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LEHMAN TWP. — Lake-Lehman has piled up the girls lacrosse victories in recent seasons, but the Black Knights have never had a win quite like Tuesday’s.
“This win probably means more than any we’ve ever had as a team,” junior midfielder Jess Evans said after scoring the goal that proved to be the game-winner with 1:22 left in a 14-13 victory over visiting Wyoming Seminary.
The win in the battle of the two teams that have spent weeks as the conference’s last two unbeatens puts Lake-Lehman on the brink of being the first team to supplant Wyoming Seminary as champion in the league’s six-year history. Lake-Lehman won Division 2 in the 2015 and 2016 – the only time the conference has been split – but each season, Wyoming Seminary was the Division 1 champion, had the better record and won the head-to-head meeting during the season.
Last year, Lake-Lehman was second to Wyoming Seminary in both the conference and the district.
“This is a very big win,” Lake-Lehman coach Ron Strohl said. “As a club team, we’ve gone back and forth and had beaten them, but we’ve never beaten Sem as a high school team.
“This is another first for us this year. We beat Danville for the first time earlier in the year.”
And, in addition to posting its first win over Wyoming Seminary, Lake-Lehman came up with the first by any WVC school since 2015, ending a 36-game conference winning streak by the Blue Knights.
“It’s their belief,” Strohl said. “They know what they’re doing. They strongly believe in each other.”
The win put Lake-Lehman (9-0 with two games left) on the brink of beating out Wyoming Seminary (9-1) for the WVC championship and the top seed for the District 2 Class 2A playoffs, meaning a coveted home-field advantage for what quite possibly will be a rematch of Tuesday’s game.
Getting to that point was not easy.
“It’s been like a major rollercoaster playing against them,” Evans said.
Tuesday’s second half certainly was.
The Blue Knights erased a halftime deficit by scoring in the first minute of the second half.
Lake-Lehman went up by three, but Wyoming Seminary used four straight goals to go ahead, 12-11, with 3:45 left to play on a score by Emily Sims.
The Black Knights came back, setting up behind the net for three scoring plays in a span of 1:50.
Samantha Aben tied the game.
Like Aben, Katie Roberts came out from behind the goal to score, putting Lake-Lehman ahead with 2:30 to play.
The Black Knights were controlling the ball, taking time off the clock when Aben found Evans in front for her fourth goal with 1:22 remaining.
Lake-Lehman won the ensuing draw, but Wyoming Seminary was not done.
Julia Gabriel made a steal and hit Grace Parsons behind the defense for a goal.
Wyoming Seminary had possession in the Lake-Lehman end in the final minute when freshman Ava Radel stole a pass off a restart, allowing the Black Knights to secure the win.
“We were able to score pretty quickly on fast breaks, but there were a few times where we threw the ball away,” Wyoming Seminary coach Catie Kersey said.
Scranton Prep 12, Coughlin 6
Jolene Ulichney scored three times to lead the Crusaders in the loss. Kendall Pearage added two goals.
BOYS LACROSSE
Dallas 18, Lake-Lehman 4
Nick Solinsky scored five goals and made three assists as the Mountaineers dominated the Old Stick game on their home field.
TJ Herron added two goals and five assists in the victory. Hunter Landon and David Lapinski each had a hat trick and an assist for Dallas.
Delaware Valley 16, Tunkhannock 2
Josh Balcarcel scored five goals and registered a pair of assists to lead the Warriors over the Tigers.
Jackson Melnick added four goals and three assists in the victory.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Lake-Lehman 14, Wyoming Seminary 13
Wyoming Seminary`6`7 — 13
Lake-Lehman`7`7 — 14
SCORING – SEM, Paige Parsons (3 goals, 2 assists), Grace Parsons (3 goals, 1 assist), Emily Sims (2 goals, 2 assists), Julia Gabriel (2 goals, assist), Christina Kilyanek (goal), Bari Lefkowitz (goal), Rebecca Hammerman (goal). LL, Jess Evans (4 goals), Katie Roberts (4 goals), Samantha Aben (3 goals, assist), Hallie Jenkins (goal, assist), Alicia Galasso (goal, assist), Morgan Critchosin (goal).
Shots on goal – SEM 23, LL 23. Saves – SEM 9 (Mia Raineri), LL 10 (Grace Butler).
