Lady Hatters Advance to State Playoffs

The Lady Hatters lacrosse team defeated Springfield Delco 15-13 Thursday to grab the final spot of District 1 for the PIAA State Tournament. They are the only team from the SOL Conference to make it to the final round of district playoffs. The Hatters won their first two rounds and advanced to the elite eight of District 1.

The Lady Hatters played the Cougars at their home field and commanded the lead and the game for most of the 50 minutes of play. At halftime the score was 7-6, Hatters were up by 1. For a brief period they were trailing by 2 goals to the Cougars, but they found their stride and tied the game with 16 minutes left. Then they posted a lead with 14 minutes left and never looked back. They jumped up by 3 goals with just 8 minutes left and took control of the game to dominate ball control and run the clock out.

This was a complete team effort. Everyone played a solid game. The defense came up with key stops, several key ground balls and was able to transition into the midfield effectively. The midfield played consistently helping to get the ball into Springfield Delco’s territory most of the day to maintain ball control. On attack, the seniors rose high and all contributed to scoring and assisting each other to put the ball in the net 15 times on a very good Springfield Delco defense. Rachel Rousa, the Hatters' only a sophomore, was also on her mark scoring with the high-powered senior offense consisting of Nicole Beck, Lizzy Carr, Cortnee Daley, Caroline Hagan and Julie McKay. 

This game was great redemption for the Hatters, as it was Springfield Delco that knocked them out of the district playoffs last season in the second round.

The Hatters will now move into the PIAA State Playoffs as a No. 7 seed from District 1. This marks the Hatters girls lacrosse first trip to the state tournament. They now move into the ultra-exclusive PIAA State Tournament with the best lacrosse programs in the state. States begin Tuesday.