No panic needed

By Josh Rizzo

Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — Kyleigh Jarosinski appreciated the vote of confidence. When the Hampton girls lacrosse team started to surge offensively, Butler coach Annie Succop didn't panic.

She saved her timeout and let her team work through it.

Her players were determined to deliver.

“I think our coaches really believe in us. If they didn't, we wouldn't be here right now,” said Jarosinski, who made 16 saves for the Golden Tornado. “They really help us get along with our game and really give us confidence.”

Butler's defense recovered quickly, holding the Talbots to one goal in the final 10:31 of an 11-8 Division II-Section 3 win Tuesday night at Art Bernardi Stadium.

Succop trusted her team because of its experience. Butler (2-0, 1-0) has 11 seniors who remembered how they lost to Hampton last season.

“We were up at halftime and they came back and won by one goal,” Succop said. “The girls knew that and weren't going to let it happen again. I let them figure it out and they did. They did a good job.”

Breanne Vodde and Emily Beran scored consecutive goals for Hampton 67 seconds apart to cut the lead to 10-7 with 10:31 left.

That's when the Butler defense buckled down. But the Golden Tornado's experience showed on defense throughout the game.

The Golden Tornado limited Hampton (0-2, 0-1) to three first-half goals. Their defensive pressure made it easier for senior midfielder Megan Crawford to showcase her skillset.

Crawford intercepted a pass and ran 45 yards before scoring a goal with 50 seconds left before the half to put Butler ahead 6-3.

Crawford's goal capped a 3-0 run for Butler in the final four minutes of the half.

Junior Reanna Everton, who finished with four goals, also scored twice during the run for the Golden Tornado.

“I saw that the pass was coming and nobody was covering girls, so I decided to intercept it,” Crawford said. “It was our defense that got on the girls that made that pass happen.”

That defensive pressure forced Hampton into too many mistakes, Talbots coach Annie Bullion said.

“I think they had some quick breaks and caught us off-guard on defense,” Bullion said.

Crawford, who scored seven goals and has 11 on the season, scored in a dizzying variety of ways.

She split three defenders and put a goal in the upper corner to put the Golden Tornado ahead 3-1 with 8:03 left before halftime.

When Hampton had its second-half surge, Crawford killed its momentum by scoring off a restart with 8:43 remaining to put Butler ahead 11-7.

“On the defensive side we were looking to keep the offense under control,” Jarosinski said. “Make sure they didn't get behind us when they got possession of the ball.”

Butler never trailed, scoring first when Everton broke through and beat the Hampton goaltender with 15:27 left before halftime. The Talbots tied the game at 1 and 3 before the Golden Tornado pulled away at the end of the first half.

Crawford didn't think it was a perfect effort, but thinks Butler is headed in the right direction.

“It's the beginning of the season and that's what's going to happen,” Crawford said. “We're going to keep on working hard and see where that takes us.”