Germantown Friends School Girls Lacrosse - 2023 FSL Champions - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
Photos: Kathy Leister
Story/videos by: Josh Abrams (@jabrams1998)
PHILADELPHIA – Sometimes a game that features a tale of two halves tends to produce a very exciting, down-to-the-wire finish.
And that is exactly what fans in attendance got to see on Friday afternoon, as GFS girls lacrosse prevailed over a tough, hard-nosed Shipley squad by a score of 8-7.
In a battle of extremely familiar foes, it was freshman midfielder Emmie Day’s goal a little over halfway into the second half that provided her team with just enough cushion to fend off the Gators. This would be the only tally in the second frame for GFS, as they were tasked with fending off a spectacular comeback attempt from Shipley.
A balanced scoring attack from Katie Bergstrom-Mark’s squad, as well as the stellar goaltending of junior goalkeeper Isla Ablin, ultimately propelled the Lady Tigers to victory.
Germantown Friends vs. Shipley School - 2023 FSL Highlights - PSD Video by Josh Abrams & Kathy Leister
“We have 7 or 8 people that can score on our team,” said the GFS head coach. “The whole season, we really haven't had one person dominate every single game. They share the ball really well, (and) that’s our focus.”
This game was truly a tale of two halves: an 11-goal first half resulting in a 7-4 lead for hosting-GFS was followed by a four-goal second half which saw visiting-Shipley outscore their opponent 3-1 and nearly erase a four-goal deficit. Day’s second goal of the day would pay huge dividends, as two goals from Shipley’s Eliana Chapman and a late goal from Hailey Murray with 77 seconds left made it an 8-7 contest.
The Lady Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, including goals from sophomore midfielders Halle Smoger and Claire Rigdon, before Shipley got on the board thanks to Sadie Duncan, who scored the first two goals of the game for the Lady Gators.
After Duncan’s second goal trimmed GFS’ lead down to 4-2, it became Ella Shay’s time to shine.
The senior ‘middie’, who has experienced more than her fair share of success during her time at GFS, provided the next two goals, the second in response to a Murray goal for Shipley, to extend GFS’ lead to 6-3.
“We’ve played Shipley (in the championship game) the last three years,” said Shay. “So we know how they operate… they always come back in the second half, and they always keep it competitive.”
Said Day of what she thought happened on the eighth and final goal for her team: “We’re really patient with our shot selection, we don’t like to force the ball into the ‘eight’. But I had (an angle), thought I could get around (the defender) and I just wanted to go for it because you can never be up by too much.”
GFS senior Ella Shay demonstrated her leadership during the game & notes how special this championship means to her - Video by Josh Abrams
Isla Ablin talks about keeping her composure and "centering" herself in goal during the second half - PSD Video by Josh Abrams
Around the midway point of the second half before Day scored her second and decisive goal, Ablin showed off her talents in goal, stopping a free shot from stud Shipley sophomore Lily Neilson. This immediately led to a fast-break down the other way, which opened such an angle and lane for Day.
“I think that, as a whole, everybody played at their best,” said the star goalkeeper Ablin. “We had possession for a lot of the first half, and I think what made (the second half) really, really exciting was that the balls were turning over at midfield. It would be one team’s ball, then the other’s; everybody was getting involved.”
GFS coach Katie Bergstrom-Mark reflects on the game & gives accolades to her seniors and talented underclassmen:
GFS freshman Emmie Day gives props to Shipley's intensity in the second half & talks about her game-winning goal - PSD video by Josh Abrams
A testament to a great team is its ability to win in any given situation and however possible. GFS spent a lot of this season steamrolling over its competition, so for them to hold on against a hungry Shipley squad should not just be scoffed at.
“We’ve really been working on assisting more and just becoming more dynamic,” Bergstrom-Mark expressed. “And I think we’re hard to stop when we’re more dynamic… it’s a really fun team to coach, and they just kept their heads in it today.”
There is every reason to believe GFS will only continue to dominate the FSL in girls lacrosse for years to come. They return all but two seniors from this year’s team. In the middle of what should be considered a legendary run for Bergstrom-Mark and company, the future is only looking brighter.
That does not leave Bergstrom-Mark without praising the two lone seniors; Shay and Mae Brockman.
“What a great run they’ve had,” said Bergstrom-Mark. “Both of them have had just a great career. Mae really knows her role, being exactly where she’s supposed to be and helping direct our attack. And then Ella is kind of like the life of our team. She just works and she’s an incredible athlete, and she’s gotten mentally tougher over the years. So I’m just really happy for my seniors getting three in a row and being able to close out their career with a win.”
Germantown Friends vs. Shipley School - FSL 2023 Championship Gallery by Kathy Leister
GFS improves their record to 15-2 overall and a perfect 9-0 in FSL play, while Shipley falls to 7-4 overall and 7-2 in FSL play, their other loss coming at the hands of GFS back in early April. Both teams will await their next opponents in the upcoming PAISAA tournament.