Gwynedd Mercy shuts out Northern York, returns to PIAA-2A semifinals

LANCASTER TWP. >> Audrey Beck did not need to think too hard about what she needed to do as the Gwynedd Mercy field hockey team pushed for a goal in the third quarter. It had been impressed on the senior and the rest of the Monarchs constantly throughout the season.

“Definitely framing the cage,” Beck said. “I can’t tell you how many times we say it in our practice, in our games, in the hallways down school like ‘Frame the cage, frame the cage.’”

After forcing a turnover deep in Northern York’s half of the field, Beck found her way to the front of the cage and was in the right spot to knock in a ball sent in by Rory Saxon to extend GMA’s lead to 2-0 in Saturday’s PIAA-2A quarterfinal.

“And I think even having our goalkeeper Lilly (Sweeney) in the back of my head saying it – I have to frame the cage,” Beck said. “So definitely being where your feet are and just letting it play through.”

Northern made a strong push early in the fourth quarter but Sweeney and the Monarchs defense held while Saxon struck for a goal with 3:05 remaining as Gwynedd Mercy returned to the state semifinals with a 3-0 victory at Penn Manor’s Comet Field.

“Fantastic,” Beck said. “We worked so hard from the start from August until now. It’s been so fun, it’s been a ride but we deserve to be here. We’re a hard-working team.”

Sydney Mandato scored the opening tally with 2:01 left in the first half while Beck doubled it at 8:14 in the third. Sweeney capped her nine-save effort by stopping a penalty stroke late in the fourth as Gwynedd Mercy (18-4-1), the District 1 runner-up, moves on to face District 3 champ Palmyra 5 p.m. Tuesday at Governor Mifflin High School.

The other Class 2A semifinal – District 1 champion Villa Maria taking on Mechanicsburg, which placed third in District 3 – follows at the same site at 7 p.m. Winners advances to meet in the state championship game 1 p.m. Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School.

“I’m just so excited to be back here with this team,” said Mandato, a Penn commit. “I love them so much and we’ve all been working hard this season so to have it pay off like this is a big deal. We’re excited.”

GMA and Palmyra – which topped defending 2A state champ Twin Valley 5-0 in Saturday’s second game at Comet Field – met in last season’s PIAA quarters with the Monarchs edging the Cougars 2-1 on their run to the state final.

“We’re ready to come in, we’re ready to get it done,” said Sweeney, an Ohio State commit. “No matter the score, no matter the outcome I’m still extremely proud of this team. We’ve worked so extremely hard from the start of August. We played extremely-hard competition and I think we’re ready to get in and get hungry.”

Northern York, which finished fifth in District 3, was looking to reach the PIAA semis for the first time since 2019. Down 2-0, the Polar Bears tried to ignite a comeback at the start of the fourth as they earned a pair of corners but could not convert on the opportunities.

With 78 seconds remaining, Northern was awarded a penalty stroke after a corner but Sweeney preserved the shutout – the Monarchs’ fifth in sixth postseason games – as she denied Lillian Fringer’s shot by lunging to right for a blocker save.

“It’s an adrenaline rush when I’m having zero shots scored on me,” said Sweeney, an Ohio State commit. “So it’s just an adrenaline rush, saying ‘I want to get this out no matter what.’”

The Monarchs lost to Catholic Academies rival Villa Maria 3-2 last Saturday but opened state play Tuesday by cruising past District 12 runner up Benjamin Rush 17-0. The Polar Bears would not concede goals as easily – Saturday’s first quarter finishing scoreless with both sides earning a pair of corners.

“The same deal last year, the same kind of thing happened,” said Mandato of the Monarchs topping Susquehannock 10-1 in the 2021 first round. “You know, all season we’ve had a lot of tough competition so I think we were pretty much prepared. And playing against each other is always great preparation, so yeah, I think we were fine.”

Mandato provided the breakthrough for GMA late in the second as a ball in the circle came to her out of a crowd and the senior sent a shot into the cage at 2:01.

“We’ve been working on rebounds a lot because we know we get a lot of opportunities there,” Mandato said. “I was just low and ready and had my team framing the goal so we were able to finish that.”

Beck’s defensive pressure paid off in Gwynedd Mercy going up 2-0 in the third as the turnover Beck caused eventually led to Saxon – from the right side of the circle – delivering a ball towards the front of the cage, where Beck was to send it in at 8:14.

 “I just eat up the intensity, I love the thrill of it,” said Beck, who is committed to Old Dominion for lacrosse. “Just dig deep and get the ball and everything will piece together after that cause I know I have a great team to support me.”

After picking up an assist in the third, Saxon struck for a goal to make it a 3-0 advantage at 3:05 in the fourth, the sophomore driving into the box then sliding a ball toward the cage that found the inside of the far left post.

Gwynedd Mercy 3, Northern York 0
Northern York 0 0 0 0 – 0
Gwynedd Mercy 0 1 1 1 – 3
Scoring: Second Quarter-Sydney Mandato (GMA) 2:01; Third Quarter-Audrey Beck (GMA), 8:14, Rory Saxon assist; Fourth Quarter-Saxon (GMA) 3:05.