The Holton-Arms Panthers took home the ISL A Divisional Championship trophy on Wednesday, May 16, when they defeated National Cathedral School by a score of 6-5 with just 26 seconds left in regulation. The girls knew it would be a challenging game; when the two teams met in the regular season, Holton fought a tough battle for their one goal victory.
The Eagles jumped off to a 0-2 lead before Kasey Miller ’12 netted the first Panther goal with 6 minutes left in the first half. It was Panther scoring for the rest of the half as Greer Korengold ’14 and Blair Greenwald ’14 added to the scoreboard, giving Holton a 3-2 lead going into halftime.
NCS rallied in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals before Holton saw the back of the net. The Panthers were able to capitalize on two 8-meter opportunities from Olivia Lee ’15 and Blair. With less than six minutes in the game the score was tied—with neither team playing conservatively for overtime.
The Eagles grabbed the next draw control and took the ball into their offensive zone. Pressure by defenders Anisa LaRochelle ’13, Alexis Cutler ’12, and goalie Courtney Rushford ’12 allowed Holton to regain possession with time quickly expiring. After a smart offensive play by the Panthers, Olivia found the back of the net with 26 seconds left in the game, giving the Panthers the lead as time expired.
As the Panthers look back on their season they have a lot to be proud of, including going undefeated in the A Division, finishing the season with a 11-4 record, and being both the regular season and tournament ISL A Division Champions. “The team thanks their seniors for their leadership, guidance, and motivation throughout the season, as well as recognizes that this season was truly a group effort,” said Coach Janet McCormick. “When looking at the team stats, it was clear the team came before the individual; every player (except our goalies and lowest defenders) found the back of the net, everyone grabbed at least five ground balls, contributed by tailing a draw control, and caused at least one turnover.”
The Panthers are sad to say goodbye to their seniors but wish them well in college and look forward to seeing them next year. They especially look forward to cheering on Courtney as she continues her lacrosse career at the University of Pennsylvania next year.
Thanks to the regular season ISL A title, Holton-Arms will move up into the ISL’s AA division next year.
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