WESTTOWN — Unhappy with how the West Chester Rustin girls lacrosse team began their Ches-Mont League game against Coatesville on Thursday, first-year coach Mia Ciancio requested a timeout and urged her players to calm down.
Our defense failed to chase down the ball effectively," Ciancio stated. "We didn't generate turnovers as usual and seemed slightly sluggish. I called for a timeout and urged them to step things up, which they did.
The Golden Knights surged ahead by netting seven consecutive goals during the transition from the second to the third quarter, seizing control en route to a commanding 18-9 win against the Red Raiders on Senior Night.
Rustin (3-1, 3-4) pulled ahead of Coatesville with a score of 12-4 starting from the 4:06 mark in the second quarter.
We began at a slower pace initially and it took us several possessions to find our rhythm, but once we got into gear, it was incredibly enjoyable," stated midfielder Jordyn Krafchick, one of the senior players recognized prior to the match. "It was fantastic to play as a team.
Rustin began the competition by maintaining control of the ball for nearly 2 minutes and 30 seconds. During this possession, they capitalized after their second opportunity when Izzie Mintz scored from close range.
The Red Raiders (1-4, 2-6) equalized thanks to a powerful shot by Kaylee Harvey, initiating a streak of three consecutive goals. This was then extended when Myra Matukaitis netted from long range to claim the lead for them. With just 6 minutes and 35 seconds remaining, Kelsey Gathercole made it a two-goal cushion after scoring off a one-time pass.
As a sophomore, Ava Cappelli narrowed the gap to 3-2 when she scored from a free position with a rebound that would mark the beginning of her five-goal performance, which led all scorers in the match.
I was simply finding space, and my teammates kept passing me the ball," Cappelli stated. "We maintained a positive vibe all evening.
They equalized and grabbed the lead with an early power-play opportunity, courtesy of free-position goals from Sammie McLaughlin and Clare Fusco.
In the latter part of the second period, freshman Caitlyn McLaughlin scored for the first time in her varsity career, making the score 7-5 with 3 minutes and 35 seconds remaining. The Golden Knights then added one more goal to lead 8-5 at halftime.
Even though they were behind, Coach Kolleen Kitzinger of Coatesville, during her inaugural season as a head coach, felt content with how her squad performed.
“I was,” Kitzinger stated. “Our defense put in a lot of effort.”
In the third period, Rustin emerged as dominant, securing most of the draw controls and converting them into scores.
They scored five consecutive goals, highlighted by Krafchick's spectacular behind-the-back score, to take a 13-5 lead with 3:28 remaining.
Coatesville halted the streak as Harvey recorded her third score of the night.
Our offense was unable to respond," Kitzinger said. "We gave it our best shot and stuck to our strategy. But we lost control of the game in the third quarter. That’s how things go sometimes.
Rustin led with a score of 16-7 heading into the fourth quarter when each team scored an additional two goals. In total, Rustin outshot Coatesville, 26-15.
Ciancio is finding her stride during her debut season with the Golden Knights as they have secured back-to-back victories.
“When joining, it’s certainly challenging not knowing how any of the players perform initially,” she stated. “It took some time for me to understand where everybody meshes well together. Simply integrating them into the rhythm required a bit of effort, but I believe they are starting to get comfortable with it.”
West Chester Rustin scored 18 points, while Coatesville managed only 9 points.
Coatesville 3 2 2 2 — 9
WC Rustin 2 6 8 2 — 18
Coatesville objectives: Matukaitis with 3, Harvey also with 3, Gathercole at 2, Turner contributes,
WC Rustin objectives: Cappelli 5, Krafchick 4, Mintz 3, S. McLaughlin 3, Fusco 2, C. McLaughlin.
Goalie saves: Myers (C) 9; Donnelly (WCR) 4.
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