Under the boiling hot sun and the downpouring rain, the girls varsity lacrosse team pulled through in various weather conditions, celebrating their advancement in the state tournament.
The Panthers defeated the Crestwood Comets 17-9 in the PIAA 2A state quarter-final on Saturday, June 7, at Emmaus High School.
Despite starting the game 4-4, the Panthers were having trouble maintaining possession. The Comets found themselves with the ball for most of the first quarter.
“I was nervous about today because the kids have so much going on,” head coach Pigeon Graham said. “So, I was afraid it would be a slow start, and it was. I had all the confidence that the girls were going to be able to pull it out.”
With 1:28 left in the first quarter, the referees called a weather delay due to lightning in the area. Although it was warm and sunny, the thunderstorm was coming, preventing the referees from continuing the first quarter.
During the delay, the team took the time to dance, listen to music, and regroup.
“[It wasn’t] a time to rest, just a time to relax and collect our minds. I think you could totally tell the energy was much higher going back into the game,” senior captain Kate Fox said.
After the delay, the Panthers came out as a different team, ending the second quarter up 8-4.
“It was nice that everyone got to reset, and take a deep breath,” Graham said. “We got to evaluate what we’ve done so far and make changes, which helped us when we got back on the field.”
The second half was pure dominance from the Panthers. Sophomore goalkeeper Ellie Yancey contributed to multiple defensive stops, while Fox worked hard on the other end, scoring eight goals.
“Our defense did a great job of playing their one-v-one defense and crashing on them [Crestwood] when they got to the middle,” Graham said. “Our attackers spread out the attack and moved the ball quickly.”
The Panthers will face the Abington Heights Comets at Liberty School on Tuesday, June 10, at 5 p.m., hoping to secure their spot in the PIAA 2A state final.
