In a battle of the undefeated, Downingtown West beats Avon Grove – Daily Local

By Bill Rudick

DOWNINGTOWN — Tuesday night, under the lights of Kottmeyer Stadium, the two best field hockey teams in District 1, Downingtown West and Avon Grove, met in a highly anticipated clash. Neither the Whippets nor the Red Devils have yet to experience defeat, and the winner will likely reign supreme at Ches-Mont National.

Avon Grove’s Gianna Lipstas tries to put the ball past Downingtown West goalie Grace Goodman. (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

The game lived up to expectations, playing at a blistering pace through four periods with just one goal scored. Ultimately, a goal late in the second period was all West (9-0, 2-0 Ches-Mont National) needed to secure a 1-0 victory over the Red Devils (10-1, 4-1).

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, just looking at the rankings,” West coach Courtney MacPhearson said. “(Avon Grove) obviously has the rankings they do for a reason. It was a really nice win for us. Everything just clicked in all aspects of the game.”

The Red Devils set the pace early on, forcing two penalties in two minutes, but West responded with two corners in the next two minutes. Offensive pressure inside the circle by both teams resulted in nine corners in the first period, but neither team could find the net by the end of the frame.

Late in the first period, the Whippets had their first big chance of the game when West was awarded a penalty, but Avon Grove goalie Kylee Milott missed it, one of her 14 saves in the game.

“Kylee has been great for us all year,” Avon Grove coach Giuliana Antignani said. “We know we can count on her to make big saves when we need them, and she has five shutouts in our 10 wins.”

West finally broke the scoreless tie two minutes into the second half when Aimee Largoza broke free and passed the ball to Regan Welsh, who converted and scored.

Downingtown West’s Regan Welsh, left, battles for the ball with Avon Grove’s Morgan O’Donnell during Tuesday’s Ches-Mont League National Division field hockey game. Welsh scored the only goal of the game to give the Whippets a 1-0 victory. (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

“When Aimee passed it to me, I knew I had to take advantage of it,” Welsh said. “I shot the ball into the basket and it rolled so slowly I was afraid it wouldn’t go in. But when it crossed the line, I was excited. It was a great win.”

From that point on, the West defence, led by captain Scarlett Wood, took the initiative and kept the Red Devils at bay.

“Our communication was incredible tonight,” Wood said. “We all connected and executed the transition really well.”

West’s Scarlett Wood steals the ball as Avon Grove’s Bridget Keegan chases (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

The pace did not slow down for a moment, with both teams playing fast and aggressively for the full 60 minutes.

“We put a lot of effort into our conditioning,” MacPhearson said. “We know there are teams that are going to push us hard, especially Ches-Mont. I believe we have one of the best field hockey leagues in the state, and games like this will prepare us for the rest of the season.”

Despite the loss, Avon Grove remains No. 3 in the District 1, 3A rankings, while West moves up to No. 1.

“I’m proud of our effort and the way we played tonight,” Antignani said. “We can’t wait to play games like this. It was a great game between two very good teams. It’s the kind of rivalry that only makes both teams better.”

Downingtown West 1, Avon Grove 0

Avon Grove 0 0 0 0 – 0

Downingtown West 0 1 0 0 – 1

Goal: Welsh.

Goalkeeper saves: Milott (AG) 14; Goodman (DW) 11.

Originally published: September 24, 2024 at 10:57 PM