Allie Rothenberger from Abington Heights looks for an opening against the Strath Haven defense in Tuesday’s state semifinal loss.
Tom Robinson | For Abington Journal
BETHLEHEM — Strath Haven secured its fourth trip to a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association girls lacrosse championship game by spoiling the first state semifinal appearance ever by a District 2 team.
Kate Fox scored four goals and assisted on two while Annie Dignazio produced three goals and five assists Tuesday as Strath Haven downed Abington Heights 17-7 in a Class 2A game at the Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.
Blake Fairbanks also scored four goals, all in the first half, to help Strath Haven hand Abington Heights its only loss of a season that produced two championships.
The Lady Comets were Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 Class 2A champions.
“I definitely want them to focus on the amazing season they had,” Abington Heights coach Becky Davis said minutes after the run ended with a 22-1 record. “They’re going to be a little sad and a little frustrated, but overall, they just had an incredible run.
“We talk about just being grateful to be here and working hard. District 2 isn’t known for its lacrosse, but we got through two rounds of lacrosse and I’m just so proud of them overall.”
The Panthers put together streaks of four straight goals in each of the first three quarters to build a 14-4 lead.
“They certainly had a lot of midfield speed and they were able to strike with that high in the critical scoring area,” Davis said. “Excellent ball movement.”
Abington Heights forced a 1-1 tie on Allie Rothenberger’s goal with 4:43 left in the first quarter.
Strath Haven took charge from there.
Fox had the first two goals and assisted on the last as the Panthers scored four times in 2:28 to make it 5-1 with 1:13 left in the first.
Goals by Morgan Davis late in the first and Sadie Gilbert early in the second allowed Abington Heights to creep within 6-3.
Four different Panthers scored in the last 5:13 of the second quarter for a 10-3 halftime lead.
Strath Haven held Abington Heights scoreless for a stretch of 10:03 between goals by the Lady Comets early and late in the third quarter. Tessa Dignazio had a goal and two assists during that time to build the 14-4 lead.
Strath Haven frustrated Abington Heights with goals in the closing seconds of the middle periods.
The last of the first-half goals came when Fox hurried to get the ball back in play from behind the cage and Fairbanks made a tough catch on a high pass to score from in front a second before intermission.
After Abington Heights had cut into its deficit, Annie Dignazio scored with six seconds left in the third to send Strath Haven into the fourth quarter with a 15-5 lead.
The last surge by the Lady Comets came in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter.
Davis executed a spin move after coming out from behind the goal, then Gilbert circled the goal to free herself for a shot for scores 32 seconds apart.
Those goals reduced the margin to 15-7, but Abington Heights could not get any closer.
Gilbert finished with three goals while Davis and Rothenberger had two each. Olivia Kim and Gigi Butala had assists.
