H.S. GIRLS LACROSSE: Northern York avenges loss with 9-7 victory vs. Chambersburg

April 25--CHAMBERSBURG -- After facing each other just one night prior, both Chambersburg and Northern York came out firing in a Mid Penn Conference girls lacrosse game Thursday night at Trojan Stadium.

And the teams proved that lacrosse is a game of swings and momentum.

Northern started with five unanswered goals, then the Trojans scored seven straight. But the momentum was in Northern's favor at the end when the Polar Bears scored the final four goals of the contest to capture a 9-7 victory.

"I knew from the start they were going to be gunning for us," Chamberburg coach Katie Feairheller said. "It was a winnable game for either team, and both teams came out extremely competitive. When we had that lead, it seems like we get super pumped and get kind of nervous. We need to start calming down, collecting our thoughts and making sure we're making the right decisions."

After five straight from Northern to start the game, the Trojans (2-9, 1-8 MPC) finally took a lead with just under 15 minutes to go on an unassisted goal by Zoe Cross.

Emily Glennon then scored a bit of insurance to put Northern (3-10, 1-6 MPC) in a 7-5 hole, but it wasn't quite enough.

"We were getting draw controls, then just settling into our offense," Glennon said. "Our stick skills are getting a lot better than what they were, and we're seeing the field better. It was just a matter of getting the open girls the ball and getting good shots."

But the Polar Bears weren't going to be thwarted for the second time in as many days.

Just 51 seconds after Glennon's tally, Northern scored twice in less than 20 seconds to knot the scoreboard at seven.

"After doing this for about 15 years, it's a game of momentum, and you can't let that affect your attitude," Polar Bear coach Jeff Mauck said. "There will be times when the other team will take control of the game, but you can't drop your shoulders."

Annalise Armstrong became the hero for Northern when she scored the go-ahead tally and notched one more with just over a minute left to put the game out of reach.

"We knew that we couldn't make dumb decisions; we had to pass well and calm down," Armstrong said. "Just putting the pressure on them and coming at them strong definitely helped us to break down their defense."

Although Northern came out with the first five goals of the contest, Chambersburg did have its opportunities. But Northern goalie Amber McGarvey was like a stone wall through the first 20 minutes of the game.

"Their goalie was very good low, and I don't think we were challenging her enough," Feairheller said. "With most teams, you can shoot low, and they don't even read it. But she was already going kind of low, and we weren't even hiding where we were shooting. When we put in some fakes or went across her body to shoot back, that seemed to throw her off."

The Trojans did finally break through. Chambersburg notched three goals in 30 seconds to close out the first half with just a two-goal deficit.

"That didn't rattle me at all," McGarvey said. "A lot of times, you can't really help it. Nobody can save them all, so you just have to keep your head in it. If you check out, that's just hurting yourself and hurting your teammates."

NOTES -- Abby Wilmot, Meghan Rhodes and Cross each had two goals for the Trojans ... Armstrong and Alyssa Swartz both notched hat tricks for Northern ... Hannah Brouse scooped up a team-leading three ground balls for Chambersburg.

Northern York 9, Chambersburg 7

Northern 5 4 -- 9 Chambersburg 3 4

Northern, Goals -- Alyssa Swartz 3, Annalise Armstrong 3, Arlana Racer 2, Rita Becerra; Assists -- Armstrong 2, Carly Burns, Alicia David.

Chambersburg, Goals -- Abby Wilmot 2, Meghan Rhodes 2, Zoe Cross 2, Emily Glennon; Assists -- Rhodes, Glennon.

Shots -- Nor 22, Chbg 22; Saves -- Nor 14 (Amber McGarvey), Chbg 13 (Sarah Finley); Ground balls -- Chbg 12; Draw controls -- Nor 9, Chbg 9.

JV score -- Chambersburg 8, Northern York 4.

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