Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/21/13
Staff Report
Kristen Hansen scored the game-winner in overtime off a Morgan Glassford assist to lift host Strath Haven to a dramatic 7-6 victory today over Garnet Valley in a District 1 playback, guaranteeing the Panthers a berth in the PIAA state tournament.
The Panthers (17-4) will host Conestoga (a 9-8 winner over Great Valley) in the fifth-place consolation game Thursday. Six teams advance to the PIAA tourney; Garnet Valley (16-6), the two-time defending state champion is eliminated.
Garnet Valley defeated Strath Haven in the state finals last year in a unforgettable overtime comeback win.
This time, the Panthers pulled off the great comeback, rallying from a 6-2 deficit and holding the Jags scoreless for the final 22:45 minutes of the game.
Haven’s Kathryn Restrepo started the rally with a goal from Kirsten Wilhelmsen with 20:22 left. Then Restrepo found Suzanna Penikis to make it with 17:47 left in the game.
Bri Irons drew Strath Haven within 6-5 with 13:29 to play and Glassford tied it with 8:21 left.
Glassford had two goals and three assists and Irons scored twice. Emily Mathewson and Julia McGrath scored two goals each for the Jags.
Conestoga 9, Great Valley 8
Blake Hamblett scored the game-winner for the Pioneers with 3:14 remaining while her team was a man down.
Conestoga (15-4 overall) will play at Strath Haven on Thursday at 4 p.m. in the fifth place consolation.
Brittany Edwards led Great Valley with five goals, including a tally that gave the Patriots (17-4) a 6-5 lead early in the second half. Emily Scullin made it 7-5, with her 100th goal of the season, but Conestoga’s Abby Lord tied it with two goals within a 13-second span.
Hamblett gave Conestoga the lead with just under six minutes to play but Avery Murphy tied it after a Pioneer penalty caused them to be a man down. Hamblett then won it with her team still a man down.
Kara Schwartz was a standout in goal for the Pioneers with 10 saves and Megan Cameron added two goals. Merrilee Viguers made 12 saves for the Patriots.
