Carrying a big stick
Crawford scores 7 goals in Butler's girls lacrosse win
BUTLER TWP — Megan Crawford was one of the smallest girls on the field Thursday
night. But in the game's biggest moment, she came up huge.
With Butler and Greater Latrobe all square and 42.3 seconds
to play, Crawford sprinted forward on an 8-meter shot, slipped around a couple
of defenders and delivered the decisive goal in the Golden Tornado's 14-13
girls lacrosse victory at Art Bernardi Stadium.
It was Crawford's seventh goal, giving the junior 11 in two
games. Bailey Kraus scored five times for the Tornado, who never trailed after
taking a 3-2 edge with
Butler (1-1) took a 13-9 lead — its largest of the game —
when Kraus scored off a crisp pass in front of the net from Olivia Kappler with
13:08 remaining, but the Wildcats (0-1) fought back.
Katie Stallings provided the equalizer for Latrobe with 2:17
to go after knifing through the Tornado defense on a 50-yard sprint. The
Wildcats threatened to take the lead just 20 seconds later, but Butler goalie
Kyleigh Jarosinski turned away a shot from Stallings and the Tornado seized
control from there.
“In the last two minutes, we got together, pulled everything
together and we worked as a team,” said Crawford. “We went out there, we wanted
it and it showed.”
“I was really proud that they played the whole way to the
end,” said Butler coach Annie Tigano. “When it got close, we could tell they
were a little nervous, but they really fought hard and you could tell they
wanted it.”
Scoring came in bunches during the game's initial moments.
Kraus won the opening faceoff and ran right through the defense to give Butler
a 1-0 lead just 14 seconds in. The teams combined for seven goals in the first
five minutes.
Although it was a tight contest throughout, Latrobe's only
advantage came at 2-1.
The Tornado built a three-goal cushion twice in the first
half, before taking a 10-8 lead into the break. Crawford and Kraus tallied four
goals apiece in the opening 25 minutes. Kappler and Lauren Miller also scored
for Butler.
“We were looking to pass, which is something we've worked on
in practice,” said Crawford. “We were just working together. That's how a team
is supposed to be. We knew what we had to do and we went out there and did it.”
Crawford was especially troublesome for the Wildcats. She
began the final half by driving down the field for a score in 17 seconds.
“She's very fast and she's good with both her hands,” said
Greater Latrobe coach Kaytie Russo of Crawford. “I think her size kind of helps
her out, too, because she's so little.”
Tigano is happy Crawford is on her side.
“She's so quick and she has such good stick skills,” the
Butler coach said. “She's someone that has worked all year for the last couple
years to become a good player and it shows.”
Jarosinski led the Tornado with eight saves after entering in
the second half. Kamryn Bernhard handled first-half goalie duties and stopped
four shots.
Kaitlyn Bereit tallied six saves for the Wildcats, who
outshot Butler 25-20.
Stallings and Jessica Kostic led Latrobe with four goals
apiece. Anna Ayers had a goal and two assists, while Jocelyn Cawoski chipped in
a pair of goals.
“It was a good game. I'm proud of how they played,” said
Russo. “Offensively, they did really well — rolling the crease, setting up
plays and getting the ball downfield.”
Tigano is pleased her team will enter section play at Shaler
on Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a victory under its belt.
“It's good to go in with a win,” she said. “It was definitely
good to see them really want it and fight for it. It's good momentum going into
next week.”