SOL District Girls' Lax Preview (Opening Round)

Eleven SOL teams will be competing in the District One AAAA Tournament. Check out a preview of games involving SOL squads.

Falcons take flight - The SOL National Conference had been a two-team race in recent years with Abington and Council Rock North alternately laying claim to the conference’s top spot.
Pennsbury changed all of that this season when the Falcons rolled to a perfect 8-0 mark to capture the first ever conference crown in program history. Anchoring this year’s team was a strong senior class that came on board as freshmen when Kelly White took over the helm.
“They really made it my program this year,” White said of her seniors. “You see the other players from previous coaches, and they were taught a different style, so this truly became my program with this group.””
The improvement has been steady under White’s tutelage. The Falcons were 4-6 in her first year after a 3-7 season the year before. Two years ago, they reached the .500 mark with a 4-4 record and last year finished second only to Rock North at 6-2. This year, they were undefeated in league play.
“I knew the first year would be a year of transition, a year of ups and downs,” White said. “But I knew looking down the road with that freshman group that I had something special. I knew I had a group of players who had been together a long time and were serious about the sport.
“They were ready to dedicate, sacrifice and do what I asked them to do that was different from what the program had done before.”
In the offseason, the team traveled to Chester County and Delaware County where they did battle with some tough competition.
“I thought it was important to get out of this area to play some of the stronger teams to improve our game,” White said. “It was a hike, but I really never had a problem with not having enough players. They’re a very dedicated group, and I think that’s been part of their success – their discipline and dedication.
“We had 6 a.m. practices for a couple of years just to improve our stick skills in the offseason. They’ve really put in a lot of work. It hasn’t necessarily been easy. It’s been drilled and worked on over and over again, so it’s special that they did it.”
This year’s team is anchored by seniors Jackie Sweeney, Kelsy Gumbert, Alyssa Matthews, Kelly Devlin, Ali Hickman and Liana Eyre. While Sweeney and Gumbert have stolen the spotlight on attack, Hickman, according to White, has been one of the team’s most consistent players at low defense.
“I can’t speak enough about all of them,” White said. “We definitely had our ups and downs and frustrating moments. I don’t think I’m always the easiest coach to be around – I’m very intense, but the thing that’s so special is they never gave up, they never quit.
“They got through the tough times – some tough losses, some tough moments, and they came out on top. That’s really the life lesson, not just about lacrosse, but the life lesson that if you work hard enough at something and you really give yourself 100 percent and fully invest in it, it can come out that you’re on top. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it did this time. I feel very happy and lucky that I have such a great group of respectful, dedicated and hard working girls. It’s been a fun ride.” 

Six-peat for Flying Cardinals – Winning conference championships has been an all but annual tradition for Upper Dublin. After finishing second to Cheltenham in coach Dee Cross’s first year at the helm in 2007, the Flying Cardinals have won six straight. This year’s, according to the veteran coach, may have been the most unexpected for the Cards, who had no returning stat leader but received contributions from many players.
Topping the list of offensive contributors was junior Taylor D’Ginto, who scored over 70 goals out of the midfield after playing low attack her first two years on varsity. Sophomore Julie Cross, the team’s third leading scorer last year, added 58 goals.
“Taylor did a phenomenal job playing both ends of the field and really has stepped up her game and taken the lead,” Cross said. “This year Julie was called on as a sophomore to be a leader in the midfield and at both ends of the field.
“She’s worked really well with Taylor, and it’s nice that they’ve been able to step up and take some of that pressure along with Rachel DiFrangia. She also came into her own this year and has shown leadership on the attack, which is what we needed.”
DiFrangia has over 40 goals, also a career high. Senior Samantha Boyd and junior Kayla McAneney also have been key in the midfield.
“They do all of our face guarding when we have to shut certain players down, and they have done a phenomenal job for us, adding that element to our defense,” Cross said.
On the defensive end, juniors Anna Petrucci and Alycia Hildebrand have anchored the Flying Cardinals.
“Anna has started since her freshman year, but this year we needed her to absolutely take control of the defense and she has,” Cross said. “She’s having a great season, and she’s never backed down and is always in the right place.
“A big surprise for us has been Alycia Hildebrand. She’s very aggressive and has just made our defense more solid.”
Sophomore Sarah Gallagher, a second year starter, has been solid in goal.
“She worked in the offseason and has been really steady for us,” coach Cross said. “Everyone has been doing it in different games.
“Kayla Mullen scored a key goal for us in our Wissahickon win. Shelby Kenny scored key goals for us in the Springfield and Wissahickon wins. Different people have stepped up at different times that have really helped us get where we are today. It’s unbelievable that we’re standing here as league champs again.”

