Editor’s note: This story was cut off in Sunday’s paper. Here is the full story with photos.
The emotions of years spent together poured out Saturday morning for the Twin Valley girls lacrosse team.
Following a 16-7 loss to Archbishop Carroll in the PIAA Class 2A girls lacrosse final at Penn State’s at Panzer Stadium, the bonds the girls formed over the years came to the fore.
And though tears were shed, the Raiders found solace in the thing that helped them advance to their third straight state championship: an unwavering sense of togetherness.
“These trophies and medals are great, but I don’t want to leave them,” senior Hadley Munn said.
Indeed, the trophies and medals are bountiful for the senior members of Twin Valley who have seen their program rise to extraordinary heights over the past four years.
Since 2021, the Raiders have won three District 3 Class 2A championships (2022, 2023, 2024), three BCIAA titles and had an overall record of 89-19.
And while the senior group will always have those accolades to look back on, it’s the lessons learned along the way that seem most worthwhile.
“The medals just represent how much we love each other,” senior Chelsea Hurley said. “We really do love each other.”
“All those other medals are just bonuses,” senior Anna Givens said. “Everything that I’ve learned; I wasn’t even half the player I have become before I got to high school. Courtney (Kaplan) has taught me so much.
“She got me into the college that I’m going to, the skills that she has helped me learn, just everything. The culture that she has brought to this team and everything that we do, she is behind us supporting us and I could not have asked for a better coach.”
Though Saturday’s performance did not yield any new medals, Twin Valley showed incredible resilience.
Trailing 4-0, the Raiders (21-7) called a timeout with 7:55 remaining in the first quarter before scoring three unanswered goals before the end of the first.
Junior Kylie Duke opened up the scoring when she scooped up a loose ball turnover around midfield and charged down field for a breakaway goal with 3:44 remaining. Givens won the draw following the goal and Twin Valley moved the ball well around goal until sophom*ore Ellie Kaplan found Givens in front of net for a goal with 3:01 left.
Just before time expired in the first period, Givens found the net once again, firing a shot low and into the net from the right side with three seconds to go.
“I just told them this is what it feels like; now we’re warmed up,” Courtney Kaplan said. “So now let’s go out and play our game and regroup and everyone was on board. They did keep fighting. We tried to make a few adjustments, and they’re (the Patriots) a very strong team. I give them a ton of credit.”
In the second, the Patriots scored four unanswered until a give and go between Ellie Kaplan and Hadley Munn resulted in a goal for Munn with 2:03 left in the second quarter.
Archbishop Carroll led 9-4 at the half and continued to add to its lead in the third.
Though the Raiders played strong defense and forced the Patriots into turnovers three times in the first five minutes of the third, the Patriots were able to find a way through when Morgan Wood scored with 5:44 left in the third.
Chloe Bleckley, who had a game-high six goals for Archbishop Carroll, scored her sixth and final goal just before the end of the third.
“I wanted them to enjoy this but I think they were very frustrated,” Courtney Kaplan said. “They were able to fight through adversity.
“I told the younger kids now you have a taste. This is the expectation and all of the hard work that we put in starting in January pays off.
“I’m proud of these girls and this coaching staff and we’ll keep fighting.”
Ellie Kaplan, Givens and Munn each added another goal in the fourth, but the Patriots had a lead as high as nine at 14-5 with 5:00 minutes to go.
Givens finished with a team-high three goals, Ellie Kaplan had a team-high two assists and Givens had a team-high five draw controls.
Freshman goalie Steph Dunbar made eight saves for Twin Valley.
“Being a goalie is definitely the hardest job on the field and we all understand that,” senior Camryn Owens said. “So we really just tried to help her mental needs because that’s the biggest part about being a goalie. There’s 11 other people that the ball had to go through before her so we tried to keep her head up.”
With plenty of underclassmen ready to carry on the Raiders’ legacy of success, it is safe to say that Twin Valley’s fellowship will carry on.
“So one of my goals is to always make them feel welcomed, like the upperclassmen for us made us feel welcomed,” Munn said. “They’re like our best friends. We love them. I drive them everywhere and we always support them. They have grown so much in just one year of playing with us and now they’re amazing the way that they play with us.
“I just hope that they carry that on with the younger girls that come through.”
