Making a state final appearance is ‘a dream come true’ for Springfield’s lacrosse programs
The girls' and boys' lacrosse teams haven't made it to the PIAA championship in the same season since 2017. They could make school history Saturday if both win state crowns.
The boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams at Springfield High School (Delco) have the opportunity to make school history.
Both programs will compete in the PIAA Class 3A championship on Saturday at Penn State. The girls will play at 3 p.m. against Bishop Shanahan, and the boys will face Radnor at 5:30 p.m.
In the 2A girls’ championship on Saturday, Strath Haven and Villa Maria will face off at 10 a.m., and Marple Newtown will play Trinity (Cumberland County) for the boys’ 2A title at 12:30 p.m.
The last and only time Springfield’s lacrosse teams made a state final appearance in the same year was 2017, when the boys earned the first title in program history. The girls earned their first crown two seasons later.
“Lacrosse is such a huge part of the community here,” said senior midfielder Maddie Kane, a Lehigh commit. “Everyone knows what we’re doing, so it kind of helps bring us together.”
The Cougars have 16 athletes extending their lacrosse careers to college. The girls are 24-1; their lone loss came against Haddonfield and they’ve been on a 20-game win streak since then. The boys are 22-1. They lost to Radnor in March.
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“The game that we lost early, to Haddonfield, was really difficult,” Kane said. “Since then, we really brought each other up and came together as a team.”
The key to their success? It isn’t merely technical or taught in practice. The key is the team’s culture, said Sarah Damato, the girls’ associate coach.
“The resilience that the team has — and the heart,” Damato said. “They’ve been in a couple close games at the end of the year, and they continue to show everybody the talent and the leadership that they have on the team.”
In the semifinal game against Conestoga on Tuesday, freshman midfielder and attacker Mia Wainwright scored with 9.1 seconds left to Springfield’s 7-6 win as it erased a five-goal deficit.
“I think that whenever something doesn’t go our way, we lift each other up,” Kane said. “We just continue to fight and not give up.”
The group also is no stranger to overcoming an opponent’s early lead. In the District 1 championship, the Springfield girls beat Bishop Shanahan, 11-10, in double overtime with a goal from senior midfielder Allie Hunter.
Like the girls, the boys’ matchup with Radnor is a rematch of their district title game.. The Cougars beat the Raptors, 10-3, for the district crown.
Saturday will mark the third meeting this season between the teams.
“We know what their strengths are,” said Tom Lemieux, the boys’ coach. “We have a ton of respect for them. We know they’re going to bring everything they’ve got.”
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Springfield’s programs are tight-knit. Most of the players on the boys’ team have been playing together since grade school.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 6,” said senior attacker Patrick Flaherty, who is committed to Maryland. “We’re best friends with each other. We’re really close, and it really helps with the chemistry.”
The Springfield community will be holding a watch party at Saxers Pub.
“I’m really excited,” said Kane, who, as a senior, is making her first championship appearance. “I mean, this is where I wanted to be all four years, like I’ve always dreamed of playing the state championship games. It’s really just a dream come true.”