Hatters back on top – Hatboro-Horsham entered the season with little or no pressure to repeat as Continental Conference champions. After all, the Hatters had lost the nucleus of last year’s championship squad to graduation, and this year’s young squad had just one senior – goalie Jackie Giovinazzo - in its starting lineup.
The Hatters didn’t just repeat as conference champions, they rolled through the conference season without a loss.
“No one really expected us to do anything this year,” coach Duncan Swezey said. “This was a year of learning and looking toward next year, figuring we would make mistakes this year and next year is when we want to pull everything together.
“Now you realize maybe we got to where we wanted to be a little sooner.”
Rachel Rausa, Katie McKay, Maria Guerra, Jane Henry, Casey Swezey, Jenna Cutilli, Colby Eldridge, Annette Desipio have been playing together since their Horsham Lacrosse League days. Lauren Hill and Liz Purtell, who competed in other sports, also have been part of that number.
“The girls talk, they communicate,” Swezey said. “They’re all positive, and they realize you’re not going to do this instantly. This is not a sprint.
“There’s a lot of positive energy on the field. They don’t talk down to each other. “They’re very encouraging during timeouts, they’re all trying to help each other out. I just sit back and let them solve their own problems. You coach them during the week, but once the game starts, you can tweak what they’re doing and you can tell them what they’re supposed to do, but at the end of the day, they have to play the game.  Once the game starts, the only people that can help them out are the people on the field.”
So far, it’s been a winning combination for the Hatters, the SOL’s top-seeded team at eight.

#32 Upper Merion at #1 Radnor
Radnor

• 9-2 Central League, 13-3 overall
• Quad-champion of the Central League along with #3 Springfield-Delco, #4 Strath Haven and #5 Harriton
• Fifth Central League title in six years
• Ended regular season on a six-game winning streak
• Highlights of the season include an 8-7 league win over #9 Garnet Valley in double overtime, a low-scoring 6-5 victory over fourth-seeded Strath Haven, a non-league lopsided victory over #8 Hatboro Horsham (16-4), and a late-season 9-8 win over third-seeded Springfield-Delco

Upper Merion

• 8-6 Suburban One League , 11-7 overall
• Won 4 of their last 7 games
• Highlight of the season include an upset victory in their last regular season game over 14^th-seeded Upper Dublin 11-9. The victory snapped an 80-game league winning streak for the Cardinals

#25 Villa Maria at #8 Hatboro Horsham (5 pm)
Hatboro Horsham

• 12-0 Suburban One League, 15-2 overall
• Undefeated Continental Conference Champions
• Highlights of the season included a pair of victories over league rival North Penn (8-6 and 10-4) to clinch sole possession of the league title and big victories over #22 CB West (20-8 and 17-8)
• Goalie Jackie Giovanazzo, a four-year starter, is the team’s lone senior starter.

