Pottsgrove girls lacrosse runs win total to 11, enjoying banner year

POTTSGROVE >> Something was different this preseason for the Pottsgrove girls lacrosse team.

Pottsgrove had won three, five and six games respectively in the previous three seasons, including a total of four Pioneer Athletic Conference contests.

Within the first few weeks, the Falcons felt something special was coming.

“This year kind of just struck everyone,” senior Emily Williams said. “We sat down one day and we said listen, ‘We have the talent. If we really push ourselves, we can go farther.’ Everyone kind of agreed that’s what we want to do this year.”

Head coach Kirstin (Mayberry) Urie said her team’s win totals have usually ranged between four and seven victories during her eight seasons.

After Friday’s 18-7 win over Liberty, led by Williams’ seven goals, the Falcons are 11-4 overall and 7-3 in the PAC. They currently sit in first place of the Frontier division with a 7-0 mark. It’s already by far and away the best season in Urie’s tenure.

“I think our mentality is different,” senior Jordyn Mayes said. “The last three years, we walked in each game like we might win, we might not. This year, we walk into every game saying we can win this game. It’s all up to us.”

Brooke Saylor, now a volunteer coach, was the only key contributor from last year’s team to graduate for Pottsgrove. Along with bringing back all but one starter, the Falcons added talented freshmen Sydney Wasdick, Katie Bean and Alaura O’Neill, who is playing goalie for the first time in her life. Wasdick scored four goals on Friday.

The group has gelled well with seniors Williams, Mayes, Anna Carroll, Alyssa Petrucelli and Allie Reppert, who are all four-year varsity starters. Add in talented sophomores and juniors like Riley Simon and Sydney Tornetta, another four-goal scorer Friday, and the Falcons have one of their best teams in recent history.

Pottsgrove has a chance to win its first Frontier division championship under Urie and compete in the league and district playoffs. They are currently ranked No. 6 in the District 1 Class 2A rankings.

“It’s really cool because we’re kind of the first team in Pottsgrove history to do this,” Tornetta said. “I’m really psyched to be a part of it.”

Urie played against Pottsgrove in the early 2000s when she was at Pottstown. She said the matchups with Pottsgrove and talented players like Jenna Manula and Ali Bainbridge were always difficult.

The Falcons have turned into one of those teams this season where opponents know they are going to be a tough out. Even in losses to Liberty Division teams Methacton and Boyertown, Urie said her team was much more competitive than in seasons past.

“I’ve been here for eight years, and we’ve never had a team like this,” Urie said. “This is the first year we’ve really been able to step up and be competitive with everyone.”

Pottsgrove will finish off its season with games against Upper Perkiomen, Upper Merion and Phoenixville. Wasdick netted game-winning goals in the final seconds in both of the previous meetings.

The Phantoms and Vikings are two losses behind the Falcons in the division standings. Two wins in their final three games would clinch a division title for Pottsgrove.

For the seniors who had to endure three difficult years, this season has been a reward for all their hard work.

“It’s been a rough three years being at the end of the PAC,” Mayes said. “We wanted to make a difference this year.”

“We are winning, we’re doing our best, we’re pushing as hard as we can,” Williams added. “It just feels great to come out on top, especially when other teams don’t expect it from us, other people are looking down on us … This year it’s completely different.”