UPPER DARBY — Having just scored the game-tying goal in the fourth quarter of a state playoff game, Grace Mondillo wasted zero time basking in the glow of what she had just done.
The Pope John Paul II senior was busy thinking about what she was hoping to pull off next.
Sensing an opportunity to take a wounded opponent by surprise, Mondillo found the back of the cage again 38 seconds later, flipping a one-goal deficit into a 3-2 PJP win over host Bonner & Prendergast in a first round PIAA-1A field hockey contest on Tuesday.
“I saw their team seemed down from the goal I had scored just before, so it was just kind of an adrenaline thing,” Mondillo said of her game-winning strike with 9:26 to play. “You don’t even think about it – you just go. That was my first instinct. Just try to get my team back down the field.”
Mondillo’s third and final tally of a back-and-forth game sent the Golden Panthers, the No. 2 seed in District 1, on to Saturday’s state quarterfinals. The result ended the season for the District 12 champion and Philadelphia Catholic League runner-up Pandas (11-3-7).
The two teams had earlier played through a scoreless first quarter, and it remained that way until Mondillo scored off a penalty corner struck by fellow senior Maddie Memmo with nine minutes to play before the half. The Panthers (12-10) controlled much of the game offensively in the first half, peppering Prendie goalie Georgie Mariani (15 saves) with shots but leaving the first half with just a 1-0 lead.
After lifting themselves up off their heels, the Pandas finally got out on the offensive and started gaining legitimate scoring opportunities for the first time all game. Senior Marina Tagliaferri recorded the equalizer off a penalty corner from Mel Standen with 7:23 left in the third period, then struck again less than three minutes later when she redirected her own rebound off a breakaway into the back of the cage, prompting PJP head coach Kendra Moll to call timeout and get her team back on the same page.
Just like that, Prendie had its first lead of the game with 4:42 to go in the third, and the score remained 2-1 Pandas resuming play in the fourth quarter. PJP went on the attack at the outset of the fourth, with Mondillo ending a long run by beating multiple defenders and Mariani to tie the score at 2-2 with 10:04 to play. The Panthers quickly went back in front less than a minute later, riding the momentum of Mondillo’s last goal into another one inside the circle that turned out to be the dagger.
“It’s a great feeling to score,” Mondillo said.
PJP had an up-and-down regular season and failed to make the Pioneer Athletic Conference playoffs. They were the sixth and final team into the District 1-1A field, but responded by winning their first two games on the road at higher-seeded Dock Mennonite and Delco Christian. Though they lost 1-0 to top-seeded Faith Christian in the district championship, the Panthers had earned the second entry into the PIAA field by virtue of making it to that point. They had also been to states before after winning the district in 2023, and the team was eager to get another go-round this November.
“Even when we lost (the district title game), we felt like we were getting stronger,” Mondillo said. “It makes us want to win these bigger games a little more.”
Save for a three-minute period in the third quarter, the PJP defense, headlined by sophomores Anna Jane Schiele and Taylor Ebert (six saves) at center back and goalie, respectively, held the Pandas mostly in check. Prendie had four shots on goal and three penalty corners, compared to 12 shots and 16 corners for PJP.
“We knew that we didn’t want our season to be over yet,” Schiele said. “From last year and winning districts, we knew what winning felt like and we wanted it again. We weren’t ready for it to be over and we put it all out on the field.”
It was a tough result for the host Pandas, especially after they had so suddenly seized back the lead in a game where it had often felt like they were a step behind. They held the lead for less than 10 minutes, but given how well the team’s defensive unit and Mariani had been playing to that point, it took a special performance from Mondillo to land the final blows.
“It was our first home state playoff game ever, which is awesome, and it was a good, competitive game,” Prendie head coach Jordan Monaghan said. “It stinks to lose obviously, especially given that we have 11 seniors that we’re losing. They made it to the Catholic League championship and got a home state playoff game, and this group gave it everything they had and fought until the end.”
Tagliaferri is one of those 11 seniors, and she picked an opportune occasion to momentarily give the Pandas new life with her two-goal outburst. She started her career as a defender and has also played midfield, with Monaghan saying Tagliaferri moved up to forward toward the end of last season due to her game-changing speed in the open field.
“She can really play anywhere,” Monaghan said. “Marina became one of our biggest weapons on offense. Just a great athlete with the ability to make things happen, so it was nice to see her get those two goals and be excited and for them to happen in big moments for her.”
While Prendie’s season comes to an end, PJP will now turn its attention to Saturday’s quarterfinals showdown against Newport, the fifth seed from District 3 into the PIAA field.
The Golden Panthers, on a strong run since the start of the district playoffs, are a determined group of hockey players playing well at just the right time of the calendar year.
“These big games make you run a little bit faster and harder,” Mondillo said. “I think all of our momentum and energy from this game should carry over pretty well. Our energy and team bond are really good right now. We all came together for this one.”
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