After trailing Schuylkill Valley by three to start the game, Wilson kicked it into high gear on Tuesday night at West Lawn.
Following what would prove to be a pivotal timeout early in the first quarter, the Bulldogs scored four unanswered goals before carrying on in dominant fashion to beat the Panthers 22-5 and remain undefeated in league play.
“I think for us, it’s all about recognizing how talented we are as a group,” Wilson coach Chelsea Rosiek said. “And then just really believing and implementing that from the start of the first whistle to the end of the last.”
Junior Mattie Keiser scored the first goal of the night for the Bulldogs (7-0, 11-3) and ended with a game-high five goals and one assist. Keiser, who leads the Bulldogs with 47 points (37 goals and 10 assists), scored four of her five goals in the first quarter to help Wilson establish a commanding 9-5 lead after the opening 12 minutes.
“I honestly just go with the flow and try to pick up my teammates when there’s moments we’re not doing so hot,” Keiser said. “Having fun, keeping the team involved and picking up on the little things makes us more successful.”
On her second goal of the night, which cut the Panthers’ lead to 3-2, Keiser was assisted by senior Ainsley McLain, as the two used solid passing while on a counterattacking run to orchestrate the goal.
“She’s been instrumental for us this year on the offensive end,” Rosiek said about Keiser. “She’s just such a fluid player and really incredible. So dual-handed, and such a sneaky threat, like our silent assassin. She’s really done a phenomenal job of putting points on the board for us.”
Senior Jillian Boyer scored the opening goal of the game for Schuylkill Valley following a penalty with 10:49 left in the first. Fellow senior Reese Weddle followed that up moments later with another goal for the Panthers after Wilson had its first two shots of the game hit the post.
With 8:42 left in the first, sophomore Giana Kaylor scored for Schuylkill Valley and was assisted by Abigail Hostetler to give the Panthers (3-4, 7-6) their largest lead of the night.
After the Bulldogs took a brief 4-3 lead halfway through the first, freshman Lilah Gilmore scored with 4:44 left in the opening period to tie it 4-4.
Weddle, who had a team-high two goals for Schuylkill Valley, scored with six seconds left in the first quarter to close out the scoring for the Panthers. Despite the loss, Schuylkill Valley is having a successful season, according to Panthers coach Randy Newpher.
“I think it’s been a great season for us so far and we have the most wins in program history,” Newpher said. “So we just have to win the next couple and see what can happen from there.
“We’re working on defense. We didn’t work up the way we wanted the girls to (today), and we didn’t transition the ball down the field the way we wanted to on the attacking side. We’re learning and growing.”
Sophomore Lexi Brensinger, who ended the game with four goals for Wilson, had two in the first quarter. Senior Kaitlyn Coldren, McLain and freshman Ryan Leaman also scored goals in the first quarter for the Bulldogs.
McLain finished the night with three goals and one assist, and senior Audrey Miller had two goals and one assist for the Bulldogs.
Keiser’s last goal of the night came with 10:39 left in the second quarter to make it 11-5 in favor of Wilson.
“Our chemistry and our camaraderie (are key) and (also) making sure that we uphold the most important things: which are having fun and loving each other and our sport,” Rosiek said about what has led to the team’s success. “I’m just really proud of them and their continued efforts.”
The Bulldogs led 16-5 at halftime and 20-5 after the third quarter. Wilson had 12 different goal scorers and eight different players had assists, as the Bulldogs displayed a heightened sense of team chemistry throughout the game..
“Our relationships off the field really help us perform on the field,” Keiser said. “I like setting up my teammates because it makes me happy and it just makes everything better when I can set up my teammates for success.”
With four regular season games, including three league matchups, remaining, Wilson is hoping to make a deep postseason run that includes a county championship. The Bulldogs last claimed a Berks Girls Lacrosse League title in 2018.
“We have such incredible senior leadership and I think they’re in a place right now where they can really take the lead and push us into a run in the postseason,” Rosiek said. “I’m very hopeful for them to continue to build on what we’ve been doing and to push our team forward.”
“I’m really excited to keep on going and maybe get a county (championship),” Keiser said.
Source: Berkshire mont