Coach Duncan Swezey says:  “This is the time of year that we are aware of all our players on the team and how they are each asked to contribute their best to fulfill their roles. We try and get the girls to think more about the teammate who stands on their left or right in the huddle because once the game starts, that's all they have.  At the end of the day, we ask them to answer the simple question of whether they gave their best efforts and left everything on the field and are able to look in to the eyes of their teammates and say it is so. Win or lose, mistakes included, that is all we ask. Our team realizes we have two teams, the team we CAN be and the one that shows up that day.  It’s playoff time, the beginning of a whole new schedule, except your schedule can end after the next game. How hard would you play today if you did not have the chance to play tomorrow? We use that all the time. At this point in the season, you have to want it because no one is going to hand you anything. Our goals are pretty simple, win one game at a time and make the smallest amount of mistakes as possible to give us those opportunities to advance. We do not want to beat ourselves. The top six teams move on to states. Quarterfinals are on May 18 at WC East. That is where we want to be!”

Villa Maria

• 8-4 Catholic Academies League, 10-8 overall
• Highlights of the season include an 11-10 over #26 Unionville and close games with Notre Dame (9-7 loss) and Mt St Joseph’s (16-14 loss)
• Attack led by Megan Parson and Catherine Bendinelli

#24 Souderton at #9 Garnet Valley
Garnet Valley

• 7-4 Central League, 14-4 overall
• Two-time defending State Champions
• Fifth place in league behind a four-way tie for first
• Ended the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, two of which were shut-outs
• Highlights of the season include a 9-5 win over 11th-seeded Mt Saint Joe’s, a key 8-7 overtime victory over Maryland powerhouse Good Counsel, and a late-season upset over sixth-seeded Conestoga 11-5
• Boast a roster that includes nine college-committed players, four of which are Division I

Souderton

• 6-6 Suburban One League, 9-8 overall
• Third place Continental Conference tied with #28 CB East and #22 CB West
• Highlights of the season include a pair of early season league wins over #22 CB West (11-6) and #28 CB East (11-10), and 12-11 non-league victory over SOL American Conference powerhouse Upper Dublin

Players to watch:  Chessie Rehmer, Natalie Bulgier, Amber Lambeth, Bekah Hershey, Alyssa Ziegler, Jen Bergey, Michelle Goodwin
Coach Kelly Yemm Kelly says:  “We are very excited entering the playoffs this season. We are a young team and have battled hard at the end of the season to show everyone we deserve to be in the playoffs. We are excited about playing a team from Delco and are going to focus on our fundamentals. We are carrying that mentality into playoffs. We are a close team, and we want that to show on the field tomorrow.”

#29 Springfield (Montco) at #4 Strath Haven
Strath Haven

• 9-2 Central League 14-3 overall
• First place Central League along with #1 Radnor, #3 Springfield-Delco and #5 Harriton
• Lost to #9 Garnet Valley in 2012 State Championship game in overtime
• Highlights of the season included lopsided victories over #27 Lower Merion (20-7) and #20 Haverford (13-8), and a 12-11 win over fifth-seeded Harriton to end their regular season and clinch a share of the coveted Central League title

Springfield (Montco)

• 10-4 Suburban One League, 11-7 overall
• Third place American Conference after returning to the league after a two-year hiatus
• Highlights of the season included a pair of league wins over #32 Upper Merion (13-11 and 13-7), a 9-7 upset over #23 Wissahickon, and a double-overtime win over Plymouth Whitemarsh to clinch third place in the league

Coach Ken Rodoff says:  “We are honored to be a part of the District One Tournament. At Springfield, we pride ourselves on competing at a high level, and a berth in the tournament is a testament to our commitment to compete. We look forward to playing Strath Haven and putting forth a solid 50-minute (more if needed!) effort.”

#28 Central Bucks East at #5 Harriton
Harriton

• 9-2 Central League, 16-2 overall
• Beat four teams in the top ten of the AAAA bracket
• Fell to fourth-seeded Strath Haven in last league game which resulted in a four-way tie for the conference title
• Highlights of the season include a 13-10 win over sixth-seeded Conestoga, a 13-8 win over ninth-seeded Garnet Valley, a 15-13 win over second-seeded Great Valley and a 10-9 league victory over top-seeded Radnor

