SV still undefeated after Shaler scare
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley girls lacrosse coach Karyn Brooks has been looking for a wake-up call for her team.
Having won its first 12 games of the year, Brooks didn't want it to lose its edge.
Against Shaler Thursday, however, it appeared the Raiders were running out of time.
Trailing 5-4 in the second half, Berta Miller tied the game with 2:08 remaining and Shannon Quail scored with 38 seconds left, giving the Raiders their only lead of the game and a 6-5 Section 1 victory over the Titans.
"We've never really been behind, so this was a taste of humbleness," said Brooks. "I think we needed that. Once a team gets to 12-0, you need to become humble."
If Shaler wanted to get the Raiders' attention, jumping out to a 2-0 lead 5 minutes, 21 seconds into the game was a good way to do it.
Miller had a goal 2:10 into the game for the Raiders, but it was disallowed.
Less than a minute later, the Titans' Steph Miller scored and Julie Friend added another goal at the 19:39 mark for a quick 2-0 Shaler lead.
The score held up before the teams combined for five goals in a 3:31 span late in the first half.
SV's Lindsay Flavion took an Allison Fisher pass to cut the Titans' lead in half with 6:38 remaining. Shaler answered with a goal by Leah Walker off a free possession with 4:33 to go.
Flavion got that goal back 40 seconds later for SV, but Shaler countered with another goal by Walker, this time off an assist by Amanda Schaub with 3:25 remaining.
Melissa Ball's goal 18 seconds later pulled the Raiders to within one at 4-3.
After spending the first half having her team shoot low against Shaler goaltender Hillary Gillispy, Brooks decided it was time to start aiming high against the tall netminder.
But just 22 seconds into the second half, Walker netted her third goal of the game for a 5-3 Shaler lead.
"We knew she was their top player," said Brooks. "She had five shots on goal the last time we played them and she scored three goals, too."
When Adrienne Steele scored off an assist from Ball at the 15:19 mark, the Raiders made it a one-goal game.
SV had five free possession attempts within a three-minute span with less than 10 minutes remaining, but couldn't score the equalizer.
Finally, Miller was able to get one in lower right corner of the net past Gillispy to tie the game.
Then came Quail's game-winner off a pass from Miller to keep the Raiders' perfect record intact.
"Quite often our goals come in spurts," said Brooks.
The Raiders (13-0, 6-0) host Quaker Valley in a non-section game Saturday.
