Birthday bash


 


 

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Butler's Maggie Dellen (8) celebrated her birthday Wednesday night by scoring four goals and adding three assists in the Golden Tornado's 15-5 girls lacrosse win over Yough at Art Bernardi Stadium. 
Dave Prelosky/Butler Eagle

 

 

 

BUTLER TWP — Maggie Dellen handed out a few gifts in the first half. 
The Butler senior accepted a few gifts of her own in the second half. She scored four times in the first 15 minutes in helping the Golden Tornado girls lacrosse team pull away from Yough, 15-5, Wednesday night at Art Bernardi Stadium. 
Those gifts were deserved. It was Dellen's birthday, after all. 
“She played an exceptional game,” Butler coach Annie Tigano said. “Maggie led us in assists last year and she's leading in that category again this year. 
“This is her birthday, so it's her night.” 
Dellen assisted on Tornado goals by Casey Murdick, Reanna Everton and Megan Crawford in the first half. Crawford's goal occurred just 19 seconds before intermission and seconds after Tornado goalkeeper Kyleigh Jarosinski stopped Yough sharpshooter Taylor Hampshire from right in front of the net. 
That turn of events gave Butler (4-4) a 6-3 lead at halftime. 
“It could have been closer,” Tigano admitted. “None of us was pleased with our effort in that first half. We showed what we could do in the second half. 
“That was good to see because we needed a shot of confidence there.”
Butler was coming off a 19-3 loss to Shaler and Yough (0-6) is winless on the year. 
“We have yet to put a full game together this season. This is how it's gone for us,” Tigano said. 
Butler built on its lead throughout the second half. Yarosinski stopped six of Yough's eight shots in the final 25 minutes. 
“We put ourselves in too deep a hole, we can't come back and the girls get discouraged,” first-year Yough coach Lyndsey Fry said. “We don't have a lot of experience on this team. Only 10 players came back from last year.” 
Dellen scored goals at the 20:34, 19:10, 14:59 and 10:31 marks in the second half. Murdick, Megan Kunst and Olivia Kappler assisted on her tallies. 
Kathryn Hitchan scored at the 13:52 mark of the second half and the Cougars trailed 12-4 with 10 minutes remaining. 
“We just had to start doing the little things right,” Tigano said of the second half. “Catch the ball, get the ground balls, win the draws. We began controlling play. 
“Maggie knows how to go wide to get away from her defender and she knows when to cut toward the net. She was getting open and we were finding her.” 
Murdick contributed two goals and three assists for Butler. Hitchan, Everton and Kappler all scored two goals with Bailey Kraus, Aubrey Fuhrman and Crawford adding one each. 
“Our scoring has been very balanced this season,” Tigano said. 
Hampshire scored four of the Cougars' five goals and is Yough's lone double-digit goal scorer this season. Emily Mlinek had the other tally for the visitors. 
“”I don't know if we run out of gas or what is is,” Fry said. “We're just not staying with teams for an entire game.” 
Butler had a 20-14 edge in shots on goal.