Agnes Irwin continues chase for a trophy

RADNOR — The Agnes Irwin girls soccer team doesn’t need a history lesson.

By most measures, the last two seasons have been among the most successful in program history. Tuesday’s 4-0 triumph over the George School stood as the 14th of the season and 31st since the beginning of the 2013 campaign.

But for all the wins compiled by the Owls, there’s one obvious omission from the list of accomplishments: A championship of any sort. They’ve been on the precipice of an Inter-Ac League title the last two years, finished second both times, and advanced to the title game of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament last fall only to be blown out by Penn Charter.

So once again, the quest goes on, a journey that has come into clearer focus over the last week.

The Owls (14-3) took care of their end of the bargain last Friday, booking a 2-1 win over Episcopal Academy on the schools’ rivalry day to position itself for an Inter-Ac title. All they needed was a loss or draw by Penn Charter in its rivalry showdown with Germantown Academy Saturday, a trip that a number of Owls made to play spectator.

What they witnessed was a 3-2 win by the visiting Quakers in the game’s waning minutes, once again denying the Owls the championship they so dearly covet.

“It was so heartbreaking that they won in the last two minutes,’ senior defender Lauren Spinelli said. “The last few days have been, not depressing but upsetting, and this is just another week for us to come out. And that loss is motivating us to win this week.’

No longer sitting on the sidelines as powerless bystanders, the Owls have assumed control of their destiny in the PAISAA tournament, with Tuesday’s comfortable win over George School putting them two wins from a trophy that would be the culmination of two years of effort.

“We think about it a lot,’ junior midfielder Hannah Keating said of the title drought. “We always go into every game hoping and trying our best to win, but sometimes it’s not our game or we can’t quite finish the ball. I guess we see every game as a new opportunity to go out and try our hardest and see last time as an experience to get it this time.’

It’s a chance that the Owls seem determined not to squander, and if Tuesday’s performance was any indication, they’re putting that promise into action.

“In the Inter-Ac, we didn’t have any control (at the end) except for beating EA, and we did that,’ Spinelli said. “But we didn’t have a chance at controlling Penn Charter. In this tournament, we get to have control over how we play and how we move on. And if we win, we get to keep going on.’

Keating, for one, has been at the forefront of the Owls’ efforts to stock the trophy case. After scoring the game-winner in overtime against EA Friday, she added a pair of goals and an assist Tuesday in a game played almost exclusively in George School’s defensive end.

As she has been all season, Keating was the beating heart of Agnes Irwin’s dynamic midfield Tuesday, and the advantage garnered from the interchanging between she, Emily Fryer and Annie McConnon was too dominant for the Cougars to handle.

McConnon set up the opening goal for Kristin Burnetta in the first five minutes. Burnetta occupied defenders and played a smart 1-2 with Keating near the top of the 18-yard box for Keating to finish a shot hard and low to the goalkeeper’s right in the 14th minute to put the Owls up 2-0.

Just over 17 minutes into the second half, Keating finally cashed in on the one-way traffic enjoyed by the Owls, lofting a free kick over goalie Shannon Cunningham (12 saves) and just inside the right post to make it a three-goal cushion. The flight of the ball was reminiscent of the game-winning tally against EA, though that was from open play.

Keating also did the heavy lifting on the final goal, getting to the byline and crossing a square ball to the center of the six-yard box that sophomore Alicia O’Neil needed only to tap home with her instep for her first goal of the season.

The four-goal margin isn’t indicative of the level of sustained pressure heaped on by the Owls. Maria Pansini hit the crossbar twice, once on a shot deflected by Cunningham in a strong stand-in performance between the posts, and the Agnes Irwin coaching staff was judicious in getting rest for players like Burnetta and speedy winger Lydia Bartosh who are playing through injuries.

After handily getting a result Tuesday, the realization is palpable that greater challenges — including the tantalizing prospect of exacting revenge on Penn Charter — remain up the road for a team determined to seize them.

“Losing the Inter-Ac was very upsetting,’ Spinelli said. “This is just another chance for us to win in states. It’s something that’s exciting, and we’ll have another chance.’