PIAA Lacrosse Semifinals: Radnor lives up to national billing, swamps Township girls

Intelligencer Journal

Jun 03, 2009 01:31 EST

Shillington

By GORDIE JONES, Correspondent

The good news, as far as Manheim Township was concerned, was that its second shot of the game — or what appeared to be its second shot, anyway — found the back of the net.

The bad news came thereafter.

Nationally-ranked Radnor, still in the process of atoning for its first loss in two years, reeled off the first 19 goals en route to a 23-2 defeat of the Blue Streaks in a PIAA Class AAA girls' lacrosse semifinal Tuesday at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School.

Junior attack Kelyn Freedman generated three goals and five assists for the Red Raiders (24-1), who have swept three games in this first-ever state tournament, after falling to Springfield in the District One championship game. That defeat came on the heels of a 21-0 start, and a 23-0 season last spring.

The reaction to that loss?

"A lot of anger," said Freedman, who recently committed to Georgetown.

"It's been directed the right way so far," she added. "I think we got a little overconfident, and we weren't prepared for that game. Springfield played great, but we realized we're not perfect, and we can lose."

Ranked seventh nationally by Maxpreps, they will face Strath Haven, a 16-14 winner over Unionville in the other semi, Saturday for the title.

Township (20-5) stormed downfield in the first minute of Tuesday's game, and a shot by Carly Gellrich was turned aside by Radnor goalie Annie Woehling. Gellrich collected the rebound and appeared to score, but the goal was waved off on a crease violation.

"At that point," Streaks coach Lisa Lyons said, "it didn't appear they were that much of a better team."

But Radnor midfielder Ellie Kraus scored the first of her three goals 3:20 into the match, Freedman pounded one home 34 seconds later, Princeton-bound Sam Ellis notched the first of her three 37 seconds after that, and the rout was on.

It was 15-0 before Township attempted another shot, 16-0 at halftime and 19-0 before the Streaks got on the board, when Carolyn Westphal converted Rachael Rosenfeld's feed with 13:49 left.

The Streaks' other goal came with 9:46 to play, when Molly Curcio scored off Gellrich's set-up to make it 21-2.

Asked afterward if it was a downer to end the season on such a note, Lyons said it was not. Knowing Radnor's capabilities beforehand, she and her assistants had told the players they were looking for effort as much as results.

And the first half, Lyons admitted, was "a little sketchy" in that regard.

She was happier about the way things went in the second half, though it should also be noted that Raiders coach Phyllis Kilgour — a McCaskey graduate — sat many of her starters, notably Freedman, for much of the half.

"They're ranked seventh in the nation, and we're 145th or something," Lyons said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game. I think nerves got the better of us at the beginning. It's a shame the first half was the way it was. (The Streaks) were not playing the way they have all season. The second half, they stepped up."