Kennard-Dale's Morgan Day becomes all-time goals leader in Pennsylvania girls' lacrosse
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Blue and yellow balloons lined the fence entering Kennard-Dale's football stadium. At first glance, the girls' lacrosse senior day celebration could be mistaken as anticipation for Morgan Day.
A senior and four-year starter for the Rams, Day needed eight goals to reach Pennsylvania's all-time scoring record. She had 10 with a flurry of whisks at the net Tuesday in a 24-11 win against New Oxford.
The victory wrapped up an undefeated regular season for Kennard-Dale (16-0, 11-0 YAIAA). With a week before the Rams' next game to open the YAIAA tournament, Day can take in her achievement — which eclipsed the old record of 430, set last year by West Chester Henderson's Katie O'Donnell.
Fittingly, Day's milestone goal came in the second half Tuesday on a feed from teammate Lyndsey Duty. The two have played together since they were in fourth grade.
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As children, Day found Duty's demeanor to be intimidating.
"I was scared of Lyndsey, but now everyone calls us 'Batman and Robin,'" Day said. "I owe a lot of my goals to Lyndsey, so it was only right to have her on this one as well."
As the Rams worked their offense seven minutes into the second half Tuesday, Day's father and Kennard-Dale assistant coach Kevin Day yelled, "Get that ball to Duty." The longtime friends, who will play next year at separate colleges, planned in advance to hook up for Day's 431st goal. Once Duty got the ball as ordered, she worked inside and stopped. Duty waited as Day circled around to score with a sense of ease and precision.
Duty, who will attend Old Dominion while Day heads to St. Francis, won't have that luxury past this spring. Duty had three goals and six assists, which she admitted can get easy when just looking for Day.
"Not only is she my best friend on the field but off the field, too," Duty said. "Next year, I'm going to have to get used to new people."
Kennard-Dale head coach Kelly Wetzel didn't mince words. He wanted to see Day's record goal come during Tuesday's home finale. The Rams played at the football field for the first time this season. Their games are usually reserved for a hill on the other side of campus, which Duty described as "too windy."
Their 16th win, which also wrapped up a YAIAA regular-season title, required a scoring gust to push past New Oxford (7-7, 4-7). The Colonials, paced by Braxtin Reddinger's four goals and two assists, jumped out to a 2-1 lead. Reddinger tied the score, 3-3, before the Rams reeled off three goals in 20 seconds. They closed the first half on an 11-goal run, which initiated a running clock.
Day might have reached the scoring mark in the first half had it not been for that.
"From an Xs and Os standpoint she's not just playing it, she gets the game," Wetzel said. "It's amazing to be a part of the record she achieved."
Day isn't far from the national record of 459, set last year in North Carolina by Megan Shortt of Bishop McGuiness High School.
With 432 goals, she needs just 27 to get there.
Contact Matt Goul at 771-2045.
Kennard-Dale 24, New Oxford 11
New Oxford38—11Kennard-Dale1410—24
First-half scoring — 1. KD, Morgan Day (Lyndsey Duty), 24:13, 2. NOX, Katie Wildenstein (Braxtin Reddinger), 23:05, 3. NOX, Chloe Pevarnik (Raleigh Bateman), 20:24, 4. KD, Mo. Day, 15:06, 5. KD, Duty, 13:26, 6. NOX, Reddinger, 13:14, 7. KD, Mo. Day (Hope Hushon), 11:47, 8. KD, Emmie Dressel (Mo. Day), 7:51, 9. KD, Emily Livezey (Dressel), 7:43, 10. KD, Mo. Day (Dressel), 7:31, 11. KD, Duty, 5:42, 12. KD, Dressel (Duty), 5:11, 13. KD, Renee Gerring (Mo. Day), 4:53, 14. KD, Maddie Day, 4:43, 15. KD, Mo. Day (Duty), 4:08, 16. KD, Gerring (Dressel), 3:21, 17. KD, Mo. Day (Duty), 1:10.
Second-half scoring — 18. NOX, Wildenstein, 24:25, 19. KD, Mo. Day, 23:26, 20. KD, Ma. Day (Dressel), 22:37, 21. NOX, Reddinger, 21:53, 22. KD, Mo. Day, 20:21, 23. NOX, Reddinger, 18:22, 24. KD, Mo. Day (Duty), 17:02, 25. KD, Mo. Day (Duty), 16:08, 26. NOX, Reddinger, 15:13, 27. KD, Duty (Miriam Gamache), 12:37, 28. NOX, Bateman, 11:48, 29. NOX, Bateman, 10:54, 30. KD, Livezey (Mo. Day), 8:14, 31. KD, Jess McAvoy, 7:25, 32. NOX, Aggie Phillips (Reddinger), 6:35, 33. KD, McAvoy, 5:34, 34. KD, Brooke Davis (Hushon), 2:47, 35. NOX, Wildenstein, 0:52.
Shots on goal — NOX 18, KD 31.
Goalies — NOX, Ellie Arthur (7 saves). KD, Lacy Hartman (2 saves), Clare Boone (5 saves).