Boys Lacrosse: Radnor bears down to pull away from Pope John Paul

RADNOR >> With its top midfielder out of action, the Radnor boys lacrosse team has challenged itself with each passing day.

Not one player can fill the void left by Connor Pierce, a Division I-bound offensive midfield who hasn’t played since the middle of April due to stress fracture in his leg.

“Our coaches have made it an important matter,” junior attackman John Austen said. “Connor is clearly a great player and not just one person can replace him. We just have a next-man-up mentality. As the coaches have told us, it starts with everyone doing one little thing to make us all better.”

Among the players who have improved their overall games in Delaware commit Pierce’s absence are Austen, Drew Brown and Jackson Birtwistle, who buoyed the Raiders’ impressive win Thursday. Austen had five goals, Birtwistle notched a hat trick and two assists, and Brown tallied two goals and five assists as No. 3 Radnor earned a 12-3 decision over sixth-seeded Pope John Paul II in a District 1 Class 2A quarterfinal.

“We just know that everyone has a job to do,” Birtwistle said. “Losing a player like Connor … it’s not easy.”

And yet, the Raiders make things look rather simple Thursday. To illustrate the dominance, you’d have to look no further than Birtwistle’s fancy, behind-the-shoulder goal in the third quarter. Birtwistle played it coy when asked how he goes about executing such an awesome shot.

“I guess it’s just a feel,” he said.

Radnor stumbled in the first quarter as Pope John Paull II frequently found itself in Raiders’ territory. A costly turnover enabled Kyle Donovan to score the Golden Panthers’ third goal late in the opening stanza. For a brief moment, the Raiders were rattled.

To say Raiders dominated the rest of the way would be an understatement.

They ramped up the attack, and their defense — led by Ryan Bernicker, Kyle Addis, Cole Schwartz and two-way middie Ryan Peter — suffocated the Golden Panthers and forced a bevy of turnovers.

“Our defenders really turned it up at the end, and our goalkeeper Archer (Darrach) did great,” Austen said. “I think it all started with our offense, though. We had a couple of early turnovers that led to transition for them. Obviously our defense, we trust very well on six-v-six possessions rather than on fast breaks. It helped them out big time.”

After the first 12 minutes of regulation, scoring chances for the visitors were sparse, if not totally nonexistent.

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Radnor’s John Austen, seen in a regular-season game against Springfield, scored five goals Thursday as the Raiders downed Pope John Paul II, 12-3, in a District 1 Class 2A quarterfinal. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)