Carroll’s too much for Crusaders
For Montgomery Media
Even though Lansdale CDWKROLF fieOd KRFNey FRDFK Concetta Valerio is in her fiUVW VeDVRn DV KeDd FRDFK RI the Crusaders, she knew full well what to expect when taking her team to play a game against Archbishop CDUUROO Rn WKe 3DWULRWV’ fieOd.
“They’re always good,” said Valerio. “They always have girls with really good stick skills.”
The Crusaders were treated to an up-close and personal look at the Pats’ skills Wednesday afternoon in a JDPe DW CDUUROO’V JUDVV fieOd in Radnor. Archbishop Carroll scored in the opening minute, had six goals in the book by halftime and went on to post an 8-0 Philadelphia Catholic League win.
Valerio, a Norristown native who was an NCAA Division III All-American when she played for Kean University in New Jersey, is a former Kennedy-Kenrick standout who played in a number of intense games against Carroll in PCL competition.
“We knew they were really strong,” said Valerio. “They have the best stick skills of any team we’ve played. They have great support. And, the twins are phenomenal.”
She was referring to the Patriots’ Kelly twins — Katie and Megan.
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Katie Kelly was involved in four of them. Carroll added three more goals in the second half and Megan Kelly was involved in all three.
Carroll got off to a quick start when Katie Kelly assisted on a goal by Alyssa Lemons 59 seconds into the game. Two minutes later, she scored a goal herself with the assist credited to Maribeth Keith. Then, midway through the half, Katie Kelly assisted on a goal by Meredith Campbell to give Carroll a 3-0 lead.
“We came together after ZH VFRUHG WKDW fiUVW JRDO,” said Katie Kelly, who will play for the Univestity of Virginia next year — along with her sister Megan, the younger twin. “I thought we played well as a team. We passed very well.”
Keith scored the Patriots’ fourth goal with T:15 left in the half and then Katie Kelly FORVHG RuW WKH fiUVW-KDOI VFRUing at 2:18 with a goal off an assist from Michelle Walsh.
With the second half just 20 seconds away from its midway point, Carroll got on the board again with an “All Kelly” goal — Megan scoring and Katie assisting.
Just over six minutes later, Megan Kelly scored again with Keith providing the assist. 2n WKH finDO JRDO RI WKH JDPH, which came with 2:18 remaining, Megan Kelly assisted on a goal by Becca wamojcin.
“This has been a tough week for our team,” said Carroll coach Debbie Brown, whose daughter Rachel Brown was a track and cross country standout at North Penn and now the University of Pittsburgh.
“We had a rivalry game with Prendie (Bonner-Prendergast) last Thursday and then a game against a very good Lehighton team up in Allentown on Saturday.”