By Harry Chaykun
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/10/12
Before Tuesday night’s game with visiting Radnor at Moe DeFrank Stadium, Garnet Valley coach Kate Henwood and her players talked about numbers.
After the top-ranked Jaguars’ 11-8 Central League decision over the fifth-ranked Red Raiders, the number most frequently mentioned was one.
“That’s my first win over Radnor ever,” Henwood, the third-year head coach who also played at Garnet Valley, said. “They beat us by seven goals a year ago.”
Defender Missy Koscinski echoed her coach’s sentiments.
“”It’s the first time we beat Radnor in my four years,” Koscinski said.
It wasn’t easy. Radnor scored five of the first seven goals and owned a 5-4 lead at halftime. It took Garnet Valley a little more than four minutes of the second half to put up four goals, then the Red Raiders went on a three-goal run to get even with 5½ minutes to play.
Halley Barnes, who was blanked in the first half but ended up the Jags’ scoring leader with four goals, took a pass from AnnaElise Morello (three goals, three assists) and rolled around a defender to get free for the tie-breaking score 3:59 before the final whistle.
Koscinski made the key defensive play with Garnet Valley (7-0, 3-0) down a player because of a yellow card not long after Barnes’ big goal.
Morello gave her team a two-goal lead with 1:06 left, then Barnes had the biggest draw control of the game and finished the scoring by firing an eight-meter shot past goalie Grace Collins, who played the second half for the Red Raiders and made seven saves.
Natalie Miller scored three goals and Sara Curley added a pair for Radnor (3-2 overall, 2-1 Central League).
“Draw controls are a big thing for us,” Barnes said. “They can make or break things for our attack. Ally (Heavens, who had one goal and two assists) and I were getting a lot of pressure at midfield in the first half, but our younger players stepped up for us.
“In the first half, we were more concerned with taking time off the clock when we were on attack. In the second half, we were taking our shots more.”
When more of them started going in, Koscinski, Julia McGrath, Lizahn Visser, Heavens, Coley Ricci, Dana Davis and the Jaguar defenders limited Radnor’s scoring opportunities.
“We came together better then,” Koscinski said. “I know I always had confidence that someone would have my back if I needed help back there.
“When we were (a player) down, I saw their girl go toward the center and knew I needed the ball. We were only up one goal then, and I didn’t want them to score again.”
Morello credited her teammates who worked inside their restraining line for helping the Jaguars remain unbeaten.
“Our defense definitely kept us in the game,” she said. “Missy made an awesome play. And everybody kept playing together on our attack.”
Henwood also expressed thanks for her defenders.
“When our offense struggled, our defense made the plays,” she said. “They’re the ones who make our attack players better every day at practice.”
Garnet Valley 11, Radnor 8
Radnor 5-3—8
Garnet Valley 4-7—11
Radnor: Natalie Miller 3G, Sara Curley 2G, Libby Laury 1G 1A, Shannon Quinn 1G 1A, Kristen Norden 1G, Taryn Deck 1A.
Garnet Valley: Halley Barnes 4G 1A, AnnaElise Morello 3G 3A, Ally Heavens 1G 2A, Julia McGrath 1G 1A, Ashley Pyle 1G 1A, Haley Warden 1G.
Saves
Radnor—Colleen Packer 3, Grace Collins 7
Garnet Valley—Kate Stroup 5
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