2028s and 2029s: Standouts from PIAA 2A Round 1

Between game-winning saves, upsets, and teams peaking at the perfect time, the first round of the PIAA championship did not disappoint. Here are five standout performers from the 2A classification:    [player_tooltip player_id='73210' first='Bella' last='Cappelli'] does it all. Need a goal in crunch time — find Cappelli. Need a defensive stop — put Cappelli on the opposing team's number one option. She has a knack for big moments, and like her teammate [player_tooltip player_id='70868' first='Viv' last='Ardell'], also featured on this list, she seems to show up when the lights are brightest.   You cannot give Cappelli an inch of space. She can fire from distance and from multiple angles to get her shot on cage. Her dodges are dynamic, and she has the quick first step out of them to beat her defender and get north-south for a high-percentage look. She can dodge from anywhere — up top, behind the cage at the X, in transition. It does not matter.   On the defensive end, few are as physical as Cappelli. She is a tenacious defender. One of her most refined attributes is her defense on free-position attempts. Cappelli is relentless on eight-meter and twelve-meter attempts, willing to chase defenders all the way to the cage to alter shots. She plays with a level of fearlessness that is rarely seen, especially from a freshman going up against bigger, stronger players.   Cappelli netted three of West Chester Rustin's eight goals on Tuesday, including the go-ahead goal — a beautifully executed wraparound with under a minute left in regulation. On a young team with plenty of runway ahead, she and goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='70868' first='Viv' last='Ardell'] look every bit like future Division I college lacrosse players.     [player_tooltip player_id='73146' first='Georgia' last='Spano']'s dodges at the top of the arc are textbook. She is smart with the ball, knowing when to pull back and wait for the reach before re-engaging and taking her defender to the cage. She moves freely with the ball in her stick and has excellent footwork in her dodges to get topside.   One of her most refined abilities is her work around the draw circle. She explodes toward the ball, whether it is in the air or on the ground, battles through contact, and is equally dangerous in transition. She knows a lane when she sees one and will take it from the circle to the cage in a split second.   Spano tallied four goals in Villa Maria's dominant 20-2 first-round state victory over Lansdale Catholic. The Victors will face Quaker Valley on Saturday in the semifinals at Mifflin County High School.     When the game is on the line, [player_tooltip player_id='70868' first='Viv' last='Ardell'] is who you want in the cage. The textbook definition of a clutch-time performer.   Southern Lehigh's Allie Denzel (Michigan commit) lined up on the left wing with just 16 seconds left on the clock, looking to find the equalizer on a free-position attempt in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter.   She charged the cage and fired a bouncer headed for the bottom left corner. But it was Ardell who got her body in the way with the quick drop to her knee, stopping the ball in its tracks and recovering it just as it neared the edge of the crease.   Big moments do not faze Ardell. In fact, she seems to thrive on them. She is a high-energy, confident goalie and one of the most athletic and agile in her class. Not the tallest netminder, but her raw athleticism allows her to cover a wide range of shots from any angle.     Katherine Miller is a two-way midfielder from Sewickley, Pennsylvania who possesses both the fundamentals and measurables to be a difference-maker at the college level. During the regular season alone, she racked up 69 goals and 42 assists, and she has not slowed down since the start of district and state playoff competition.   Offensively, Miller is an elite off-ball player. She does not wait for passes to come her way — instead, she is constantly moving, finding space, and working herself into scoring positions. She has a great feel for playing alongside the X attacker, consistently timing cuts to the cage when help defenders commit. Whether she is stepping into a shot from the perimeter or initiating from up top and getting topside, she is a threat to score. Her release is quick and compact, and she can shoot effectively from multiple angles with either hand. She is a strong feeder who can make difficult top-down passes, deliver on the run, and thread passes through traffic.   Miller is equally impactful on the defensive end. A true ball hawk, she plays with relentless effort and is willing to pick up her assignment as high as the restraining line. She has solid footwork and quick hands that allow her to stay with her assignment in transition. Multiple times this season, she has poked the ball free, secured the turnover, and immediately turned defense into offense.     [player_tooltip player_id='73207' first='Evelyn' last='Delaquito'] is a defense first midfielder with excellent awareness and a high IQ. A player who has seemingly sprung up in the height department over the last season, Delaquito is a lengthy defender with solid stick work. She matches up well against teams X attack because she has the length to deflect passes to cutters and the horizontal speed to keep up with defenders behind the cage. She does not overcommit to any one side or move, and she does a nice job of following her assignment step for step. On the crease roll, her length and physicality allow her to force a player out on their hip until they get too far from the goal for a high percentage look.   With her team still alive in the PIAA 2A playoffs and the club circuit rapidly approaching, it will be a busy summer for Delaquito — and plenty of college programs should be getting ready to reach out come September 1.

Between game-winning saves, upsets, and teams peaking at the perfect time, the first round of the PIAA championship did not disappoint. Here are five standout performers from the 2A classification: