Radnor’s terrific trio answers wake-up call
WEST CHESTER >> In a perfect world, Brooke Fritz would prefer to see all of her players get in on the scoring action.
However, the Radnor coach isn’t complaining about the production of three awesome performances that fueled her club’s first-round PIAA tournament win Wednesday at West Chester Henderson High School.
Emily Games, Katie Quinn and Fallon Quinn combined for all but two of Radnor’s tallies in a 17-11 victory over District Three’s Manheim Township.
The District One champions continue their quest for a state title when they meet District One fourth-place finisher Bishop Shanahan in a second-round matchup Saturday.
“I’m so proud of them, really, because they’re all seniors and mean so much to our team,” Fritz said of the three-headed monster of Games, Quinn and
Quinn. “Fallon and Katie, especially, haven’t always had the confidence driving and they’ve really worked on it and they’ve been so good. Emily has always been our go-to and able to weave through traffic, but she struggled in the beginning of the season trying to pick her times and her shooting percentage wasn’t that great. That’s all changed.
“It’s definitely good timing, right now, to get their confidence going and get their momentum going.”
Games and Katie Quinn paced the Raiders with six goals apiece, while Fallon Quinn chipped in with three. The key, Fallon Quinn says, is the trio’s long-standing relationship. Most of Radnor’s seniors have been playing together since the fourth or fifth grade, and that chemistry is apparent on the field.
“We’ve been playing together for a while and we know how each other plays the game,” Fallon Quinn said. “We kind of expect it from each other, you know? After playing for so long, I guess we let each other do what we’re good at. Emily is really good at rolling well and Katie is really good with the drive up top. We have trust in each other.”
“It’s not just us three, it’s the entire team,” Katie Quinn said. Kate and Fallon, by the way, are not related. “We have this great bond. Anyone can say anything to anyone, everyone is comfortable (with speaking up) and saying what they have to say. We’re just a really close team.”
The Raiders got a wakeup call 13 seconds into the first half when Manheim won the draw, sprinted 35 yards and fired the game’s opening salvo.
“We knew they would be a good team. Once they scored that first goal, right away, we knew we had to step it up,” Fallon Quinn said.
Katie Quinn netted her second goal in the sixth minute to put the Raiders (18-6) in front to stay, 3-2. It was the first of five straight tallies for Radnor. The Blue Streaks (14-8) got within three, 8-5, before the Raiders closed the first half with back-to-back goals to take a 10-5 lead into intermission. Allison Lanzone and Nicole Massimino were among the standouts defensively in front of goalie Alexa Solomon (six saves).
Lanzone and freshman Catie Cox each added a goal for Radnor.
