Radnor scored 10 goals or less only three times in 23 games this season heading into Tuesday night’s PIAA Class AAA opener against North Penn.
Now it’s four times.
The Maidens saw to that with a game plan that was so effective they went into halftime trailing by just a 2-1 margin. They ended up falling to the recently crowned district champs 10-4, but no heads were hanging on North Penn’s side of the field after this one.
“Radnor is a great team,” Maiden coach Jami Wilus said. “They have girls that can run and can shoot, and they play lacrosse all year round. We’re just not there yet, but each year we’re getting closer and closer. Last year, we came in, and we tried to run with Radnor. That didn’t work, so we needed to change things up this year and see if we could possess the ball and beat them at their own game.”
The game was a far cry from last year’s 22-14 loss to Radnor in the opening round of states, and take away a couple of shots off the post, and Tuesday’s game could have been even closer.
“I feel 100 percent better than last year,” Wilus said. “Even though last year was our first time in states and it was a really great experience – I don’t want to say we were just happy to be there, but our girls kept saying all day yesterday at practice, ‘You have to believe. You have to believe. Be proud and play proud.’
“They did everything we asked them to do. A couple of inches here or a couple of inches there, and we could have been there at the end. Holding Radnor to 10 goals is a pretty big accomplishment.”
The Maidens won the opening draw, and senior Dani Horn sprinted down for a fast break goal that was waved off because of a whistle before the shot for a shooting space violation by the Red Raiders. Horn’s eight-meter shot deflected off the post, and the Red Raiders gained possession, but the Maidens made the defensive stop and regained possession.
“We took the ball on attack and basically held it for at least 15 minutes, maybe 20 minutes,” Wilus said. “Radnor is pretty notorious for packing it in inside the eight-meter, and their goalie is too good and their defenders are too good to try and break that.
“I thought we’d turn the ball over more than we got shots, so we just held it, and they didn’t come out and play us for a good 15 minutes with the score 0-0. They finally came out, and Abbie Hartman went to goal and hit another pipe.”
The Red Raiders responded to that post shot by connecting on a goal in transition. They won the ensuing draw and scored again to go on top 2-0. The Maidens gained possession on the next draw and held the ball before running a play that resulted in a goal by Halie Lear with a minute left in the half.
The Maidens won the ensuing draw, and after Brittany Hanrahan took it downfield, Horn connected for another goal that was waved off – this one for a crease violation.
“We went into halftime down 2-1,” Wilus said. “Unbelievable. They didn’t know what to do – should we play them or shouldn’t we?
“Our girls followed the game plan to a ‘T.’ If we would have not hit the post, we could have been up. They can score at will, but if we had gotten up, they would have had to come out and play us. In the second half, it changed a little because they got the first four draw controls and went up 6-2.
“We called a timeout, and we had to start forcing some things on offense. They actually stalled at the end of the game. I said to our players, ‘It’s a sign of respect when Radnor is holding onto the ball at the end of the game because they don’t want you to get it.’”
The Maidens were forced to come out and pressure the Red Raiders, resulting in several late goals for Radnor, but Wilus had no complaints about her team’s effort.
“I am absolutely so proud of our kids,” she said. “I could not be more proud of another group. I told them – I wouldn’t trade them in for any team out there.
“At the end of the game, people weren’t sobbing like they usually are. It was more angry than sad, and that was definitely the difference. We let this one get away from us, but we were right there. I think we definitely earned some respect. It was a nice run in the playoffs.”
Lear led the Maidens with a pair of goals while Hartman and Rachel Shaw each added single goals. Brenda McDermott contributed an assist. Sarah Prall had seven saves for the Maidens in a contest that saw Radnor hold a 17-13 edge in shots.
Wilus bids farewell to eight seniors – Hartman, Horn, Prall, Lear, Hanrahan, Kaitlin Colbridge, Sierra Smith and Shawna Hannings.
“Abbie Hartman and Dani Horn have been with us for four years – four league titles in a row and back-to-back trips to the state playoffs,” Wilus said. “The seniors were just unbelievable players and leaders, and not just them, but the family support the seniors have had – their families supporting our team and our program and understanding what kind of time commitment and dedication you need to be where we are.
“This class has been incredible, and they’re going to be hard to replace, but last year we lost nine seniors, and we’re right back in the same position. We have a lot of work to do in the offseason, but I think the girls understand what we’ve set out to do. We’re not just satisfied getting into this game. We want to win this game next year.”
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