Girls lacrosse: Twin Valley fends off Wilson for BCIAA title
After two seasons of falling just short of a county title, top-seeded Twin Valley finally broke through with a hard-fought championship victory over third-seeded Wilson. The Raiders defeated the Bulldogs 8-6 in the BCIAA girls lacrosse championship Tuesday night at Alvernia University. “It feels so good because we only lost three seniors last year, so the girls that came back have experienced this,” Raiders coach Courtney Kaplan said following the victory.
“They know what that loss felt like, and the way they’ve grown their game in a year is just amazing. We’re just super dialed in right now, and it feels really good. ” Twin Valley was led by senior Michigan commit Ellie Kaplan, who recorded a hat trick, including the go-ahead goal late in the fourth quarter.
Taylor Ebert and Meredith Siever each added two goals. “Great. We’ve been here the last couple years and haven’t brought it home, so to finally get that medal and the trophy, it’s just great,” Ellie Kaplan said.
For Wilson, Ryan Leaman scored twice, but it was not enough to overcome the Raiders. The victory marked the fourth county championship for Twin Valley (18-1), while Wilson (14-4) remained competitive throughout but could not finish in crunch time. Much of that success came from the Raiders’ strong defensive play.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 6-6, a major contrast from the teams’ first meeting earlier this season when Twin Valley rolled to an 18-7 victory. “We played them pretty early, so obviously things change,” Ellie Kaplan said of the difference between the two matchups. “Teams get better, so we knew they were gonna punch back.