By Harry Chaykun
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/19/13
When Radnor hosted Garnet Valley in a Central League game last month, the Red Raiders had to work overtime to earn the victory.
In the teams’ District 1 quarterfinal game Saturday morning, Radnor built a good lead, but as the final minute was played, Garnet Valley had fought back and was on the verge of forcing overtime again.
That’s when senior Taylor Quinn stepped in to prevent the defending district champion Red Raiders from playing any longer than they wanted to. Quinn tipped Haley Warden’s stick on the last shot of the game, which saved a potential tying goal as Radnor claimed an 11-10 decision at West Chester East.
The top-seeded Red Raiders (16-3) advance to play league rival Harriton Tuesday in the semifinals at Henderson at 5:45 p.m. The ninth-seeded Jaguars must defeat host Strath Haven in the first playback Tuesday at 4 p.m.
“Brooke Pancoast was behind me,” Quinn said. “She was the one pushing me and saying I could get that shot. I took the chance and it worked.”
Quinn also was Radnor’s leading scorer with three goals, two coming in the first half and the third ending up as her team’s last score of the game (with 8:42 to play). Ashley Pyle and Warden both scored twice and Julia McGrath added a goal as Garnet Valley rallied for five tallies in those last eight minutes.
The Jaguars earned nine draw controls after halftime, which helped them mount their comeback.
“That’s something I know we’ll work on at practice Monday,” Quinn said.
Radnor coach Brooke Fritz had no trouble figuring out what made things different for her team in the second half.
“We stopped attacking and taking the shots that we were making in the first half,” Fritz said. “We didn’t keep our composure. And draw controls were so key for them.”
Pancoast and Shannon Quinn helped share the scoring load for the Red Raiders with two goals.
Warden finished with four goals and Pyle, who also contributed three assists, and McGrath got three apiece to account for all of Garnet Valley’s scoring.
“We almost made it all the way back,” first-year Garnet Valley coach Jenny Purvis said. “Now we’ve got to get ourselves back for the next game.”
That game will be a rematch of the 2012 PIAA title contest, in which Garnet Valley defeated Strath Haven in overtime in Hershey. This time, the winner will advance to states, while the loser’s season will come to an end.
Dave Cartularo Video Services –
[tubepress video = ” 2Fs3Whd0Jto “]
Radnor 11, Garnet Valley 10
Garnet Valley 2 8 – 10
Radnor 6 5 – 11
Garnet Valley: Haley Warden 4G, Ashley Pyle 3G 3A, Julia McGrath 3G.
Radnor: Taylor Quinn 3G 1A, Brooke Pancoast 2G, Shannon Quinn 2G, Sara Curley 1G 1A, Hannah Proctor 1G 1A, Sydney Cowles 1G, Kate Stanley 1G.
Saves – Garnet Valley: Paige Mitros 5. Radnor: Grace Collins 8.
