls lacrosse.”
