#13 Pennsbury 4, #5 Avon Grove 3 (2 OT)
Talk about a fantastic finish – this was it.
Just when it looked like Pennsbury and Avon Grove were heading toward a third overtime period in Saturday’s district quarterfinal game, Dan Marr stripped the ball away from an Avon Grove player and started a fast break down the field. He passed the ball to Josh Caven, who found sophomore Collin Sullivan for the game winner with 2.9 seconds showing on the game clock.
“It was amazing,” Pennsbury’s Drew Sweetland said. “Dan Marr made a great play – he took the ball and went on a fast break. It was a normal fast break, and Sullivan got the goal.”
It may have been a normal fast break on most days, but in Saturday’s district quarterfinal, it was nothing short of remarkable as the Falcons played the role of giant killer for the second time in as many games.
Two days after knocking fourth-seeded Downingtown East out of the tournament, the Falcons upended the tournament’s number five seed, not only ensuring themselves a spot in Tuesday’s semifinals against top-seeded Conestoga but also guaranteeing Pennsbury a berth in states for the first time ever.
“It is a big win,” Pennsbury coach Jamie Huber said. “Obviously, the fact that we were the 13th-seeded team and Avon Grove was the fifth seed and coming off the other night beating the four seed – it’s a very huge win.
“It’s the first time Pennsbury has made it to states. It’s the first time we’ve made it to the fourth round of the playoffs. There are a lot of firsts this year. It’s a huge win for the program and for everybody who has been part of Pennsbury lacrosse since day one.
“Ten years ago it was started by a group of kids who just wanted to bring a new sport to the school, and everyone along the way – every coach, every player and every parent – it’s obviously huge for us.”
Saturday’s game was the second meeting between the two schools this season. In the regular season meeting, Avon Grove eked out a 5-3 win.
“The first game was much the same,” Huber added. “It was 3-3 until the end of the fourth quarter when they scored two late goals.
“I think playing the non-league schedule we did this year – we played a very tough non-league schedule. We played Emmaus who is the number one seed in the District 11 Tournament, CB East, which is number two in District One. We played Abington twice. I think it was huge playing them before. We saw we could play with them. Both offenses have been really producing during the playoffs, and today both defenses came to play.”
“It definitely helped us to play them before,” Sweetland agreed. “We knew who their key players were, we knew who to shut down.
“We were expecting a low-scoring game.”
While Sullivan scored the game winner, it was Sweetland who kept the Falcons in a position to win it, turning away 17 shots in a standout effort – which included three in overtime.
“Drew was outstanding today,” Huber said. “All three goals they scored today were on fast breaks when he had no help. Drew was phenomenal and got the game ball.
“I usually don’t give out game balls. I’m not a big believer in that, and I don’t like to start a precedent, but obviously, this was an exception. He played outstanding. I know there were some scouts there, and I hope they saw what he did. He has a phenomenal defense in front of him, but Drew played amazing, no question about it.”
The Falcons – sparked by goals from Ryan McDonald and Luke Matthews – opened up a 2-0 lead at the end of one quarter, but the Devils answered with three goals in the second quarter to take a 3-2 lead into halftime. Avon Grove would not score the rest of the way while the Falcons came back to knot the score 3-3 when McDonald scored an unassisted goal with 3:01 remaining in regulation, setting the stage for a pair of riveting overtime periods.
“It was a roller coaster,” Sweetland said. “They kept getting the ball in overtime. I thought they were going to score, but I just knew what I had to do, and my teammates won it for me with a good fast break.”
Sweetland went on to credit his defense for making his job easier.
“My defensemen held them to low percentage shots,” he said. “Dan Marr, Lewis Sears and Sean Rinko did a really good job of preventing the inside shots, the high percentage shots. They just kept them all outside, which really helped me.”
Take away the three-goal effort of Damian Sobieski, and Sweetland and the Falcons were flawless.
“He (Sobieski) is their leading scorer, but the rest of the team was held scoreless,” Huber said. “Lewis Sears is a co-captain, and he’s played great.
“Sean Rinko is a four-year varsity letter winner, a senior, played really well on defense. Nick Wisen, our long stick middie, played really well between the lines and got some big clears for us. Senior Todd Benziger played phenomenal today.”
Huber went on to acknowledge the performance of the team’s short stick middie, Sean Heilferty.
“He was actually cut from the varsity and sent to jayvee,” the Falcons’ coach said. “We needed some guys, and we pulled him back up.
“He’s responded ever since then. I say to him all the time, ‘Thanks for proving me wrong.’ A kid like that comes out of nowhere and does good things for us as at short stick middie. Every single kid that played did a great job.”
McDonald, Sullivan and Caven contributed assists for the Falcons.
On Tuesday night, Pennsbury will take on Conestoga at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in a district semifinal contest.
“This is huge,” Sweetland said. “First time ever going into states – it’s huge. We’re all really happy about that.”
#2 Central Bucks East 10, #7 Ridley 7
Three East players scored a pair of goals while Harrison Holak was credited with 10 saves in goal, leading the Patriots to the big win on Saturday. Blake Ament, Parker Self and Connor McSherry each scored two goals. Ryan Whitney, Matt Heim, Chris Vetter and Warren Kuhn each added one goal. Whitney also had a pair of assists while McSherry, Kuhn and Heim each had one assist.
Eric Streicher led Ridley with four goals.
Defensively, Ryan Connors led the Patriots with five ground balls while Weston French and Connor McSherry each had four ground balls.
The Green Raiders held a 23-19 advantage in shots over the Patriots, who improved to 19-1 on the season.
#1 Conestoga 14, #8 Abington 1
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