by Aaron Carter, Philadelphia Inquirer
The Radnor girls’ lacrosse season may be on the cusp of a grand finale, but the Red Raiders were on the
brink of disappointment back in late April.
T
he reason for the turnaround: trust falls, blindfolds, and, perhaps, fate.
Now, Radnor (20-6) will face season-long favorite Conestoga in the PIAA girls’ lacrosse state
championship game at West Chester East on Saturday at 10 a.m. The game was originally scheduled for
noon but moved up because of possible afternoon thunderstorms.
After poor communication and even worse execution marred a disappointing home loss to Springfield (Delco) on April 28, a previously scheduled visit from team-bonding guru Keith Waldman may have salvaged the season.
“We did trust falls, blindfolded a partner, and played a bunch of fun games,” said se
nior midfielder Katie Quinn. “Afterward we reflected on it and talked about how we need to communicate on the field because that’s what we were missing. We weren’t talking to each other.”
The team-building exercises had been set for the beginning of the season but had to be rescheduled.
“It was kind of perfect because it was kind of fate that he came back right when we needed it,” Quinn said.
Radnor, the District 1 champion, hasn’t lost a game since, inc
luding giving Conestoga (23-1) its lone loss
during the district quarterfinals.
“The girls are really close, but when they get hot or tired they sometimes tend to get self-centered,” said coach Brooke Fritz, who also praised her team’s grit and teamwork. “So we really worked on putting them in adverse situations [during the team-building exercises.]”
A hungry and talented Conestoga squad, which demolished Mount Lebanon, 20-5, in the semifinals, will certainly provide adversity.
The Pioneers, who lost in the PIAA finale last year, are led by several talented contributors such as senior assist leader Monica Borzillo, senior goal scorer Sondra Dickey, and senior goaltender Jules Horning.
Among others, the Red Raiders are led by senior attacker Emily Games and junior goaltender Alexa Solomon.
And after a come-from-behind win against two-time defending champion Garnet Valley in the semifinals Tuesday, the Red Raiders’ confiden
ce is high.
“I think we’re a force to be reckoned with,” said Quinn, who will play next season at George Washington University. “I think we didn’t know that we were such a good team until the playoffs. We had our doubts, but I think we just needed to get out confidence back and our composure.”
