Five Who Flourished: Revamped Radnor Tops Manheim Township 11-7

The 2025 season was considered a disappointment by Radnor's standards. A program that captured the state championship in 2022 and returned to the title game in 2024 was ultimately eliminated in the PIAA District 1 tournament and failed to reach the state championship tournament, an event they have appeared in 13 times since 2009.   This year's Radnor team, now 3-0 to begin the season, looks every bit as dangerous, and perhaps even more complete, than some of its previous state title champions and contenders. Led by Division I commits [player_tooltip player_id='71083' first='Francesca' last='Lucchesi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='71084' first='Ryan' last='Ertel'], Radnor is looking to return to its winning ways this season.   And on Thursday afternoon on the road at Ed Journey Field, Radnor made a statement win, taking down Manheim Township, a championship contender and the top dog in Central Pennsylvania and District 3. And as expected, it was their dynamic duo in Lucchesi and Ertel who led the way, combining for nine of Radnor's eleven goals.   But it wasn't just those two - here are five standouts from Thursday's Radnor vs. Manheim Township matchup.    [player_tooltip player_id='71079' first='Toby' last='Bergstrom'] is a natural leader. When Manheim Township found itself down 5-1 late in the first half, it was Bergstrom who stepped up in the huddle and commanded the younger group.   Moments later, the Blue Streaks responded with a 4-0 run over the final three minutes of the half, pulling themselves back into a game in which they had been overpowered for much of the opening twenty minutes. When her playing career eventually comes to an end, Bergstrom has the makings of a strong coach at the high school or collegiate level. Her understanding of the game is next level, and she is eager to take younger players under her wing.   And while Bergstrom has long been regarded as one of the best defenders in her class, it was her ability to initiate Manheim Township's offense, draw sliding defenders, and make the right read that helped keep her team within striking distance despite not playing their best.   In one instance, Bergstrom carried the ball up top, saw open space in front of her, and attacked the middle of the field. As two defenders slid to cut off the lane, [player_tooltip player_id='71080' first='Lexie' last='Kauffman'] found space inside the defense. Bergstrom, as she often does, made the correct read and delivered a pass to Kauffman for the goal. It was that sequence which ultimately sparked the Blue Streaks and propelled them to a 4-0 run over the final minutes of the half.   All told, Bergstrom finished Thursday afternoon with a goal, two assists, two ground balls, and was a force in the draw circle, leading the game with seven draw controls.     The play of Thursday's game belongs to [player_tooltip player_id='71083' first='Francesca' last='Lucchesi']. With Radnor leading 4-1 in the second quarter, Lucchesi was pressured in the corner by Manheim Township defender Kara Engroff. Lucchesi initially faked a reset pass up top, but quickly spun to her right and accelerated toward the cage, leaving Engroff trailing the play. [player_tooltip player_id='71081' first='Regan' last='Taylor'] stepped in to cut off the lane but committed a hard foul as Lucchesi powered through the contact.   Despite being knocked off balance and falling backward as she released the shot, Lucchesi still managed to place the ball in the upper-left corner of the net for an incredible finish and one of the most impressive goals of the afternoon and perhaps the season.   Lucchesi finished Thursday with four goals and added two assists on [player_tooltip player_id='71084' first='Ryan' last='Ertel'] finishes. Quick on her feet and confident attacking one-on-one, Lucchesi consistently created separation with sharp cuts and was single-handedly too much for the Manheim Township defense to stop.     [player_tooltip player_id='71080' first='Lexie' last='Kauffman'] provided much of the offense for Manheim Township on Thursday afternoon. Also an established runner on the cross country team, Kauffman is often the fastest player on the field in any given game, and her speed consistently creates matchup problems for opposing defenses.   Kauffman finished Thursday's contest with three goals, four ground balls, three draw controls, and a caused turnover. One particularly impressive aspect of her game is her ability to absorb contact and draw fouls when attacking the net. She is not afraid to take hits when driving toward the goal, and her speed gives her a clear advantage on free-position opportunities - an area where she generated two goals against Radnor on Thursday.   With Liv Parmer sidelined for her senior season due to a torn ACL, Kauffman, Bergstrom, and Taylor have emerged as key leaders for a Manheim Township team still looking to make a deep playoff run despite losing its leading scorer. To do that, the Blue Streaks will need Kauffman to continue performing as she did Thursday afternoon.     It is rare to see Manheim Township held under double-digit goals, but against [player_tooltip player_id='71082' first='Avery' last='Tyrrell'] on Thursday afternoon, the Blue Streaks had little success finding the back of the net.   In fact, it marked just the third time in nineteen games that Manheim Township was held below ten goals, largely due to Tyrrell's ability to slow down and disrupt the high-powered Blue Streaks offense.   While Tyrrell does not currently plan to play at the collegiate level - though club lacrosse remains a possibility - she has established herself as one of the stronger goalies in the Class of 2026. Radnor, which is aiming for a deep playoff run this season, will continue to rely on her steady presence in net, just as it did Thursday afternoon against Manheim Township.     [player_tooltip player_id='71084' first='Ryan' last='Ertel'] did a little bit of everything for Radnor on Thursday afternoon. One of the top attackers in the Class of 2026, Ertel led all scorers Thursday with five goals and was particularly effective at drawing contact and earning free-position opportunities, where she did most of her damage.   Ertel possesses exceptional shooting accuracy, consistently finding the corners of the net on free-position attempts. On Radnor's second goal of the game, Ertel lined up for a free attempt with [player_tooltip player_id='71079' first='Toby' last='Bergstrom'] and [player_tooltip player_id='71080' first='Lexie' last='Kauffman'] positioned on either side of her, ready to collapse the moment she made her move. Anticipating the pressure, Ertel took three quick steps and fired a shot into the upper-right corner before the defense could close the gap.   A poised and efficient scorer, Ertel is one of the stronger attackers in her class and will be a key piece for a Radnor team looking to return to the state championship tournament after missing the cut in 2025.

The 2025 season was considered a disappointment by Radnor's standards. A program that captured the state championship in 2022 and returned to the title game in 2024 was ultimately eliminated in the PIAA District 1 tournament and failed to reach the state championship tournament, an event they have appeared in 13 times since 2009.