Congratulations to Agnes Irwin on winning the 2025 PAISAA girls lacrosse championship - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
Photos: Kathy Leister
By: Marc Narducci
VILLANOVA, PA – While there were contributions throughout all classes, the seniors at Agnes Irwin truly made their mark. This is a unit that went 60-20 overall, while competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Inter-Ac
Take away the 11-9 record as freshmen, and they were 49-11 over the past three seasons, with one Inter-Ac co-championship and two Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) state titles, the first coming in 2023.
Championship No. 2 arrived following a 9-4 win over fellow Inter-Ac foe the Academy of Notre Dame in the PAISAA state title game, played in miserable rainy weather at Villanova University.
So justly, this senior class indeed did win that final game, leaving with championship medals and more importantly, having set the highest of standards.
“It’s been a great season, and I am really proud of this senior class,” Agnes Irwin coach Lauren Wray said. “They showed great leadership the whole season, they all love each other so much and to go out on top and have this win, is really special for them.”
Agnes Irwin vs. Academy of Notre Dame 2025 PAISAA Highlights by Marc Narducci for PSD:
The Owls finished this year 18-3. Two of the losses were to an 18-0 Episcopal Academy team that had one of the great seasons in area history.
Episcopal Academy had beaten every opponent by at least six goals until a regular season finale against Agnes Irwin, where the Owls were competitive and lost 6-3.
2025 PAISAA Girls Lacrosse Championship Gallery - PSD Photos by Kathy Leister
After that loss, Agnes Irwin refocused for the PAISAA tournament.
Last year Episcopal Academy beat Agnes Irwin, 9-6, in the PAISAA state championship. (Episcopal Academy didn’t enter this year’s tournament).
Regardless of who was in the tournament, the Owls only had one goal, to win that last game.
They did pretty well in the other games as well. In three PAISAA games during this tournament, the Owls outscored their opponents 45-21.
To its credit, the Academy of Notre Dame, wasn’t going to offer a free pass to the title. During the regular season Agnes Irwin beat Notre Dame, 17-6 and 13-9 and the second game showed the Irish’s improvement that continued into the state final.
Notre Dame’s Abby Sims scored in the first minute of the second quarter to cut Agnes Irwin’s deficit to 2-1.
The Irish were giving Agnes Irwin exactly what they expected.
“I told the kids that Note Dame has been getting better all season,” Wray said. “They had injuries early in the season and those kids are back, so they definitely weren’t the same team we played the first time around.”
Agnes Irwin senior midfielder Mairyn Dwyer #3 scored three goals in the championship - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
Yet, after Notre Dame cut the deficit in half, the Owls responded by scoring four unanswered goals and five of the next six to lead 7-2 at halftime.
Not surprisingly, it was a senior, midfielder Mairyn Dwyer, who led the charge. Headed to North Carolina to continue her education and lacrosse career, Dwyer scored a hat trick – in the first half - and that was simply too much for the Irish to overcome. She also finished the game with three caused turnovers and three ground balls.
“It feels great,” Dwyer said about the first half hat trick. “We were all working together and finding the open girls and we came out firing in the first half and it was great.”
As stated earlier, the seniors had plenty of help in this game and all season. Sophomore Kelsey Young added two goals along with four draw controls. Junior Ella Garner scored Agnes Irwin’s third goal, which started the 4-0 run. Sophomore Maggie Dooley had two caused turnovers and a ground ball.
The other three goals were scored by standout seniors Caroline Chisholm, who will play both field hockey and lacrosse at Boston College, Rowan Lawrence, who is taking her talents to the University of Denver and Catie Holmes (Maryland). Chisholm also added three draw controls, Holmes had two assists and Lawrence added one assist.
In addition, senior Rowan Pauzano was outstanding in goal, making eight saves.
Chisholm and Dwyer were named to play in the July 26 New Balance All-American Lacrosse Senior game at Towson University.
Both showed their All-American form in the final game.
For all their accomplishments, going out as a state champion is the script they always hoped to write.
“It’s pretty sweet, it’s the bookending that we always had dreamed of,” Chisholm said. “This year not winning Inter-Ac was tough, but closing out on a moment like this, was pretty special with the group we have.”
The Owls simply played this game, and all season. like one of the top teams in the nation, an honor they have been accorded. Agnes Irwin is No. 9 in the latest high school national rankings by USA Lacrosse Magazine. (Episcopal Academy is No. 2).
Facing a team with such impressive credentials, Notre Dame proved to be a worthy championship foe, but the young Irish couldn’t keep up with the depth of Agnes Irwin.
The other Notre Dame goals were scored by juniors, two by Rutgers commit Emma Anthony and one by Keira McHugh (Boston College). Sophomore Riley Davis recorded three assists.
Agnes Irwin senior Mairyn Dwyer talks about scoring her 3 goals in the opening half - PSD Video by Marc Narducci
Agnes Irwin's Caroline Chisholm talks about winning the state title as a senior - PSD Video by Marc Narducci
This is a team that suffered two regular season losses to Penn Charter by a total of 15 goals, only to defeat the Quakers, 10-9 in the PAISAA semifinal, showing the Irish’s continued growth.
“Nobody wants to lose, and they (Agnes Irwin) are a great team, but I am really proud of how far they came there at the end, and we really started clicking at the end,” Notre Dame coach Anna McNevin said.
Notre Dame finished the season 14-10 and with so many key players returning, we’re guessing that Inter-Ac teams and other opponents won’t enjoy having to face the Irish next season.
As for Agnes Irwin, the nine seniors will be extremely difficult to replace, but this is a program that remains competitive on an annual basis and that isn’t expected to end.
Still, it won’t be easy for Wray and her staff to see the seniors go. Of the other seniors, Naomi Kim and Emma Tayloe (Navy) were ace defenders. Kim had one caused turnover, while Tayloe provided a caused turnover and a ground ball. Midfielders Grace Connelly (Queens University of Charlotte) and Lucy Page (Trinity) were also key contributors in the championship. The contributions that Wray received from the nine seniors were a continuation of the entire season.
“That’s a great group of seniors and they are all really talented,” Wray said. “I am sad to see them go.”
Her rival coaches, not so sad.