Radnor, Springfield aim for one more surprise

Radnor coach Brooke Fritz was relieved when she got the call Thursday about the PIAA girls lacrosse final. In the infinite wisdom of the PIAA, Radnor, the District One champion, would play the district’s fifth-placed team, Conestoga, in Saturday’s final while wearing their away red jerseys.
When Springfield’s boys team dispatched Strath Haven in Tuesday’s semifinal, one of the first thoughts to cross Tom Lemieux’s mind was, one more … as in, one more game as an underdog against District 12 champion La Salle.
For two teams that have so spectacularly upset conventional wisdom and embraced the underdog role this season, the destinies of Radnor and Springfield seem entwined in Saturday’s finals at West Chester East. Two teams that each finished fifth (fifth!) in the Central League will play for the state crown.
Radnor meets a familiar foe in neighborhood rival Conestoga in the girls final, which faces off at 10 a.m. Springfield and La Salle will get underway a half-hour after the completion of the girls game, somewhere between noon and 12:30. (Both games were moved up due to the threat of inclement weather.)
It’s a testament to the incalculable depth of the Central League that both teams are still standing, and their complex journeys present narrative-dashing distortions.
The daunting task of running the table through districts and states would normally dominate the minds and dictate the pressure on Radnor (20-6) to do as difficult a double as PIAA competition presents in any sport. But Fritz says that’s not something that’s even vaguely on the radar for her girls.
The ninth seed in the District One tournament has no problem conceding that despite being district champs, the majority of outsiders — from Twitter pollsters to LaxPower’s rankings — favored Garnet Valley in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Even 48 hours later, Fritz remains at a loss for words as to how her Raiders recouped an 8-2 deficit to the two-time reigning state champs and cobbled together a sensational 10-9 win.
And everyone in the Radnor camp knows the weight of expectations will be on Conestoga (23-1), the Central League champ, top seed in districts and consensus No. 1 in the state throughout the season. The uniform decision only formalizes what the majority of fans in attendance will be thinking Saturday: That Conestoga, on paper, should be the favorite … you know, like they were when Radnor tipped them, 10-8, in the district quarters.
“I think they fully believe Conestoga is a better team because of their offensive firepower,” Fritz said. “They’re very powerful, fast in attack. Our strength is our defense, and their strength is their offense, so that puts us on the defensive. … But they have the confidence that they can beat them because they’ve done it.”
“Even though we won districts, people still see us as the underdog, which we’re willing to take that title,” senior captain Abby Lord said. “We love it.”
The source of Radnor’s inspiration is often intangible. They don’t light up scoreboards like Garnet Valley and Conestoga, they just get the job done in a workmanlike, defense-first approach that isn’t flashy. Part of that understated nature, Fritz said, stems from leaders like Lord and Katie Quinn, who value hustle and provide the emotional spark by example.
The collective result is a remarkably poised team that’s nearly impossible to rattle, as the Garnet Valley shocker illustrated fabulously.
With a similar pang of pride, Springfield coach Tom Lemieux declares his team not to have been favored in a game in weeks. Short of the states opener against Delaware Valley, the last time Springfield (19-7) was the odds-on pick for a game was its district opener against Great Valley May 17, when the No. 10 seed hosted the 23rd-seed Patriots. Seems like a season ago.
“It’s kind of what we like because we did have a rough start, we had our growing pains early,” Lemieux said. “We did like that. And we shouldn’t be favored in this game, and that’s OK with us. I know our kids are a tough group.”
Springfield started the season 1-5. Since, it has won 18 of 20, peaking at the perfect time. Hence the tautology in Lemieux’s logic: No one expects them to win, but the Cougars, with their quiet confidence, never expect to lose.
That sensibility is deeply ingrained and battle hardened. The Cougars have the experience of last year’s District One title run, imbuing many in a young squad with the knowhow to navigate grand postseason stages. On the negative side of the ledger, many remember the state semifinal ouster to eventual champ Radnor last year, a setback that spurred them deeper into this postseason.
In practical terms, the Central League is a huge benefit to the Cougars. They dropped the first five decisions in games decided by two goals or fewer, yet they’ve won the last seven such contests. La Salle (23-1), meanwhile, is 3-1 in games decided by two goals or fewer. The abundance of challenges has burnished a Springfield side that has repeatedly summoned its resolve in late-game predicaments.
“I think we’ve been in every situation this year,” Lemieux said. “That’s definitely a huge positive, that you’ve seen all these situations and you need to stay poised.”