Delaware Valley Secures District 2 Class 3A Lacrosse Title in Fourth-Quarter Rally

Top-seeded Delaware Valley claimed the District 2 Class 3A girls lacrosse championship on Monday, defeating No. 2 Hazleton Area 12-11 at Warrior Stadium. The Lady Warriors (8-10) overcame an 11-9 fourth-quarter deficit to secure the victory, setting up a subregional title match against the winner of the District 11 Class 3A tournament on May 23.

Rhyan Morris scored the decisive goal with 6:41 remaining to cap the rally, following a sequence where Savannah Liz tied the game at 11-11 with 7:43 left. Liz had previously scored her second goal off an assist from Mackenzie Heath with 8:54 remaining to narrow the gap. Brooke Palmeri led Delaware Valley with four goals, while Rhyanne Rettinger contributed three goals and two assists.

Delaware Valley head coach Bernadine Salak cited the challenging conditions and Hazleton Area’s offensive pressure as key factors in the contest. Salak noted the heat on the turf and the opposing team’s speed as significant hurdles, praising her squad’s defensive effort to hold Hazleton Area scoreless during the critical final stretch.

Rhyanne Rettinger secured the win with a crucial ground ball with approximately one minute remaining, running the length of the field to maintain possession. Jaida Palacious made nine saves for Delaware Valley, who scored three goals in each of the four quarters. Josie Lordi and Mackenzie Heath also contributed to the offensive effort with a goal and two assists respectively.

Hazleton Area (7-11) was led by Macie Maylath, who scored six goals, and Lauren Hamonosky, who added two goals and an assist. Nadya Marycz made 11 saves for the Cougars. The Lady Warriors will now compete for a berth in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs in the upcoming subregional match.