D-West boys hang on to beat Coatesville

No coach at a high school level likes to talk about moral victories.

But when you’re just a week into your first full varsity season, a tight three-goal loss to a perennially strong conference foe gives you plenty to build on.

Coatesville’s Alex Ly led all scorers with four goals, but it was Downingtown West that held on for a tough 12-9 win in a ChesMont League battle on Wednesday. Luke Venzie, Kevin Conway, Bram Monroe, Bret Bergy and Tyler Rodriguez each had two goals for the Whippets. Carter Greer and Dom Varano also found the net, while Michael Straub had three assists and went 23-for-25 on faceoffs.

For Coatesville, Tommy Ortega had two goals and two assists, Owen Ellis had a goal and two assists, Frankie Holm had a goal and an assist and Deyon Gregg had a goal.

West goalie Zach Rossman had six saves, while Coatesville’s Dax Shallis stopped 13 shots. GREAT VALLEY 11, WC EAST 6 » Brady Mitchell had five goals and an assist, Jack Meyer had two goals and three assists, and Daniel Siaton scored twice in the Patriots’ big win.

Girls Lacrosse

WEST CHESTER RUSTIN 11, AVON GROVE 5 » Ava Kane had three goals while Lexy McClain, Christine Ditizio and Kaylee VanVladricken each had two goals. McClain added two assists. Elizabeth McGurk, Skyler Bauer and Maddy Mattersby each scored once. Avon Grove got goals from Emma Dunckel (2) along with Grace Trautman, Bomura Cassidy and Hannah Johnson. DOWNINGTOWN EAST 19, OXFORD 5 » Alyssa Welhaf scored two goals for the Hornets in the losing effort. Highlights for East were not provided.

Women’s Lacrosse

WEST CHESTER 21, SHEPHERD 4 » Tatum Altman scored five goals and added another pair of assists as No. 4 West Chester washed out visiting Shepherd on a rainsoaked Vonnie Gros Field.

West Chester (5-0, 5-0 PSAC East) took a 3-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the contest against Shepherd (2-3, 2-3) and never looked back.

Helen Kreschollek provided the highlight of the afternoon with a nifty behind-the-back goal with 8:40 left in the game. She dominated faceoffs for much of the second half and scored two goals herself off the bench for West Chester.

Altman may have tallied a game-high five goals, but it was her crossfield, 50-yard pass that hit teammate Lindsey Monigle in stride and sent her in on Shepherd’s goalkeeper unencumbered that was perhaps her defining moment Wednesday in the rain. Monigle finished with two goals on the day, along with Bishop Shanahan grad Tara Morrissey. Kelly Baumann registered a hat trick for the Golden Rams.