June 14 , 2011

Downingtown, P.A.- The South swept all three North-South All-Star games as the IWLCA honored 110 senior student-athletes at the annual games, held in Downingtown on Saturday, June 11 at the United Sports Training Center.

In the Division II All-Star game the South opened up a quick 4-0 lead in the Division II game as four different players scored in the opening 15 minutes. Lock Haven’s Alex Cross scored the opening goal on an 8-meter shot, and she won the ensuing draw to keep possession for her team. A goal by PSAC rival Molly O’Hara from East Stroudsburg gave the South a 2-0 lead. Dowling’s Briana Falese won the first of her seven draws to get possession for the North, but their shot went wide and the South capitalized at the other end as Limestone’s Erin Growney passed the rock to Lock Haven’s Allison Berger, who scored to put the South up 3-0. Stonehill’s Hannah Anderson won the draw and got off a shot, but St. Andrews Morgan Achilles made the save to keep the lead for the South. Again they capitalized as ESU’s Jamie Wesztergom scored to give the South a 4-0 lead.

The Haven’s Kathleen McConnell won the draw, but the North was able to get possession and Saint Michael’s Elizabeth Siekman put the North on board. Falese won the next draw and her Dowling teammate Cassie Cronin was able to cut the lead to two. After Wesztergom won the draw for the South, the North was able to get control and at the other end of the field Stonehill’s Devin O’Leary converted an 8-meter to pull the North within one at halftime.

Falese won the draw to open the second half of play, and Anderson scored her first goal of the game to tie the game just seconds into the frame. Bloomsburg’s Tia Mazzie won the draw and Cronin was able to get off a shot, but Achilles made the save to keep the game level. Cronin was able to put in the second shot, and the North capped a 5-0 run to take a 5-4 lead.

Falese won the next draw as well, but the South was able to get possession and Cross scored again to tie the game. Adelphi’s Elizabeth Fey won the ensuing draw and got off a shot, but it went wide. Stonehill’s Christine Lanagan maintained possession for the North, but National Defender of the Year Katie Zichelli caused a turnover and scooped up the ground ball to give the South possession. At the other end of the field, however, the South lost the ball and the North transitioned back, where Cronin scored her third goal of the game to put the North back in front. Falese again won the draw, and Anderson scored again, capping a 7-1 run for the North to take a 7-5 lead. After Falese won her seventh draw of the game to give the North a key possession, they turned the ball over and the South marched right back where Cross converted a pass from Pfeiffer’s Amanda Smith to pull within one. Smith won the next draw, and Berger scored to tie the game. Wesztergom won the draw to give the South a chance to win in regulation, but the squad turned it over and at the other end of the field, Achilles made a save to keep the game level, sending it to the end of regulation tied.

The overtime consisted of a Braveheart between Cross and Fey. Fey won the draw and got off a shot that hit both posts and rebounded out to the sideline, where Cross picked it up and made her way down the field. Haggerty was able to make the low save on the shot, and Fey took it back upfield where she found metal for the second time, giving the South another chance. This time Cross converted, scoring her fourth goal to win the game for the South.

Draws: South 6 (Wesztergom 2, Johnson, Cross, McConnell, Smith)

North 11 (Falese 7, Fey 2, Mazzie, Anderson)

Scoring: South Cross 4+0, Berger 2+0, O’Hara 1+0, Wesztergom 1+0, Growney 0+1

North Cronin 3+0, Anderson 2+0, O’Leary 1+0, Siekman 1+0

Goalies: South: Achilles (3 saves, 7 GA)

North: Haggerty (2 saves, 8 GA)

             -GO KNIGHTS-