Conestoga win sets stage for rematch with Avon Grove
EAST MARLBOROUGH – The boys’ lacrosse rematch that all of District 1 wanted to see is now going to happen on Saturday, but before it became a certainty, Conestoga had to deal with a stubborn Wilson West Lawn squad in the first round of the PIAA 3A Tournament.
And for a while on Tuesday at Unionville, things didn’t go smoothly for the Pioneers. But thanks to a second quarter scoring outburst from Kent Hjelm, and some solid defense thrown in, ’Stoga finished strong to upend the Bulldogs 12-7 and set the stage for another clash with Avon Grove.
“It seems like we always play (Avon Grove) in the playoffs,” said Conestoga midfielder Tate Kienzle.
Saturday’s quarterfinal between the Pioneers and the Red Devils will be the fourth high stakes postseason collision in this burgeoning rivalry in the last 12 months. A week earlier, ’Stoga eked out a three overtime thriller in the District 1 semifinal. In 2017, it was a 1-1 split, but Avon Grove prevailed in the state title game.
“I think there is mutual respect between the two programs,” Pioneers’ head coach Brody Bush said. “It is going to come down to some of the little nuances of the game rather than just X’s and O’s.
“Every time we play, (Avon Grove) brings its best game. The have great players all over the field and our boys are going to have to be ready to match the intensity that they are going to bring.”
The slow start on Tuesday, however, may have been the result of a hangover more than from looking ahead. That’s because Conestoga was upset last weekend by Central League foe Garnet Valley in the district final.
“We had to get it out of our system, but then again we are angry from that game and we used it as fuel,” Kienzle pointed out. “It comes down to fundamentals and all of the little stuff adds up.”
Even though the Pioneers scored three of the first four goals against West Lawn, who finished third in the District 3 Tournament, the score was deadlocked at 4-4 after one period.
“I think we were a little overconfident in the beginning and we extended out too much,” Bush explained. “But we learned as the game went on.”
It all turned around in the second quarter, which belonged to Hjelm, who suffered a midseason broken left hand and missed a total of five games. He returned for the postseason, but the senior attacker was unable to return to mid-season form until scoring a natural hat-trick and finishing with four goals in the period. It put the Pioneers (18-5 overall) ahead for good.
“Kent’s hand is finally starting to feel better,” Bush said.
“I feel 100 percent,” Hjelm added. “It took a couple games to get used to wearing a protective brace under my glove but now I don’t feel it anymore.
“In the first quarter, I hit a pipe and in the last few games I’ve had trouble finishing. I’ve been working hard on cashing in on opportunities, so it felt good to finally get that reward.”
Lanky junior Will Schnorr opened the second half with one of his four goals on the day and Brendan Murphy added another – both on assists from Kienzle – to make it 10-5. But the Bulldogs (17-4 overall) fought back and cut it to 10-7 heading into the fourth.
With considerable help from goaltender Scott MacMillan, however, the ’Stoga defense clamped down the rest of the way. And the Pioneers closed it out with two goals in the final two minutes.
“At this point, anyone can win,” Bush said. “(West Lawn) moves the ball well and they are a well-coached team.
“I thought we had a really good second and fourth quarter. That was enough for us to win this game.”
Kienzle finished with two goals and two assists, and the hero from the first clash with Avon Grove – senior Nick Braendel – had two goals. James Reilly was 11 of 14 in face offs in the first half before slightly tweaking an ankle in the second. But he is expected to play against the Devils, who had little trouble with St. Joseph’s Prep earlier on Tuesday.
The time and location of the rematch has not yet been announced.
“That was the most tiring game of the season,” Hjelm said of the 9-8 marathon win against Avon Grove on May 22. “They have a lot of athletes, and we do too. That game is always a lot of fun.
“Our history with (Avon Grove) is so rich and we want to keep competing with them and hopefully overcome them again. Maybe this time it will only take four quarters.”
Conestoga 12, Wilson West Lawn 7
Wilson West Lawn 4 1 2 0 — 7
Conestoga 4 4 2 2 — 12
Wilson West Lawn goals: Reinhart, Grayson, Marrell, Horst 2, Magalotti 2.
Conestoga goals: Braendel 2, Murphy, Schnorr 4, Hjelm 4, Reilly.
Goalie saves: Cox (W) 8; MacMillan (C) 10.
