Conestoga Holds Off Late Surge to Edge Springfield Delco, 8–7

It is not quite June yet, but Thursday night's matchup between 2024 3A state champion Conestoga and reigning 3A state champion Springfield Delco had the makings and feel of a playoff game.   Despite a heroic late surge from Springfield, which scored twice in the final thirty seconds to pull within a goal, it was Conestoga's heads-up play on the game's final draw that allowed them to bleed out the clock and squeak out an 8-7 win over one of District One's best.   With just 11 seconds left in regulation and momentum having swung firmly in Springfield's favor, Misener flipped the draw over to the far sideline as players from both sides chased the loose ball. Rather than going directly for it and risking her defensive positioning, a Conestoga defender made an exceptionally smart play, trapping Springfield's ball carrier along the sideline and forcing a turnover that sealed the possession and the game for Conestoga.   Offensively, it was once again the [player_tooltip player_id='70678' first='Lucia' last='Misener'] show. The Conestoga junior finished with two goals, a ground ball, and a draw control, and her ability to spread out the Conestoga offense was on another level. Misener is a player who makes everyone around her better, a rarity in today's game.   In one instance on Thursday night, Misener caught a pass up top and rotated right. As her teammate came behind her, she faked the flip reset and drove right, creating enough space to fire off a goal. It was one of those plays that made everyone in attendance nod in agreement that they were watching someone special.   In what was a stellar game from both sides, narrowing it down to five was no easy task. But nonetheless, here are the standouts from Thursday's contest in a game that may soon be revisited come PIAA District One playoff time.    [player_tooltip player_id='71999' first='Victoria' last='Hewitt']'s field vision is next level. A crease attacker who can do it all offensively, her patient play behind the cage is an integral part of Conestoga's offensive success this season. You may not always see her impact reflected on the scoresheet, but she is one of those players her team simply cannot go without. When she is off the field, you can visibly see the Conestoga offense missing a step.   On Conestoga's second goal of the night, Hewitt held the ball behind the cage as the offense went to work in front of her. Still behind the net, she began moving left, and as her defender made her move to cut her off, Hewitt cut back right just as [player_tooltip player_id='70678' first='Lucia' last='Misener'] broke free. Hewitt delivered a dart to the cutting Misener, who fired off an easy finish for the Pioneers.   Hewitt finished with a goal, an assist, and a caused turnover, and the Fairleigh Dickinson commit once again put on a passing masterclass against one of the toughest defenses in the state.     It was impossible not to notice the effort from [player_tooltip player_id='72013' first='Eva' last='Lemieux'] on Thursday night. She gave everything until the final whistle, and although her team would ultimately fall a goal short, Lemieux's effort was palpable and was a large reason why they were in it until the very end.   Lemieux is a player who rises to the challenge. Despite being only a sophomore, she has been playing in big games like Thursday's since she began her high school career. Lemieux emerged in her freshman year at Springfield as a key part of the team's playoff and championship success.   She has consistently gotten better, and there is a noticeable developmental leap in her game this season. Her finishing has improved, and she has a knack for finding crafty ways to score at the crease.   Over the final three minutes of Thursday's contest, Lemieux took over and nearly brought her team back single-handedly. She accounted for two of Springfield's three goals over that stretch, and she was one of the few players this season capable of matching up with [player_tooltip player_id='70678' first='Lucia' last='Misener'] in the draw circle. Lemiux finished with a hat trick on Thursday night (3G 1A) in what was a dominant showing for the sophomore prospect.     The quarterback of one of the stingiest defenses in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='72017' first='Sofia' last='Calvitti'] is not a player a coach wants to see lined up against their best attacker. If you need a shut-off defender to take away a team's top scoring threat, Calvitti is second to none.   A Duquesne commit who will be playing her collegiate lacrosse close to home, Calvitti is among the most physical defenders in her class. She takes away driving lanes and does an excellent job of using her stick to knock down passes. Her footwork is elite, and she can stay in front of even the shiftiest of attackers.   One of the most eye-opening aspects of Calvitti's game is her ability to turn defensive stops into transition opportunities. Her outlet pass is among the most accurate I have seen at this level, and her head is always up when she comes away with a ground ball or a caused turnover.     [player_tooltip player_id='72018' first='Mia' last='Wainwright'] is a two-way spark plug for Springfield. Whether it is using her elite speed to attack the crease or matching up one-on-one against a team's top option, Wainwright is a player who does it all. Like Lemieux, Wainwright is only a sophomore who has been starting on the varsity team since her freshman year.   In one instance on Thursday night, Wainwright was matched up against Conestoga's Lia Messina. Messina attacked right and appeared to have gotten by her for what looked like an easy goal.   It is the kind of play some players give up on. Not Wainwright. Just before Messina could fire at the crease, Wainwright made a perfectly timed stick check and jarred the ball free before scooping up the ground ball.     Nobody was more impactful than [player_tooltip player_id='72023' first='Julia' last='Cowgill'] on Thursday night. Cowgill was EVERYWHERE, and her play on the defensive end looked closer to that of a Division I college player than a high school sophomore. She plays an intimidating and physical brand of defense, and an explosive first step allows her to beat out opponents for ground balls. On Thursday night, Cowgill was a defensive menace, forcing a pair of turnovers, recovering two ground balls, and holding her own in the draw circle alongside [player_tooltip player_id='70678' first='Lucia' last='Misener'].

It is not quite June yet, but Thursday night's matchup between 2024 3A state champion Conestoga and reigning 3A state champion Springfield Delco had the makings and feel of a playoff game.