<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1xxS6L_0tICSoFI00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1xxS6L_0tICSoFI00" width="1280" height="910" ><figcaption>2024 District 11 2A girls lacrosse finals: Allentown Central Catholic vs. Southern Lehigh</figcaption></figure>The <a href="https://highschoolsports.lehighvalleylive.com/school/upper-saucon-township-southern-lehigh/girlslacrosse/season/2023-2024">Southern Lehigh girls lacrosse team</a> captured its fourth straight District 11 Class 2A title Wednesday evening.While that achievement is significant for the Spartans, who have now won seven district titles in program history, they may take more joy in looking toward the future.In top-seeded Southern Lehigh’s 18-5 win over second-seeded <a href="https://highschoolsports.lehighvalleylive.com/school/allentown-allentown-central-catholic/girlslacrosse/season/2023-2024">Allentown Central Catholic</a> at Lehigh University’s Frank Banko Field, underclassmen scored 13 of its goals.The Spartans (17-2-1) advanced to the PIAA 2A tournament, where they will play the runner-up from District 1 in the first round Tuesday, June 4 at a site and time to be determined.“It’s so exciting. It’s such a young team. The teamwork is what it’s really all about,” Southern Lehigh freshman Alli Denzel said. “... It could really keep getting better especially because we have three freshmen starting this year, which is really cool, two sophomores. Over the years, it’s just gonna keep getting better and better.”“Our older players were amazing. Our seniors, our juniors, even our sophomores, they were so nice to us,” Southern Lehigh freshman Abby Stankewicz said. “They were really mentors. They really helped us get our footing in high school because it’s a big jump.”Denzel and Stankewicz both recorded five goals and one assist.“We’re oddly a young team with a lot of experience,” Southern Lehigh coach Eric Tesche said. “Our seniors and juniors have now won four and three championships, but we start seven underclassmen who now have a victory under their belt.”Southern Lehigh won its latest district title with two unanswered scoring runs. The Spartans blitzed out to an early lead as they scored the first five goals and, after the Vikettes (8-11) cut the deficit to two, scored 11 in a row during a run that stretched from halfway through the second quarter till halfway through the fourth.Senior Reese MacIntosh bounced in the first goal just 17 seconds in. About four minutes later, senior Sara Tesche weaved from Central Catholic junior goalie Trizzah Savagaji’s left to the slot and pushed a low shot in.Each of the Spartans’ next three goals were assisted.Sophomore Lauren Miller passed from behind the cage to Stankewicz, who bounced a shot in halfway through the first. Junior Madeline Terefenko, from Savagaji’s left, passed to Stankewicz who found the cage from close range. It was then Terefenko’s turn to score after MacIntosh found her from the edge of the area and the junior scored low with 2:53 left in the first quarter.“We did a really good job of hitting assisted goals. We were always looking for the next pass, always looking for the open player,” Stankewicz said. “That works really well for our team.”Sophomore Sara Flipovits got the Vikettes on the board 1:50 into the second quarter and they added two more to trim the deficit to 5-3. Senior Katie Seiler converted a free position 5:35 into the second and, 45 seconds later, capped a series of quick passes with a goal off a feed from junior Kirkland Sunday.Southern Lehigh responded, this time with a run that put the game away.Denzel and Miller both converted from free positions 20 seconds apart. After a fast transition off a save by sophomore goalie Corinne Houck, MacIntosh scooped up a ground ball close to the cage and scored with 58 seconds left before halftime.With just 2.6 seconds showing on the clock, Denzel scored from another free position to give the Spartans a 9-3 lead at the break.Miller scored the first goal of the second half 2:32 into the third quarter and, off a feed behind the net from Terefenko, Stankewicz elevated to control the pass and found the cage with 6:21 left in the third. Off the ensuing draw control, Denzel charged in and scored high-to-low 12 seconds later to stretch the lead to 12-3.“The draw was a really big part of that,” Denzel said of the Spartans’ success at the center circle. “Once we started to get the draw, it just kept rolling and the goals were falling.”Miller, MacIntosh, Denzel and Stankewicz all scored to complete Southern Lehigh’s run, which came to an end when junior Abby Aemisigeo scored from a free position with 6:40 left to play.Miller and MacIntosh both scored three times.“It’s really special because we’ve played with many different groups of girls to do this,” MacIntosh said of winning a district title in every season of her career. “... Our younger players definitely helped improve our team overall. Our balance of talent is really nice and our offense has improved tremendously this season.”The Spartans will now try to win their first-ever state playoff game.“Feels amazing, I’m so excited,” Stankewicz said of playing in the state playoffs. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m really excited.”“We won a district championship, we’re happy about that. We need to play cleaner. We played Strath Haven earlier in the season down there which is a District 1, really, really good team, and we learned some things about ourselves,” Tesche said of the 12-3 loss back on May 3. “We have to play composed, we have to play almost mistake-free lacrosse when we play against those teams. Gonna enjoy this win for a couple of days and then get back to work. We’ll be swimming in the deep end of the pool in a couple of weeks. We gotta get sharper for sure.”Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.Desmond Boyle may be reached at <a href="mailto:dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com">dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com</a></div></body>

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Underclassmen step up as Southern Lehigh girls lacrosse wins 4th straight D-11 2A title

The Southern Lehigh girls lacrosse team captured its fourth straight District 11 Class 2A title Wednesday evening. While that achievement is significant for the Spartans, who have now won seven district titles in program history, they may take more joy in looking toward the future. In top-seeded Southern Lehigh’s 18-5...

Underclassmen step up as Southern Lehigh girls lacrosse wins 4th straight D-11 2A title

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