Radnor rally made possible by Solomon’s clutch saves

MIDDLETOWN >> The final horn had just sounded at Penncrest Tuesday afternoon when Radnor defender Kerry Hammill sprinted across the turf and hit goalie Alexa Solomon with an open-field tackle that would’ve been the envy of many an Eagles secondary coach.

The celebratory dogpile — much like the sensational comeback that propelled Radnor to a 10-9 shock of Garnet Valley in the PIAA semifinals — started right then and there, with Solomon and her defense.

There are two sides to the comeback narrative for Radnor, which trailed the reigning state champs 8-2 with 7:17 left in the first half, but somehow summoned the resolve to produce eight of the game’s next nine goals.

The run reflects the resilience of Radnor’s attack. But it was made possible by Solomon’s steadfast play at the other end of the field.

The junior goalie made five saves, four in the second half as she regained her footing after a rampant start by the Jaguars. And the final stat line — that Solomon and the Radnor defense allowed Garnet Valley just one goal in the final 32 minutes of the game — is utterly astounding.

“In the second half, we were really able to step up our defense,” Solomon said. “That’s what really helped me out. It helped me gain my confidence back. I was able to make one save and then build off of that.”

Solomon’s day was a matter of quality over quantity, and the shots she denied after halftime came at critical junctures where Garnet Valley could’ve snatched Radnor’s runaway momentum back with a goal.

Solomon started the half with a denial of Emily Mathewson from eight meters. After Michelle Koscinski stopped the bleeding with a goal at 17:34 to bump Garnet’s lead to 9-5, Solomon fought off a Koscinski attempt from eight meters.

Then came the pivotal passage as the clock ticked under 12 minutes, when Garnet pushing the edge to 10-5 might have broken the Raiders’ resolve and curtailed the comeback effort. Koscinski flashed in front of goal and fired a shot that Solomon turned aside. Then Mathewson got a shot from eight meters, took two quick steps and hurried a shot that Solomon caught. She offloaded the clear to Katie Quinn, and seconds later, Quinn deposited a goal at 10:02 that narrowed the deficit to 9-6.

Nursing the lead, Garnet Valley reined in its rampant first-half offense prematurely, trying to toe the line between pushing for goals and milking the clock. After halftime, with Radnor controlling the majority of draws, the Jags pushed for free-position shots, just for that one look to stifle Radnor’s momentum.

But time and again, Solomon denied that. She also pushed the issue by being active outside the crease to hinder passes, contributing to a stingy team defensive effort once Radnor rallied from its slow start.

“I really value coming out of the crease and getting an interception,” she said. “I think being that extra defender is really important. Obviously making the saves are really important.”

Radnor’s semifinal experience blends seamlessly into their larger path to the Saturday’s PIAA final against Conestoga at West Chester East. The Raiders went from the No. 9 seed to District One champions. Even with the nominal seeding advantage, you’d be hard-pressed to have called them favorites Tuesday against the four-time state champion Jaguars, facing a group of seniors that has known nothing but state championships since they were sophomores.

But Solomon and company are just fine with the adversity.

“Our determination is just unbelievable on our team,” Solomon said. “And the fact that we’re so close just really makes us able to play well together.”