Episcopal girls top Agnes Irwin in lacrosse
Episcopal Academy junior Taylor Lucey has a simple philosophy when it comes to scoring goals. On Tuesday afternoon, the Virginia Commonwealth recruit employed the mantra to net the game-winning goal against rival and defending Inter-Ac champion Agnes Irwin.
Episcopal Academy junior Taylor Lucey has a simple philosophy when it comes to scoring goals.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Virginia Commonwealth recruit employed the mantra to net the game-winning goal against rival and defending Inter-Ac champion Agnes Irwin.
"With shooting," Lucey said, "we always tell everyone, 'Shoot as hard as you can. If you're going to shoot it, shoot it like you're going to shoot it through the goalie.' "
With time dwindling in a nip-and-tuck contest at windswept and nippy Episcopal, Lucey controlled the ball in traffic and fired low to give EA an 11-10 victory.
Lucey finished with a pair of goals, the winner coming with 2 minutes, 28 seconds remaining.
EA goalie Sydney Gagnon (eight saves) turned away at least two late attempts by the Owls, who owned a 3-0 lead in the first half.
"We were really just saying that we were still in this, and there's so much time left, and anything can happen," Lucey said of the early deficit. "Three goals in this game could happen in 30 seconds."
In fact, four unanswered goals briefly afforded the Churchmen a 7-5 edge early in the second half before the Owls screeched back.
Katie Crager and Julia Hondros led EA (8-1) with three goals apiece. Corinne Zanolli added two more.
Lila Barker led Agnes Irwin (3-3) with six goals, the last of which gave the Owls a 10-9 edge with five minutes remaining.
"I think we just came into it trying to play our game and not focus on the craziness of the hype that surrounds the Agnes Irwin-EA rivalry," Lucey said. "Our focus was to play Episcopal lacrosse."
"For us," she continued, "it's just playing together. We're not a team of individuals. One of our sayings this year is that we play for the name on front of our jerseys, not the numbers on the back."
For Episcopal, which has shared or won 14 of the last 16 league titles, the win was a first step in its bid to unseat AI, which was without attacker Hannah Keating, who is still recovering from a knee injury. Keating, who had commited to Harvard, is expected to return near the end of April. The teams will meet again April 29 at Agnes Irwin.
"I think [losing the title last year] was really a reality check that it's something we have to work for, and it's not something we just automatically get," Lucey said. "We have to work for it, and every year we'll have to work for it. I think it was a good reminder."
Episcopal 4 7 - 11
Agnes Irwin 5 5 - 10
EA: Taylor Lucey 2, Katie Crager 3, Olivia Dirks, Corinne Zanolli 2, Julia Hondros 3.
AI: Lila Barker 6, Laura Pansini 4.
Saves: Sydney Gagnon, EA, 8. Camilla Gowen, AI, 6.
@AceCarterINQ
