By Harry Chaykun
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/27/15
Garnet Valley was protecting a two-goal lead late in its PIAA Tournament first-round game against Archbishop Carroll at Neumann University Wednesday night when it had one more big play to make.
Emily Mathewson scored on an 8-meter shot that gave the defending state champ Jaguars what they needed to go on to a 14-10 victory and advance to the second round of the state playoffs.
Garnet Valley (14-9), District 1’s fifth-place team, will take on District 3 champ Manheim Township in a quarterfinal contest Saturday while Carroll, which won its 15th consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League title as well as the District 12 crown, finished at 19-2.
Mathewson, who had five goals and four assists, got her 200th career goal on that 8-meter shot 1:53 before Wednesday night’s contest came to an end.
“I’m so happy for Emily,” GV head coach Jenny Purvis said. “Not only that she got her 200th goal, but because it was such a meaningful goal.
“I know she’s just as excited because it means we get to keep playing in the state tournament and stay together as a team.”
Mathewson scored the first goal of Wednesday’s game and assisted Madi O’Brien on the second goal. After Garnet Valley grabbed a 3-0 lead, Anna Murphy scored twice and Avery Murphy added a goal to get Carroll even.
The Jaguars scored four consecutive goals in less than seven minutes to jump ahead. Three of those scores were assisted by Mathewson.
“We knew Carroll was an unbelievable team and that they had beaten us when we played them,” Mathewson said, referring to a 20-6 loss at Carroll in the final week of the regular season.
“The thing was for us to be confident tonight. We practiced our defense Monday and we practiced our offense Tuesday. We worked on our chemistry and on playing Garnet Valley lacrosse. Whatever I’ve done, I couldn’t have done without my teammates. I can’t thank them enough.”
Mathewson opened the second half scoring, and freshman Kamryn McNeal added two of her three goals for the Jaguars. Goals by Avery Murphy and Sam Swart pulled Carroll close, but GV worked patiently until Mathewson was fouled on the play that resulted in her very important final goal of the match.
“About three weeks ago, we lost to that team by 14 goals,” Purvis said. “We came here a different team, knowing what we had to do and having confidence in ourselves. We were going to have to play together to win, and that’s what we did.”
Avery Murphy, who came to Carroll from Great Valley last year, suffered through her second consecutive elimination from the state playoffs in the first round.
“We played as well as we could,” she said. “We had some shots and other things that didn’t go our way, but things like that happen. You can’t be sad about it. You have to accept what happens and go on.”
Garnet Valley 14, Archbishop Carroll 10
Garnet Valley 8 6 – 14
Archbishop Carroll 6 4 – 10
Garnet Valley: Emily Mathewson 5G 4A, Kamryn McNeal 3G, Kara Nakrasius 2G 1A, Madi O’Brien 1G A, Maddie Mansi 1G, Madison Valerio 1G, Camryn Faith 1G.
Archbishop Carroll: Avery Murphy 4G 1A, Anna Murphy 2G, Isabell Schmitt 2G, Sam Swart 1G 2A, Meghan Matey 1G.
Saves: Makenna Mink (GV) 5; Maddie Ferraioli (AC) 5.
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