By Harry Chaykun
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/25/23
The Owen J. Roberts players didn’t have to spend much time thinking about the significance of their District 1 Class 3A semifinal match against visiting Conestoga Thursday night.
“We’ve played some games that weren’t very close,” midfielder Alexa Vogelman said. “We were looking for a team that would give us a challenge.”
The Wildcats got that challenge, and they responded.
Second-seeded OJR (22-1) dominated the second half and toppled the defending district champions, 7-4, advancing the Wildcats to Wednesday’s title game vs. Penncrest (a 13-12 winner over top-seeded Springfield-Delco). Conestoga (17-4) will meet Springfield-Delco in the third-place game (seven District 1 teams advance to the PIAA tourney).
Vogelman, who scored three goals and added a pair of assists when Owen J. Roberts won at Conestoga, 9-4, two months ago, assisted on a first-half score and then chipped in with three goals in the second half Thursday night.
Owen J. Roberts will be playing for a district title for the first time since the 2016 Wildcats dropped a 12-8 decision to Radnor in the final year of the one-class system.
In 2001, which was eight years before the PIAA began crowning state champions in lacrosse, OJR claimed the 2A district crown by beating Great Valley, 14-3.
“Last year, we lost in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament,” Owen J. Roberts head coach Dave Schlesinger said. “This year, having nine really good seniors has made a big difference.
“Since we played Conestoga earlier, we’ve grown a lot as a team. A lot of these girls began playing (club lacrosse) for me when they were rising seventh graders. It’s been amazing to see how things have come together over those years.”
When Conestoga and Owen J. Roberts met in March, OJR built a big halftime lead in a driving rain and then shut down any Conestoga comeback effort in the second half. Colby Wasson, who scored three goals in that game, got two of her three goals to put the home team ahead after the first nine minutes this time.
Conestoga answered with a pair of goals from Keating Hopkins. The Wildcats’ Gabbi Koury (one goal, five assists, five groundballs, two draw controls, two caused turnovers) and ’Stoga’s Kate Galica (one goal, five draw controls, two groundballs) traded scores 34 seconds apart in the 21st minute to make the scoreboard read 3-3 at the break.
Koury’s defensive contributions included a pair of caused turnovers. Sophomore Ashly White teamed with Koury, Cailin Harrington (three groundballs), Rachel Sbei (two groundballs, two caused turnovers), Wasson (three groundballs) and Avery Wentzel to make goalie Korrigan Sweeney’s job a little easier.
After 10 scoreless minutes to begin the second half, Koury found Vogelman twice for a two-goal OJR lead, then it was Koury to Wasson with 10 minutes to play and Koury on an unstoppable crease roll 3½ minutes later.
Conestoga’s only goal of the second half came on an 8-meter shot by Ellie Wisch in the final minute.
“Fundamentals and teamwork,” Koury said. “If you want to win, you have to work for it. We get draw controls, which means we have possession and we can do what we want to do when we have the ball.”
Wasson was looking forward to whatever time she and her teammates will have off during the Memorial Day weekend. But they know a new challenge exists.
“We all can use the rest,” she said. “But when we get back to practice, we know the first 30 or 40 minutes that we’re on the field we will be working on the things that will get us ready for our next game.
“We thought maybe we would play Springfield. Our only loss was to (defending Class 2A state champion Archbishop) Carroll and their only loss (before Thursday) was to Carroll. Now we’ll have to see what we have to do to prepare for Penncrest.”
Owen J. Roberts 7, Conestoga 4
Conestoga 3 1 -4
Owen J. Roberts 3 4 -7
OJ Roberts
Alexa Vogelman 3g, 1a, 1dc, 2gb, 1ct
Colby Wasson 3g, 1gb
Gabby Koury 1g, 5a, 2dc, 5gb, 2ct
Cailin Harrington 3gb, 1dc
Sierra Milano 1gb
Blakely Doyle 1ct
Ashley White 2gb, 2ct
Rachel Sbei 2gb, 2ct
Avery Wentzel 1gb, 1ct
Kalli Mullen 1gb
Ava Clemson 1gb, 1ct
Korrigan Sweeney 8 saves
Conestoga
Keating Hopkins 2g, 1gb
Kate Galica 1g 5dc, 2gb
Ellie Wisch 1g
Natalie Yarmark 1a
Chloe Brown 3dc
Kiki Liebezeit 2gb, 1ct
Brooke Braslow 1gb, 2ct
Maria Ziff 1gb
Emma Nikolic 1ct
Alex Lepore 6 saves