Panther junior Helen Kreschollek competing for a midfield draw against the Nazareth Blue Eagles.
Over the weekend the Saucon Valley Lady Panthers lacrosse team welcomed the Nazareth Blue Eagles to town for a Saturday morning showdown. Both the Lady Eagles and Panthers entered the contest riding three-game win streaks. With only one week remaining in the season and future District XI playoff seedings a factor, the game was a scrappy battle featuring multiple yellow cards.
Saucon sophomore Siobhan Coakley taking a pass from Kiele Riefenstahl and looking to score one of her three goals.
The Panthers were quick out of the gate. Sophomore Siobhan Coakley drew first blood as she rifled a slick shot to the top-shelf of the Nazareth goal only :24 seconds into the contest. A little over a minute later the Panthers were back at the Blue Eagle doorstep. Freshman Camryn Zavacky got big and posted up in front of the goal. Panther sophomore Brooke Riefenstahl fed Zavacky who executed with a quick turn and finish. The Blue Eagles fought back and scored the next two goals to tie the game at 16:23. Saucon Valley coach, Jane Hoff, sensing a swing in momentum called a timeout to make some adjustments.
The Panthers responded to another well-timed timeout.
Following the timeout the Panthers reclaimed momentum with five unanswered goals. The first being a Helen Kreschollek bouncer at 15:30 off a free start. Coakley and senior Maddie Stump were then credited with two goals each during the Panther run. The most impressive tally being when Maddie Stump hit Kat Naiburg on a long diagonal pass across the field. Naiburg immediately and alertly relayed another quick, diagonal pass to the awaiting Coakley who hit her mark. The skilled display allowed the Panthers to take a 7-2 lead with 12:46 left to play in the first half.
The Bama-bound Stump getting a lot of attention from the Nazareth defense.
Nazareth fought back with a score at 11:32, but the Panthers continued with another five goal spurt.
“Mad-Dog” Stump started the next Panther run at 7:27 with some fancy stick skills when she faked high and went low on the Blue Eagle goalie. Naiburg doubled down with a hard drive down the left side of the 8-Meter Arc to beat her defender and register a goal. Brooke Riefenstahl was fortunate to follow suit when her soft pass from the top of the arc meant for Helen Kreschollek missed and the ball drifted innocently past the unsuspecting Nazareth goalie and into the net.
Kat Naiburg drives hard to the goal and gets off a strong shot.
Zavacky then was able to take a pair of passes from Stump and extend the Panther lead. On one pretty play, Stump alertly found Zavacky lurking just behind the goal outside the crease. Zavacky accepted Stump’s offering from the top of the arc and quickly finished.
Nazareth claimed another goal with just under two minutes to go in the half, but Helen Kreschollek with only seventeen seconds remaining took a Kiele Riefenstahl pass and buried it in the back of the net. Saucon went into halftime with a 13-4 lead.
Junior Helen Kreschollek camped out in her Spring time office as Mad-Dog pressures the defense.
Saucon sophomore Megan Bredbenner was quick to get the Panthers on the scoreboard to start the second half at 23:41. Bredbenner’s strike made the score 14-4 and got the mercy-rule clock ticking. However, her goal would be the last of the game for the Panthers.
For the next eighteen minutes of play the Panthers pretty much matched each of the Blue Eagle goals with “yellow-cards” assigned by the referees to players for committing “excessive” fouls. Perhaps sensing victory, Saucon Valley lost a little focus and became complacent. Their sloppy play led to penalties that put them at a man or two disadvantage for the balance of the game. At one point the Panthers were three men down against the Blue Eagles. Nazareth was opportunistic and able to capitalize and get within five goals with five minutes remaining. The adjusted Panther game-plan was to obtain possession and play keep-away to chew the clock. The plan worked. Saucon Valley held on for a 14-9 victory.
Lady Panther Goal Scorers v. the Nazareth Blue Eagles
- So. Siobhan Coakley (3)
- Sr. Maddie Stump (3)
- Fr. Camryn Zavacky (3)
- Jr. Helen Kreschollek (2)
- So. Megan Bredbenner (1)
- So. Katherine Naiburg (1)
- So. Brooke Riefenstahl (1)
Panther sophomore goalie Audrey Holland and the Saucon Valley defense on alert.
UP NEXT: The 9-3 Saucon Valley Girls’ lacrosse team will be back in action on Wednesday, May 3rd with a rematch against the 8-5 Freedom Patriots. The Panthers held on to survive the Lady Patriots last week by a 12-10 score. With playoff seedings at stake it is going to be another intense contest for sure.
Good Luck Panthers, the Source is with you!
