DOWNINGTOWN — Nina Ryan and Sadie Dexter started their freshman field hockey season as members of Downingtown West’s JV team.
On Friday afternoon, that duo scored three goals in a less than 10-minute second half span, sending the Whippets’ varsity program to the District 1-3A semifinals — all while locking up a bid in next month’s PIAA Tournament — with a late rally in a 3-2 comeback win over visiting Methacton.
For most of the first three quarters, things were not exactly going well for the fourth-seeded Whippets. Methacton controlled mostly everything: possession, tempo, an advantage in scoring chances, and most importantly, the scoreboard. The No. 5 Warriors’ passing, whether it was up and down the field or from side to side, was immaculate for the entire first half. A late second quarter goal from Carmela Maro off a penalty corner struck by Adriana Hopple, followed by another score right after halftime by Calie Fisher made it seem like Methacton had a complete stranglehold on the game.
Until suddenly they didn’t.
Ryan first struck with 3:16 left in the third quarter in a crowded traffic jam in front of Methacton goalie Maddie McKenney, giving a jolt of energy to a Whippets team badly in need of a spark.
“I was just really determined to get one to make our team have that turning point,” Ryan said. “I was really excited – shocked, honestly. I thought I was going to miss the shot, but because I was so determined…I don’t know, I just found the power to do it.”
From that point, things changed in a hurry. Methacton head coach Amanda Parrezzi said afterward that she thought Ryan’s goal put the Warriors on their heels a bit, but they still held a 2-1 advantage heading into the final quarter.
But then another Whippet freshman picked an opportune time to be the hero, as Dexter put one in the back of the net with 10:43 remaining.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I just scored that,’” Dexter said. “Once we get that first goal, we usually start rolling and knocking them in. We were determined to keep scoring. I’m proud because we didn’t give up when we were down two. We pushed all the way to the end.”
Ryan added her second goal of the game less than two minutes after her classmate’s, scoring on a penalty corner off the stick of senior Aimee Largoza with 8:57 to play.
“I was like, ‘Alright, we’re rolling now, let’s get one more,’” Ryan said. “Then we can keep possession, and we’ve got this. I was just really happy that we got that winning goal.”
West head coach Courtney Macpherson said that her team’s starting lineup has been besieged by injuries throughout the season, which required JV players such as Ryan and Dexter to get the call up to the big leagues.
“Sadie and Nina have been special for us,” Macpherson said. “We have battled injuries, and they’ve stepped into those roles. Sadie’s played three different positions and Nina’s been in two to fill our gaps. They’ve shown growth and gained that confidence, and it showed in them putting the ball in the back of the net today. I’m so proud of them.”
For Methacton’s part, it seemed like the team was more shocked and bewildered than upset or devastated. After all, it wasn’t the end of the Warriors’ season just yet. The four losing quarterfinal teams will be placed into a playback bracket, with the first set of games set for Tuesday. Methacton will host No. 8 Souderton at 6:30, with the winner clinching a berth in states and the loser still alive but needing to win two additional playback games to get to the PIAA Tournament.
If the Warriors (15-5-2) play like the first-half version of themselves, they should be fine. When the team is on and executing its fundamentals at a high level, they are hard to slow down and score upon. Methacton is usually able to shrug off opponent goals and go right after their own next score, but for some reason that did not happen on Friday. The Warriors also had plenty of chances to score more and peppered West goalie Grace Goodman with plenty of quality chances, but she was up to the challenge.
“Their second goal completely deflated us,” Parrezzi said. “We were in control of the game, then we lost it, let them take control and ended up losing the game. We have to go back to what we do best, which is playing fundamentally-sound field hockey and not letting mistakes or goals against us faze us. Stick to our game plan and execute successfully.”
Parrezzi was asked why she still had faith in Methacton’s ability to reach states via the scenic route after having the rug so unceremoniously yanked from beneath them.
“The first half is why I believe,” she said. “They played beautiful field hockey the whole first half. There are Division III colleges out there who don’t move the ball as well as we did. That’s how I continue to have faith we can make a run in the postseason, go to states and compete in states. I know deep down inside they can do that. It’s just a matter of executing.”
As for Downingtown West (18-1), they will take on top-seeded Villa Maria Academy on Tuesday in Malvern. Injuries and all, the Whippets keep rolling, and now they’ve won from behind while successfully unlocking two not-so-secret-anymore freshman weapons as they chase district and state titles.
“I just think we need to keep pushing,” Dexter said. “Don’t give up even if we’re down. Just keep pushing, scoring and winning.”
