The Eagles tallied 15 of the last 18 scores en route to an 18-6 win Tuesday.
Chants like “need it” and “I’m hungry” erupted from the Cumberland Valley girls lacrosse sideline Tuesday at Carlisle’s turf field.
When head coach Karen Keitel inherited the Eagle program last season, she placed an emphasis on team energy. She adopted the outlook that no matter the situation on the pitch, the sideline had the opportunity to influence the team. Cheers could encompass all forms of humor, as long as they were positive and directed at CV.
With the Eagles and Thundering Herd tied late in the first quarter, CV’s sideline energy rose a few octaves. Sophomore Payton Basehore, after winning the draw, absorbed the sound waves, sprinted the length of the field and rifled in a goal with 13 seconds remaining. The score reenergized and addressed the Eagles’ hunger, as they rattled off 15 of the next 18 tallies in transit to an 18-6 Mid-Penn Commonwealth win.
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Basehore led all scorers with five goals while distributing a pair of assists.
“I just think that our effort in the very beginning of the game was super low,” Basehore said. “We weren’t working very hard. And then after I got the draw and ran it down, I feel like it kind of picked everyone up.”
Basehore’s goal tied the Eagles back together and flamed into a 5-0 run. The second-year midfielder completed her hat trick at the 11-minute mark of the second quarter, and fellow sophomore Quinn Trively earned the same distinction with 9:45 left.
Carlisle was held scoreless in the second quarter after Emma Kelley and Ashley McKeever spotted a combined three goals in the opening period. CV’s lead swelled to 8-3 by intermission.
“It’s a lot to have to lead as a sophomore,” Keitel said of Basehore and Trively. “But I had warned them before, with the experience we have, you’re just gonna have to do it. But they’re very good students of the game … and I’m very pleased with how it’s going so far.”
CV (5-3, 3-0) faced adversity from the very first shots of the season, returning just three starters from last year’s District 3 Class 3A quarterfinal assembly and losing starting goalie Sarah Tourville to a season-ending knee injury. The lack of veteran presence has been exposed at times this spring, but with each game, the Eagles identify the next positive.
Tuesday’s positive came inside the draw circle. Averaging a 40% success rate through its first seven contests, CV doubled its output, winning 21 of 26 attempts. Basehore and Hannah Hoover shouldered the workload, securing eight and seven controls each.
“It’s all about confidence,” Basehore said. “Because last year as a freshman, I really had to work hard to get to where I am today, being able to start on a team like Cumberland Valley. Putting in so much work outside of the season, too, helped me a lot. And I think that everyone’s very uplifting.”
The possession advantage freed the Eagle attack and spiraled into a 13-5 third-quarter edge. Basehore surpassed the five-goal plateau five minutes into the second half, and Syarra Harvey strung together a hat trick. Kieran Spears added another duo of scores while Hoover, Callie Will, Brynn Schneider and Capri Lang contributed one apiece.
Lang, who entered the game late in the fourth quarter, converted her first shot attempt of the year. The sophomore had torn her MCL in November.
“The energy on the field and off the field really is so much more intense than the other team’s sideline,” Basehore said. “So having girls yelling at us all the time, positive affirmation and giving us more confidence and strength to do what we know we can do, really helps.”
With CV’s lead approaching double digits, McKeever snapped the Herd’s (2-5, 1-2) scoring skid with 9:15 remaining in the third quarter. Nora Richeson and Kiley Hacker accounted for the hosts’ other goals.
Tuesday was Carlisle’s first Morgan’s Message game in recognition of former Duke lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers, who died by suicide in July 2019 at age 22. The game was meant to bring awareness and help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in student-athletes.
Bringing energy to the sidelines was one way of honoring Rodgers.
“We’ve talked about who we want to be as a team, and just cheering each other on through every little victory, it just feeds an energy for them,” Keitel said. “They’re just having a great time and having fun. It’s been a good bonding.”
Photos: Hershey pulls away from Cumberland Valley in Mid-Penn girls lacrosse final
Cumberland Valley's Kirra Crowley, right, shots to her teammates as Hershey's Cara Cronin applies pressure during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosse championships at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Sophia Trively, left, looks for an open lane around Hershey's Zoey Hess during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Syarra Rose Harvey, center, looks for an open teammate to pass to during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships against Hershey on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Jenna Wissman, front, passes the ball an open teammate to pass to during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships against Hershey on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Capri Lang, center, and Hershey's Cara Cronin, left, try to gain control of a loose ball during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Payton Basehore, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of the 2023 Mid-Penn girls lacrosse championships against Hershey at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Sophia Trively, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships against Hershey at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Meredith Seeber, right, looks for an open teammate to pass to as Hershey's Hailey Russell, left, applies pressure during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Sophia Trively, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships against Hershey on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Hannah Hoover, right, looks for an open lane around Hershey's Sofia Kruger during the first half of the 2023 Mid-Penn girls lacrosse championships at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Syarra Rose Harvey, back, passes the ball to Jenna Wissman during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships against Hershey on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Cumberland Valley's Kirra Crowley drives the ball down the field as Hershey's Abby Hand, back, chases her during the first half of the Mid-Penn girls lacrosses championships on Thursday evening at Landis Field.
Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com. You can contact him at ceby@cumberlink.com and follow him on Twitter at: @eby_sports
