Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/25/18
Staff Report
On the ride over from Villa Maria Academy to West Chester East Thursday afternoon, Maddie Medve indulged in her usual pump-up music, plus the group playlist of Disney pop songs.
But before she took the field in the District 1 Class 2A final, she had to listen to her one can’t-miss song, “Last Resort,” by Papa Roach.
“It gets me in that mindset of going fast and going hard,” the senior goalie said.
Medve left Radnor with no resort in the title game, turning aside 10 shots as the Hurricanes stymied the Raiders, 9-4, to claim their first district championship.
Though Villa Maria entered as the top seed, dethroning the two-time reigning district champ ranks as an upset. And it was made possible by Medve, who rejected seven shots in the first half, then helped the Villa Maria defense limit Radnor to just one goal after halftime.
Villa Maria (19-2) opens PIAA play Tuesday against Wyomissing, the No. 3 team from District 3. Radnor (16-5) meets District 2 champion Wyoming Seminary.
“Just taking each shot for what it is, one at a time, not getting ahead of myself,” Medve said. “On the bus, I listen to my music that puts me in the right mind space. I really just focused and relied on my defense to help me, and we pulled it out and I’m really proud of everything we did. It was a collaborative effort on all sides.”
“She always comes up big when she needs to,” senior midfielder Erin Finley said. “She always had the mentality of, she knows they’re going to score, but she’s going to get the next one. I think if we wouldn’t have had her back there, it would’ve been a completely different game.”
Medve frustrated Radnor early and often. She denied three shots in four scoreless minutes to start the game. She stoned Cate Cox twice in quick succession in the second half as the Raiders threatened to creep closer at 7-4.
And she combined with a stellar defense to deny Radnor all night, when the Raiders worked methodically through their offensive sets or when they rushed possessions leading to turnovers. The Hurricanes clogged the middle to ensure their lanky defenders were constantly in passing lanes to deny the looks for passing maestros Cox and Molly May behind the net.
“Having really tall defenders – and we’re all very, very quick – helps a lot,” Medve said. “And our communication was on today. I think the combination of all of that really worked today.”
“I think by the time we started to pick it up, we were just playing too quick almost and we just got sloppy,” Cox said. “(Medve) played an awesome game.”
Lizzie Walheim scored three goals, and Hannah Young added two. Finley paired two goals with two assists and three draw controls, while Ally Walheim (three DCs) and Paige DeMutis dished two assists each.
Cox assisted on two goals by Julia Rigolizzo, and Carleigh Goldstein and Ellie Mueller also netted for the Raiders. Phoebe Proctor made 11 saves in goal.
But the day belonged to Medve and the Hurricanes.
“It means everything,” she said. “… To win it on our first try is amazing and something I’ll never forget. I’m glad to be a part of this team that’s making history.”
Villa Maria 9, Radnor 4
Radnor 3 1 – 4
Villa Maria 7 2 – 9
Radnor
Julia Rigolizzo 2g
Cate Cox 2a
Ellie Mueller g
Molly May g
Phoebe Proctor 11 saves
Villa Maria
Margie Carden g
Sarah Delaney g
Lizzy Walheim 3g
Abby Walheim 2a
Erin Finley 2g, 2a
Bridget Finley a
Paige DeMutis 2a
Hannah Young 2g
Maddie Medve 10 saves