Central Bucks East

• 6-6 Suburban One League, 11-7 overall
• Finished third in the Continental Conference tied with #24 Souderton and #22 CB West
• Recovered from a 4-12-1 (0-12 SOL) 2012 season to earn a district playoff spots under new head coach Dipi Bhaya.
• Highlights of the season include a 11-9 victory over #24 Souderton and most notably a huge upset over Continental powerhouse North Penn 9-8

#18 Upper Dublin at #15 North Penn
North Penn

• 9-3 Suburban One League, 13-4 overall
• Second place Continental Conference behind #8 Hatboro Horsham
• Started season on a five-game winning streak
• Highlights of the season include a 10-9 win over #19 Pennsbury, a 13-9 victory over #28 CB East to avenge an earlier upset, and a late-season 10-4 win over #16 Spring-Ford.

Players to watch:  Hannah Young, Lauren Green, Gabby DiDomizio, Ashley Durham, Emily Schulze, Jenna Stover
Coach Jami Wilus Behm says:  “It doesn’t matter what seed you are or who you are playing, you have to be ready to play. We have not seen Upper Dublin play this season, but we know they are well coached and always ready to play. It should be a good matchup.”

Upper Dublin

• 13-1 Suburban One League, 14-4 overall
• American Conference Champions
• Highlights of the season included a pair of wins (14-8 and 14-12) over #29 Springfield (Montco) and a mid-season 11-7 victory over Wissahickon which ensured sole possession of the conference title

Players to watch:  Taylor D’Ginto, Julie Cross, Rachel DiFrangia, Samantha Boyd, Kayla McAneny, Anna Petrucci, Alycia Hildebrand, Sarah Gallagher
Coach Dee Cross says:  “North Penn is always aggressive. That’s their trademark. They don’t back down to anybody, so we know it’s going to be a tough game tomorrow. The girls don’t feel pressure because everything is new to them. It’s just a great way to continue what we started this year. If we can just focus on our game and our fundamentals and making sure we come in prepared – that’s what we’re going to focus on today at practice. Just making sure that we know what we can do best, and if we do all of our fundamentals the best, let’s hope for a good game. It’s always a battle against North Penn. We seem to end up playing them every other year. We’re hoping to give them a good game.”

#23 Wissahickon at #10 West Chester Henderson
West Chester Henderson

• 10-1 Ches-Mont League, 14-3 overall
• Second place National Conference behind #2 Great Valley
• Highlights included a mid-season nine-game winning streak, a season-opening win over #16 Spring-Ford 10-9, a 13-7 victory over #17 Downingtown East and closing out the season with a 12-6 win over #21 Downingtown West

Wissahickon

• 11-3 Suburban One League, 13-5 overall
• Second place American Conference behind #18 Upper Dublin
• Won 5 of their last 6 games
• Highlights of the season included a pair of wins over #32 Upper Merion (17-8 and 16-12), a convincing 16-5 win over #29 Springfield (Montco) and a late-season non-league victory over #19 Pennsbury 11-5
• Top players include Laura Frankenfield (Boston College) and Zoe Gomez (Hofstra)

Players to watch:  Laura Frankenfield, Zoe Gomez, Jackie Hibbs, Lauren Irvine, Julie Silverman (GK), Ashley Laskowitz, Audrew Mack, Taylor Myers, Lindsay Andersen
Coach David Schlesinger says:  “All of us at Wissahickon Girls Lacrosse are deeply honored to be invited to participate in the 2013 PIAA District One Playoffs. Playoffs are the reward for all the hard work we’ve put in since the beginning of the year – the sprints, the runs, the shuttles, the drills, the 7v7s, the scrimmages and the games. The excitement of playoffs is unparalleled, as we all recognize the risk that our season will come to an end with the next loss. However, we have high expectations for our team to play 50 minutes of passionate, intense, intelligent and proud lacrosse. We do not want the season to end, we do not want the high school careers of our seniors to end, so we expect to expend every ounce of energy to ensure that we live to play yet another game this season.”

