Girls Soccer: Donovan’s hat trick lifts Conestoga past Downingtown East in 2 OTs

UWCHLAN >> Caitlin Donovan did more than her fair share to get her team into overtime.

Once there, the Conestoga star did something even better to get her team a critical nonleague victory.

Donovan scored two goals in regulation, and capped her day with a perfect strike from outside the box into the upper left corner to give Conestoga a 3-2, double-overtime win over Downingtown East Saturday morning in a nonleague contest that could have serious implications on the District 1 bracket later in the season.

“We were all pumped up for overtime and we knew once we scored that the game would be over,” Donovan said. “So that was mine and the team’s motivation.”

Conestoga (7-1-1) now sits third overall in the District 1 Class 4A rankings, behind only Owen J. Roberts and Abington. Downingtown East (6-2) sits in fifth place.

East had the best chance of the first overtime, when freshman forward Caroline McDonald’s shot at a winner went wide to the left. In the second overtime, it was Donovan who made her chance count.

“Caitlyn started on varsity as a freshman, now she is a junior, so you can see her growth each year and she does a good job for us,” said Conestoga head coach Benjamin Wilson.

Downingtown East looked strong out of the gates as it opened the scoring with an Aliza Trasatti goal, which was set up by McDonald with 21 minutes remaining in the first half.

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