By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
WRIGHT TWP. – Even when Wyoming Area kept finding a way to match its scores, Crestwood never slowed down during a battle of Wyoming Valley Conference girls lacrosse unbeatens.
The pace eventually was too much for the Lady Warriors, who made it all the way to Thursday’s showdown as the last unbeaten team in District 2 despite playing with just one available substitute.
Jillian Taleroski and Kelsey Kulak joined high-scoring Isabella Caporuscio to spark a streak of eight straight, second-half goals that allowed Crestwood to break away for an 18-12, home-field victory.
“The game plan was to play fast,” Crestwood assistant coach Aaron Caporuscio said. “They have a strong team, but they’re limited in numbers.”
Crestwood turned a 10-9 game into an 18-9 runaway during a span of 7:49 beginning just before the midway point in the second half.
The hectic pace produced a game that matched a 28-2 Lake-Lehman rout of Pittston Area for the highest scoring in the WVC this season.
“It seemed to work to our advantage to just keep the girls moving,” Aaron Caporuscio said. “We subbed more and just kept the pressure going. It does wear down a team.
“I don’t know if it was any change that we made except for the legs catching up.”
Crestwood head coach Russ Kile sought to share credit with his first-year assistant, a former boys assistant, who helped build the foundation for both Crestwood programs being ranked No. 1 in the Riverfront Sports Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Caporuscio, a defenseman at the University at Albany in his playing days, oversaw the development of many of the players through his long commitment to Mountain Top Youth Lacrosse.
The Lady Comets expanded their WVC lead over No. 2 Wyoming Area and passed the Lady Warriors into the top spot in the race for the top seed in the District 2 Class 2A playoffs. Crestwood is 8-0 in the WVC and 8-2 overall while Wyoming Area is 5-1 and 6-1.
Isabella Caporuscio finished with eight goals and two assists. She scored three times during the game-breaking streak.
Taleroski had both of her goals and all three of her assists during that time while Kulak had two of her five goals and one of her two assists.
“It was a close game, but we have spurts of energy and we found how to work as a team a little bit more in the end,” said Isabella Caporuscio, Aaron’s daughter who leads the team with 61 goals on the season.
The offensive firepower got a boost from goalie Avery Bogdon, who made 12 saves, including seven in a span of 11 minutes when the game was tight late in the first half and early in the second half.
“Avery always pulls through,” Isabella Caporuscio said.
Kile said that was an important boost on a day when the team’s offense reached its season-high for goals.
“Having a player that’s as experienced as Avery definitely helps us out in high-pressure situations,” he said. “I think we relied on her experience there at the end of the first half to get us through.”
Crestwood won comfortably in the end despite Wyoming Area having more shots.
Makenzie Switzer had five goals and three assists to lead the Lady Warriors. Emma Kelleher added four goals.
“We weren’t getting the faceoffs and the groundballs,” Wyoming Area coach Carl DeLuca said. “ … We didn’t win that part of our game.”
Wyoming Area scored three straight goals midway through the first half to take a 4-3 lead on Kelleher’s free position shot with 10:25 left.
Caporuscio scored the next three goals before Wyoming Area rallied to create the game’s last tie at 6-6.
After Caporuscio broke the tie, Kulak scored two straight goals for a 9-6 lead.
Bogdon then went to work during a stretch in which Crestwood did not have the possession advantage and the Lady Comets offense bounced back to put the game away.
Julia Rose added two goals while Julia Glowacki had a goal and two assists in the win.
Sofia Sabatini scored twice for Wyoming Area.