#30 Council Rock South at #3 Springfield-Delco
Springfield-Delco

• 9-2 Central League, 15-3 overall
• Quad-champion with three other Central League teams- #1 Radnor, #4 Strath Haven and #5 Harriton
• Has won share of two titles in the past three seasons
• Started season on a six-game winning streak, ended season with a four-game streak of winning by double digits
• Highlights of the season include an 11-8 win over fifth-seeded Harriton, a league win over ninth-seeded Garnet Valley 13-9, and an 11-10 victory over fourth-seeded Strath Haven 11-10

Council Rock South

• 4-3 Suburban One League, 10-5 overall
• Second place National Conference behind #19 Pennsbury after a 6-12 season in 2012
• Highlights of the season include a 14-13 overtime win over #22 CB West in the season opener and a pair of wins over their cross-town rival and 2012 league champions Council Rock North (14-8 and 12-8), a team the Golden Hawks had only beaten once before in school history

Players to watch:  Seniors – Christine Besselman, Jamie Damirgian, Leann Hurley, Patrice McFillin, Juniors – Gabi Rosenfeld, Amanda Besselman, Mollie Sheehy, Claire Quist
Coach Ashley Muenker says:  “Making playoffs this year is a huge honor. We are so excited, and our girls have worked so hard to get to this point. We beat teams this year we haven’t beaten in years, which really helped push the girls to have the confidence to be successful the whole season. They put in the hours, hard work and dedication to earn a playoff spot, and we are ready for the tough match against Springfield-Delco.”

#19 Pennsbury at #14 Owen J Roberts
Owen J Roberts

• 12-4 PAC-10, 16-4 overall
• Second lace Liberty Division, lost to #7 Boyertown in the Championship game 19-12
• Ended the season winning 7 of their final 8 games- two of which were overtime victories against playoff teams
• Highlights of the season included a pair of league wins over #16 Spring-Ford (12-11 OT in the regular season) and 13-11 in the PAC-10 playoffs, and an overtime non-league 10-9 victory over #15 North Penn
• Attack led by Devin Hassinger, Maddie Debert and Morgan Stone while anchored by Devon Hennessey in goal

Pennsbury

• 8-0 Suburban One League, 13-3 overall
• National League Champions for the first time in school history (14 years) 
• Highlights of the season included two victories over #30 Council Rock South (9-7 and 18-12) to clinch the program’s first conference title and a 10-8 win over #28 CB East
• Attack is led by leading-scorers Kelsey Gumbert and Jackie Sweeney

Players to watch:  Jackie Sweeney, Kelsy Gumbert, Alyssa Matthews, Kelly Devlin, Liana Eyre, Ali Hickman, Joy Hopkins, Carson Smith, Anna Cruser
Coach Kelly White says: “Where we have been struggling throughout the year is playing two halves. In order to be successful at the district level, you have to do that. That’s something we really have yet to have done, and that’s going to determine whether or not we’re successful in the postseason. Did we play two halves? I think if they play two halves they can win a game, but if we don’t, there’s no way we’re going to make it past the first round. Everything else has been taught – now it just comes down to mind over matter. We have to fight through fatigue and play two halves. That’s how we will have success, if we can do that.”

#22 Central Bucks West at #11 Mount St. Joseph’s
Mount St. Joseph’s

• 12-1 Catholic Academies League, 14-3 overall
• First place in the league tied with #12 Merion Mercy
• Highlights of the season include a lopsided 15-5 win over #24 Souderton and a 16-13 victory over #12 Merion Mercy to clinch a share of the league crown

Central Bucks West

• 6-6 Suburban One League, 10-7 overall
• Third place Continental Conference along with #24 Souderton and #28 CB East
• Highlights of the season include a pair of league wins over #28 CB East (16-10 and 18-17), and a 13-5 victory over #23 Wissahickon

Players to watch:  Elena Romesburg, Jacq Fitzgerald, Jane Savard
Coach Tara Schmucker says:  “Our expectations are that Tuesday will bring a tough game, and our goal is to be competitive and play to our potential. We need to play with intensity and as a team. If we come out fighting for draw controls and ground balls, we can maintain possession and play our game.”