Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/19/14
Agnes Irwin and Episcopal Academy finished in a tie for the Inter-Ac League girls’ lacrosse championship today by closing their seasons with victories.
Agnes Irwin downed Germantown Academy, 18-9, and EA toppled Notre Dame, 15-10. Both AI and EA closed at 11-1; they split their two games and have the top two seeds in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools tournament, which opens Tuesday.
EA (16-3) has shared or won outright 10 straight Inter-Ac titles. Agnes Irwin last won a share of the crown in 2006.
The Owls (20-1) have not lost a game since April 1 and is riding a seventeen game winning streak.
“I have been playing in this program for five years and it feels so good to finally be number one,” Agnes Irwin senior captain Bridget Chakey said. “We truly started from the bottom and I am so proud of our team.”
“We did this together.”
Agnes Irwin second-year coach Jen Duckenfield said her team has overcome many injuries to achieve the co-champiomnship.
“I credit my team for turning around the program and I thank them for all their hard work,” said Duckenfield, whose team was 2-16 in 2012.
Three Owls scored four times each: Chakey, and freshmen Lila Barker and Alicia O’Neil. Sophomores Kristin Burnetta and Sarah Nicholson chipped in two goals each. Senior captain Elizabeth Spitz, and sophomores Kate White and Emily Fryer combined for fifteen draw controls and Fryer caused three caused turn overs and scooped three ground balls.
Freshman Hailey Andress was outstanding in goal making ten saves and picking up three ground balls as the defensive unit of Fryer, White, Spitz, sophomore Sarah Platt, senior Morgan Pergolini and eighth grader Maria Pansini locked down and held GA scoreless in the second half until the 12-minute mark, allowing only two goals in the second frame.
In EA’s win, Emma Brumbaugh had three goals and Taryn Gallagher contributed two goals, two assists, three draw controls and one caused turnover. Jane Crager (one assist) and Alex Silvera each had two goals.
“Winning the Inter-Ac is such an exciting way to finish an awesome season,” said Gallagher, a senior co-captain. “Everyone has worked incredibly hard all year and we deserve to be at the top. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to conclude my senior season at EA!”
