By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/3/10
Brooke Fritz, who served as the Radnor girls’ assistant lacrosse coach the past three years, has been promoted to head coach to replace the legendary Phyllis Kilgour.
Fritz was head coach at Springside School for nine years before coming to Radnor. In her
three seasons as assistant to Kilgour, the Red Raiders went 74-2 and won the first two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) championships while also taking the District 1 Class AAA crown in 2008.
Kilgou, who retired from coaching after the season, posted a remarkable record of 231-24-1 since 2000.
Fritz, a Shipley School graduate who played at Bates College, said coaching under Kilgour will make it much easier to step in as head coach.
“I can say I learned a ton from her,” said Fritz. “I had never been an assistant before and I think that because I’ve been a part of the program for three years, I won’t feel as intimidated as if I was coming in (new).”
Kilgour retired after the season following a career that saw her win 574 games and seven District 1 titles in 32 years as head coach. The seven district crowns are generally considered as state championships.
“She’s created so much of an awesome tradition and I just hope in my own way I can continue that,” Frits said.
Fritz noted that although the Raiders graduated a tremendous senior class – one that included six Division I players, including MaxPreps National Player of the Year and Phillylacrosse.com Player of the Year Kelyn Freedman – she expects Radnor to contend for the Central League as well as district and state honors again.
“I still expect us to get to the postseason,” she said. “We had a lot of underclassmen waiting very patiently to get an opportunity to play. They are legitimate high school starters. I think they are really eager to prove themselves
“They’ve taken such a backseat to that senior class from last year. I feel they’ll want to prove themselves. There is a lot of talent here and I am talking to the girls this week to see where their heads are at. I fully expect them to continue the winning tradition at Radnor.”
