Lady Ram charges bruise CHC stickwomen

Posted 4/24/17

Philadelphia University's Maddie Haas (right), a Mount St. Joseph Academy alum, turns to guard Julia Galantich of Chestnut Hill College. (Photo by Tom Utescher) by Tom Utescher For much of their …

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Lady Ram charges bruise CHC stickwomen

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Philadelphia University's Maddie Haas (right), a Mount St. Joseph Academy alum, turns to guard Julia Galantich of Chestnut Hill College. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

For much of their final home lacrosse match last Tuesday evening, the Griffins of Chestnut Hill College kept in step with visiting Philadelphia University. However, CHC gave up two key bursts of offense to the Lady Rams, who took the short ride home to Henry Avenue with a record of 4-3 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and 6-7 overall.

Chestnut Hill, which remained above .500 in the conference (5-3) but slipped to 5-9 overall, fell out of an early 2-2 tie by giving up four straight goals to Philly U., which would lead 8-5 at the half.

The Griffins still had a relatively modest three-point deficit nine minutes into the second period, but then the Lady Rams fired in six straight goals for a truly commanding 15-6 advantage. Chestnut Hill secured the final three points of the night but still came up half-a-dozen short of its guest.

Early in the second half, Griffins senior goalie Katie Joe Lang made save number 545 in her tenure at CHC, establishing a new school record. She would finish the game with five saves, while on offense Chestnut Hill received multiple goals from freshman Spencer Fitzgerald (three) and junior Hunter Leckonby (two).

Philadelphia University's roster includes Mount St. Joseph Academy graduate Maddie Haas, who is now in her fourth season as a starting defender for the Lady Rams. Behind her, freshman goalie Victoria Raimondi recorded eight saves, and in front of her Courtney Shaw and Kathryn Avanzado each scored four goals, while Isabella DiGnazio had a hat trick and Samantha Ryder scored twice.

Just over five minutes into the contest, early Philly U. goals by Shaw and Ryder had been matched by CHC's Fitzgerald and Leckonby. During the next five minutes, though, the Lady Rams would earn their first significant foothold, as markers by D'Gnazio began and ended a 4-0 run that included strikes by Shaw and Avanzado. Most of the visitors' goals throughout the evening grew out of their transition offense.

CHC sophomore Julia Reinert got into the scoring column to help the hosts trade goals until the tally reached 8-4 with a dozen minutes left in the half. Chestnut Hill was back within three by the break, with junior Julia Galantich posting her team's fifth point with a little under seven minutes left in the period.

Just 31 seconds into the new half, Philly U. freshman Sarah von Lange fired a shot from the middle of the arc off of a free position restart.

CHC's Lange stopped the ball, and so became the Griffins' new all-time saves leader.

The Lady Rams' Erin Eckert found the Chestnut Hill net a few minutes later, but it wasn't long before senior Lea Sanders answered for CHC to bring the lead back down to three points.

The Griffins had a man-up opportunity soon after that, but in less than a minute it was wiped away by a violation on the home team's part. Unruly checking led to many fouls and penalties throughout the game, with one player on each side sent to the sidelines for good with her second yellow card.

The Philly U. offensive wave that capsized the Griffins originated with Shaw's fourth goal of the evening with 20:43 left to play. Chestnut Hill had a chance to respond when a Lady Ram was sent to the penalty box, but instead Avanzado scored the first of back-to-back goals for the visiting side.

These markers had Chestnut Hill doubled up at 12-6, and after the gap continued to widen with markers by von Lange and Ryder, yet another Avanzado goal capped off the spree, with Philly U. now leading 15-6 with 8:42 remaining in the game.

Even when the Griffins finished it out with two goals by Fitzgerald sandwiched around one by senior Jacklyn O'Leary, it didn't make a meaningful dent in the Lady Rams' lead. CHC had a chance to reach double figures, but on a free position with two seconds to go Philly U. keeper Raimondi made her final save on the shot by Galantich.

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