WRIGHT TWP. — Just about 15 minutes into Monday’s District 2 girls lacrosse championship game, it appeared as though Abington Heights had the answers on defense for Crestwood’s high-octane attack.
But there was no answer for Isabella Caporuscio.
The senior standout scored all seven of her goals in the first half, and five in an 11-minute stretch, to lead Crestwood to its third straight Class 2A title with a 12-8 win over Abington Heights.
“That was a talented team, great defense, but you’ve got to do what you can to put the ball in the net,” Caporsucio said after her team celebrated with their district medals. “I couldn’t ask for a better team by my side.”
After two quick goals early, the bulk of Caporuscio’s damage was done during a stretch late in the first half that saw Crestwood seize control of the game after a very tight start.
With the attacking duo of Caly Yankom and Emily Bartell leading the way, Abington traded goals with Crestwood again and again, leading the defending champs 5-4 with 10 minutes before halftime.
The Abington defense was collapsing on Crestwood’s attackers at every turn, forcing missed shots and ground balls, holding Crestwood in check.
“We told the girls to just relax,” said Crestwood head coach Russell Kile. “In a big game like this, everyone’s tense, dropping ground balls. … We just tried to get them settled into the game and getting those basics down.”
It took a little longer than normal, but Crestwood began to show why the Class 2A district title has been a mainstay in their trophy case the last few seasons.
Caporuscio scored at the 7:47 mark to tie the game, 5-5. Then she scored again two minutes later to take the lead, and a minute after that to give her team some breathing room.
She would add one more goal before halftime, and Lucy Malia found the back of the net as well to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 9-5 halftime lead for Crestwood, putting Abington Heights into a hole that they just couldn’t climb out of.
Abington managed to cut the deficit to three goals early in the second half, but that was as close as they could get. The damage had been done, and Crestwood was able to bleed out much of the second-half clock to get to the final whistle, and hoist another District 2 championship plaque.
“Playing in the championship game, the nerves are definitely there,” Caporuscio said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we had to find a way to turn on the switch, which is exactly what we did.”
Bartell finished with four goals and Yankom had three for Abington, whose season comes to an end with a final record of 15-2, with both losses coming at the hands of Crestwood.
Kile paid a great deal of respect to his opposition on the sidelines, Abington Heights head coach Becky Davis, after the game. Davis has enjoyed success coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels, and returned to Abington Heights after coaching at Keystone University.
“It’s great to have Becky [Davis] back in the league,” Kile said. “She brings the level of lacrosse up in this area, and she’s helping put everyone on the map.”
In addition to Caporuscio’s game-high seven goals, Hannah Ziegler scored twice for Crestwood and assisted on another score. Jordan Andrews and Aubrey Macri added goals in the second half for Crestwood, and Morgan Koons made 11 saves in net to keep Abington Heights at arm’s length.
Crestwood will have two weeks before the PIAA Class 2A championships begin on June 6. The Comets will take on the fourth-place finisher from District 1, which is currently in the middle of its own girls lacrosse championships.
Kile acknowledged how tough the competition would be at the next level, but said that the team would be focusing on getting the fundamentals down while his team waits for states — a third straight trip for Crestwood.
“To see the program go from 1-10 our first season, to three consecutive District 2 titles is just an amazing experience,” Kile said.
“It seems sweeter every year.”
