Slow start doesn’t deter Springfield from cruising past Owen J. Roberts

SPRINGFIELD — Eight minutes had transpired in Tuesday’s District 1 Class 3A first-round playoff game and Springfield girls lacrosse coach Keith Broome couldn’t help but wonder, where are the goals?

“Offensively, it was 0-0 for what felt like forever,” he said. “I didn’t think we took great shots early. We were facing a tall goalie, so we had to shoot low, we had to be a little better.”

Although 16th-seeded Springfield was dominating time of possession, it had nothing to show for it early on against No. 17 Owen J. Roberts. Maddie Kane eventually lit the spark for the Cougars. The junior midfielder converted a free position shot with 2:57 left in the first quarter, ending the stalemate. Kane finished with a game-high four goals to lead the Cougars to a 13-3 victory.

Springfield (12-6) faces Downingtown West (18-0), which is the top seed in the tournament, in a second-round game Thursday.

While the Cougars needed extra time to hit their stride on attack, their performance on defense was stellar from the opening draw. Molly Clifford, Katie Keffer and Macy Gougler helped set the tone with interceptions and caused turnovers in the first quarter.

“We definitely worked together as a team today and got everybody included,” Kane said. “We were fighting for every ground ball and got every possession that was on the ground. We really connected with each other and we kept that going the entire game.”

Springfield had a shutout going late into the first half. Owen J. Roberts finally got on the scoreboard via Emery Horn’s 8-meter shot with 1:36 left in the second quarter.

“We came into the game knowing we were going to pressure them as much as we can and force them to turn over the ball as much as possible,” Clifford said.

Broome was most impressed with his team’s relentless play on the defensive end.

“They had a hard time getting into our defense, penetrating our defense,” he said. “Defensively, I thought we played really, really well. That was a big plus for us.”

As Springfield’s “D” was standing tall in front of goalies Geena Augello and Maddy McBride, who combined for three saves, Kane was busy showcasing her awesome shot-taking abilities. In the second quarter, with Springfield ahead 5-0, Kane sent a bullet low to the ground and past the glove of OJR goalie Korrigan Sweeney (five saves). Moments later Kane drove to the net, stopped, and fired a nifty behind-the-back shot for her third goal, extending Springfield’s lead to 6-0.

“I’ve practiced it a lot in my backyard,” said Kane, who is committed to Lehigh University. “I’ve seen a lot of college players do it, so I’ve worked on it.”
Kane is the Cougars’ leading scorer on the season. She was officially named to the All-Central League first team Tuesday.

“Maddie is a very good shooter and she places a ball beautifully,” Broome said. “And she can catch the ball very well. If someone throws a ball five feet over her head, she comes down and catches it. She’s just a very smooth attack player.”

Whenever the Cougars need a boost, they can rely on Kane, Allie Hunter, Jaclyn Guille, Claire Lynch, Emma Barrett, Kylee O’Donnell and Devin Buggy, all of whom had a big hand in the scoring Tuesday. Buggy scored a hat trick. Lynch, Barrett, Hunter and O’Donnell each recorded a goal and an assist.

“Allie Hunter and Jaclyn Guille are doing a good job assisting for us now. That’s been the key,” Broome said. “Jaclyn didn’t get a lot of good shots, but she made some nice passes in and Allie Hunter made some nice passes in. That’s really helping. And if we’re catching, Devin Buggy getting three goals, that’s from the girls passing in to her. I thought the girls did a great job with their passing and catching for most of the game.”

Springfield has a tall task against Downingtown West in the second round. The Cougars, who advanced all the way to PIAA semifinals last year, hope that Tuesday’s performance is a sign they are starting to peak at the right time.

“I know we’re definitely still upset about last year’s semifinal loss (against Penncrest) and we want to get back there again,” Kane said. “Just being with each other is so much fun and we want to keep the season going and continue to work hard for everything.”