Girls lacrosse: York finishes best season 2nd in state after falling to Loyola in title game
It had to be difficult for York fans to watch Loyola’s total domination in the first quarter of Saturday’s girls lacrosse state championship game, but it will be much easier to look back on the Dukes’ record-breaking campaign as a whole.
Powerhouse Loyola (22-4) won draw after draw from the onset while keeping the ball away from York and storming ahead 10-0 after one quarter of play at Hinsdale Central. By the time the game ended, the Ramblers had a 21-3 victory and the program’s 17th state title.
For 21-4 York, the final was rough but hoisting the second-place trophy and proudly wearing the medals around their necks surely lightened the mood.
“This was our goal the whole season, to get to state and we did it and one game cannot define our season,” senior midfielder Hayden Daniel said. “We had so many accomplishments coming into this game and we came in here wanting it and we didn’t get what we wanted. But still, I’m so proud and we did so well this season.”
Daniel, who was named all-state at halftime of the game, scored a goal early in the second half, but by that time the score was 13-2 Loyola. After the Ramblers’ dominant first quarter, Morgan Navarre got the Dukes on the board in the second quarter and later she added an assist, but York’s offense had few chances as Notre Dame-bound junior attacker Chole Mangel kept winning draws and setting her team up to attack.
“They’re very, very good everywhere,” York coach Ryan Walz said of the champs. “Winning the draw is what we knew we had to try and do today, and we just couldn’t find an answer for their girls in the draw circle.
“She’s going to Notre Dame for a reason. She knows exactly where that ball is going every time. If we won a quarter of the draws we thought we’d have a chance but we just couldn’t and that kind of killed us. We wanted to be sharp there but we were up against a beast.”
With Mangel (2 goals, 1 assist) dominating the draws, two of her teammates notched hat tricks less than five minutes into the game. Junior all-state attacker Kathleen Devine tallied three of her four goals, and Jillian Rocchio (4 goals, 2 assists) also scored three quick goals as the Ramblers took a 6-0 lead with 7:35 still left in the first quarter.
“We came out super strong today. We had a lot to come back with after last year. We had to come out super strong and fired up,” said Mangel, who won state as a freshman but lost to New Trier in overtime in last year’s finals.
Asked how she is so successful on draws, Mangel said it takes a lot of work.
“Lots of practice. Lots and lots of reps,” she said. “We spend a lot of time in practice and watching film. I give all my credit to the girls in the circle. We just do such a good job with it, knowing where the ball is going to go and figuring it out. Possession is key.”
Loyola coach John Dwyer picked up his 16th championship, with granddaughter Molly Dwyer playing a key role with four goals and two assists. Seeing a Dwyer or two on the field with the veteran coach on the sidelines is somewhat of a tradition at the girls state tournament. The coach’s first championship included his oldest daughter, and now four daughters and three granddaughters have played for him at the school.
“After last year when we lost in overtime, all of us were very excited to come out with a lot of fire,” said Molly Dwyer, a junior all-state midfielder. “We wouldn’t have done it without our draw-taker (Mangel). She wins every draw.
“And I think we were all prepared really well. Coach Dwyer, I mean ‘Pops’, prepares us very well. I wouldn’t be able to do it without my family support.”
Like Daniel, who is headed to East Carolina University, York senior Elizabeth Specht was also named to the all-state first team and she’ll play Division I soccer at Cincinnati.
“It was surreal. It was so cool just to get there. Even though the game didn’t go how we wanted,” said Specht, a midfielder. “They’re a powerhouse. They’re amazing. I’m just so proud of us for keeping our heads up high at the end. We won conference for the first time this year and we beat Hinsdale (Central) twice for the first time ever. The fact that we got to go out in the state championship, even in a loss, is pretty amazing.”
In the third-place contest, Barrington (23-3) pulled away from a 3-3 tie at the half to defeat Marist 10-7.
Gia Klauer led the way with three goals while Emma Menke, Harley Talheimer and Chole Niven each scored twice for the Fillies. Goalie Maya Arzate recorded six saves while earning the win.