WRIGHT TWP. – Isabella Caporuscio put Wyoming Area in immediate trouble when she scored the first four goals of the District 2 Class 2A girls lacrosse championship game.
Caporuscio topped that outburst in the second half to put away the second straight district championship for the Comets.
The junior had her team’s last five goals and scored six total in a streak of eight straight second-half goals that Crestwood used to run away with an 18-8, home-field victory.
The game was a rematch of the only blemish on two-time champion Crestwood’s Wyoming Valley Conference record during a 27-game WVC unbeaten streak. The teams tied, 16-16, in double overtime in their conference game.
Caporuscio made sure the rematch was a different game with a career-high 13 goals to go along with three assists.
“We knew we needed to come out fast,” Caporuscio said. “Last time we played them, they came out just as fast as us.
“We had to raise the bar and pick up our level to come out with a win.”
Caporuscio’s scoring pace barely slowed until strategy called for Crestwood to slow the game down, which the Comets did expertly.
After Caporuscio reached 11 goals for a 16-7 lead with 10:29 left, Crestwood emphasized possession and ball control, running time off the clock. She punctuated lengthy possessions by scoring with 7:36 and 1:50 left to make it 18-7.
Wyoming Area had some momentum early in the second half, closing what had already twice been a five-goal deficit to 10-7 less than two minutes in.
At that point, the Warriors were actually outshooting the Comets for the game, but Crestwood took control with draw control and patient, accurate passing that produced long possessions. The Comets took 16 of the game’s next 17 shots to spark the eight-goal streak.
“We just really had to pick it up,” said Julia Glowacki, who added two goals and four assists in the win. “We knew they were going to come out strong in the second half and they did, but we adjusted to them.
“That helped and we started winning draws.”
Crestwood coach Russ Kile credited draw specialist Rebecca Tirpak, who combined with Caporuscio and freshmen Kate Gallagher and Hannah Zeigler to give the Comets different looks and allow for a series of draw wins after Wyoming Area had used a draw and quick transition to score twice in 11 seconds.
As long as the Comets could get the ball, Caporuscio could often do the rest.
“We think she’s maybe leveling off to her full potential, then she just amazes us every game and every training session,” Kile said.
Zeigler assisted Caporuscio’s first two goals, then scored the other two goals in the second-half streak.
Sofia Sabatini led Wyoming Area, which has reached two of the last three finals, with five goals and an assist.
Crestwood (18-1-1) will open the PIAA state tournament May 31 at a District 2 site against the third-place team from District 1.
DISTRICT 2 CLASS 2A GIRLS LACROSSE FINAL
Crestwood 18, Wyoming Area 8
Wyoming Area`5`3`-`8
Crestwood`10`8`—`18
Wyoming Area scoring: Sofia Sabatini 5 goals, 1 assist; Makenzie Switzer 2 goals, 1 assist; Julia Gonzales goal; Halle Kranson assist. Crestwood scoring: Isabella Caporuscio 13 goals, 3 assists; Julia Glowacki 2 goals, 3 assists; Hannah Zeigler 2 goals, 2 assists; Grace Pasternick goal; Olivia Aigeldinger assist. Shots: WA 24, CRE 34. Goalie saves: WA 9 (Kylee Foy), CRE 8 (Morgan Koons).
