Home Local Sports Archmere finishes girls lacrosse regular season with second-half surge

Archmere finishes girls lacrosse regular season with second-half surge

2130
Bridget McGonigle of Archmere takes a shot in the midst of a swarm of Tatnall Hornets. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

GREENVILLE – Archmere wrapped up its girls lacrosse regular season on May 13 at Tatnall, riding a second-half surge to a 19-10 win. The Auks led by just a goal at halftime before pulling away after intermission.

The teams were tied at a goal apiece before the Auks went on a mini-scoring streak. Caroline Donovan scored her first goal of the afternoon at the 20:39 mark while taking the brunt of a cross-check. Just over a minute later, Meghan Reilly went high with a soft shot, extending the lead to 3-1. Donovan found the net again shortly thereafter, coming from behind the net and hitting an opening low.

The Auks found themselves with an opportunity to add to the advantage after a Hornets penalty left the hosts down a player. But Tatnall’s Carlie McKenry made two saves to keep the team’s deficit at three.

Archmere’s Lindsey Nolen scoops up a ground ball before Aryana Easterling of Tatnall can get to it. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

The Hornets responded with more aggressive defense after the penalty expired, and that paid off offensively. Teryn Singer rolled a shot in with 12:03 left in the first half. A steal by Erica Hager resulted in an eight-meter opportunity for Hadley Morgan, and she connected. Another McKenry save led to an additional assist for Hager, who found Singer cutting toward the net. Singer’s high shot tied the score with 8:20 to go.

Tatnall wasn’t done. The Hornets took their second lead of the game at the 5:14 mark, with Singer capitalizing on an eight-meter chance. She struck again a half-minute later, firing a one-timer past Auks keeper Maura Smeader to give the Hornets a 6-4 lead.

Donovan and Bridget McGonigle scored the next two goals to tie the score. Tatnall went ahead for the final time on a marker by Katrina Cattermole with 2:25 to go before halftime, but the Auks produced the final two scores of the first. Reilly took a pass from Donovan on an eight-meter opportunity and hit from a few feet out, and Kate Olsen went high in the final minute.

Morgan scored her second of the day on a winding drive early in the second, but the Auks bounced back with the next four. Alex Harrington came up with the ball after a scramble in front for the first tally. Donovan hit on an eight-meter chance, then came from behind McKenry for another. Olsen hit again with 20:19 to go to put the Auks up, 12-8. They outscored the Hornets, 7-1, the rest of the way.

Donovan led the Auks with six goals, while Olsen had five. Harrington added a hat trick. Smeader had six saves. Archmere finished the regular season with a 13-2 record and enters the state tournament as the second seed. They earned a first-round bye and will play a quarterfinal match on Saturday at 11 a.m. against either Wilmington Charter or Polytech.

For the Hornets, Singer led the way with four goals, while Cattermole had three. McKenry stopped 12 shots. The Hornets (9-6) earned the ninth seed in the 12-team state tournament and will open on Thursday against No. 8 Newark Charter at 7 p.m. at Caravel Academy.