Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/28/17
From Press Release
Agnes Irwin goalie Hailey Andress made 10 saves in the Owls road game Tuesday against Maryland powerhouse Our Lady of Good Counsel, but none was bigger than a stop with on a Falcon free position with 24 on the clock and the Owls clinging to a one-goal lead.
The senior captain made the save and cradled the ball calmly as the clock expired and Agnes Irwin (3-0) celebrated a 12-11 win over the No. 7 team in the Summit Lacrosse North America Rankings.
Our Lady of Good Counsel fell to 2-1, 2-0 in the DC WCAC. The Owls are ranked No. 6 and No. 2 by Phillylacrosse.com.
Agnes Irwin scored first and never trailed, building a six-goal lead with less than 15minutes to play, led by five goals from senior captain Lila Barker. But the Falcons were not going quietly into their first loss of the young season. Good Counsel scored five unanswered goals to cut the lead to one with thirty six seconds to play. The Owls were assessed two yellow cards within the next ten seconds and were forced to finish the game down two players. And then it was up to Andress.
“I told the defense: we got this. Just buckle down and play like we know how to play,” said Andress. “We practice these situations all the time, hoping we never need them in a game. We were calm and everyone did their job. I knew we could pull it out and we did.”
Agnes Irwin and Good Counsel met last year in the annual Checking for Cancer Play Day, hosted at Agnes Irwin’s Phelps Field. The Falcons took that game in a swirling April snow storm 12-5, so the Owls were motivated for the rematch.
“This was one of the most exhilarating games I have ever been a part of and I could not be prouder of our whole team,” said Barker. “We graduated a lot of seniors last season and we knew we all had to step up. Everyone. We have worked hard and saw today what our potential is. Every player on the field and on the sidelines was one fire and contributed.”
Said Agnes Irwin head coach Jen Duckenfield: “I am extremely proud of this team. They gutted it out and found a way to win. Our defense outworked Good Counsel today. Alicia O’Neill, Kate Chernitsky, Maria Pansini, Meredith Murphy, Kasey Hogarth, Brynn Smith, Emmie Kiely, Emma Macaione and, of course, Hailey, got the job done.”
The Owls continue their spring break later this week in warmer climates to take on the number one ranked team in Florida, Vero Beach (13-1). Things don’t get any easier for the Owls, as Irwin’s opens Inter-Ac play April fourth, hosting rival Episcopal Academy in a rematch of the 2015 and 2016 PAISAA Championships, which the two teams split.
AIS 7-5 – 12
OLGC 5-6 -11
AIS
Lila Barker 5g
Sydney Wolfington 2g 1a
Alex Hark 2g, 2a
Brynn Smith 1g
Olivia Carey 1g
Emily Wills 1g, 1a
Hailey Andress 10 saves, 3gb, 2ct
