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Down a goal late in Tuesday’s Inter-Ac showdown with fellow league contender Penn Charter, Agnes Irwin got the look it wanted for a chance to tie the game.
The Owls patiently moved the ball around before Maryland commit Piper Rodgers found Penn State commit Kelsey Young wide open inside of the middle of the Quaker defense. Young caught the ball and fired it on a phenomenal look for the potential game-tying goal.
Maeve Magarity would have none of it. The senior Boston College signee made the best of her six saves on the day as she squared up to the shot and stopped it with her chest. It cemented a 5-4 win for Penn Charter in a marquee league battle between two of the four teams projected to battle it out for the title, along with reigning champion Episcopal Academy as well as the Academy of Notre Dame.
Magarity was clearly shaken up after the play as she hobbled around her crease for a few moments. Victories have a way of making the pain go away, though.
“Tough shot. It hurt a little bit, but I think the adrenaline and the want and the will to see everyone else play well makes me brush it off and be ready to go on the next play,” Magarity said. “It was hard today. Every single play, we wanted it. … We definitely have some plays to improve on, but we were scrappy and we came up when we needed it. That was the most important part. (Young) is a great player and if she gets a little bit of space, she’s going to get that shot off. We let her get that space and she got that shot off and I just have to react to it shot by shot.”
Elite Goalie Shuts the Door
It’s always nice to have one of the premier goalies in the country, but especially so on a day like Tuesday. Windy conditions certainly didn’t help the offensive side of things, with neither team able to consistently find offensive rhythm. Young got the scoring started on an off-ball cut and finish off of a Sophia Pratt setup. Penn Charter replied with a goal from Caroline Tullo. The Quakers took a 2-1 lead into halftime after Michigan signee Molly Dougherty netted the first of her two goals.
Magarity was a big part of the low-scoring festivities. She robbed fellow future BC Eagle Margo Chisholm on an 8-meter, then did the same later on to Young. Then, of course, she saved her best for last, pushing from left to right to take away Young’s prime look to try to tie the game.
“Maeve is a phenomenal goalie. She is extremely poised and composed in the biggest moments. Having a goalie like her in the cage is huge for the momentum of the game,” Penn Charter coach Colleen Magarity Kelly said. “Typically on 8-meters, a coach would get nervous, but as a staff, we don’t get nervous knowing she is so consistent at making those big stops even in the pressure situations.”
Quakers Take Round One
Magarity’s great, but it’s also awesome to have a fantastic defense in front of her. Leading the charge against the Owls was sophomore Makenna Myers. The three-year starter was everywhere for the Quakers, using her 5-11 frame to cause havoc on the defensive end in addition to collecting three draw controls.
“We definitely harp on those defensive plays and we celebrate them so much, so I think seeing that and reading those plays is definitely something that we always talk about and it’s so fun when the whole team celebrates those plays,” Myers said. “Agnes Irwin is a great team and this win definitely builds our confidence, but we’ll see them again later in the season.”
Round 1 goes to the Quakers. What will the May 5 rematch bring?
Penn Charter vs. Agnes Irwin Standouts
Molly Dougherty ’26, midfield, Penn Charter (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH – Michigan
Dougherty played a big role in getting the Quakers’ offense going after a slow offensive start from both teams. The future Wolverine showed off her explosiveness on her first of two tallies when she caught a pass and hit her defender with a nasty hitch-and-go before burying a high-to-low shot. Later, she upped Penn Charter’s lead to 4-2 when she uncorked an on-the-run high-to-high rocket. Dougherty has excellent speed and threatens a defense any time she has the ball in her stick.
Makenna Myers ’28, defense / draw, Penn Charter (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH
The Owls tested the sophomore on their first two possessions and the ball promptly ended up on the ball and then in Myers’ stick on both occasions. A starter since eighth grade, it’s very clear that Myers is going to be a major recruit this fall. The 5-11 defender and draw taker did an outstanding job of mirroring her assignment in coverage, and she also has a very active stick that helped her make a number of plays on the ball. She had one particularly impressive takeaway when she broke on a transition pass on a 2v1 and took it the other way. Myers, who also finished with three draw controls and three takeaways, also had the biggest of her three ground balls off a caused turnover from sophomore Nora Schmalbach with less than a minute and a half to play to help cement the win.
Lucy Schardt ’29, attack / draw, Agnes Irwin (Pa.) / NXT
At one point, I got my phone out to Google where Schardt had committed because I assumed she was a junior or a senior. She’s a freshman! The 6-footer was a prominent figure in the fourth quarter with a pair of goals to draw the Owls even with the Quakers. First, she swept across the middle and blasted a high sidearm shot to cut the lead to 4-3. Less than a minute later, Schardt caught the ball at GLE, dipped under a defender and dunked home a lefty finish.
“I’ve definitely been working on my left hand for the past couple of months,” Schardt said. “I think a lot of it has just been practicing, wall ball, those extra reps, but I feel like I’m definitely more proud of my left hand now. Especially in that game, so it’s just a way to showcase it.”
Schardt was also key in the draw circle for Irwin, coming away with four draw controls.
Kelsey Young ’27, midfield, Agnes Irwin (Pa.) / Philly Blast – Penn State
Young stands out right away because it looks like she’s playing in fast forward compared to everyone else. She has an excellent burst to go with great long speed, and that athleticism translates all over the field. The future Nittany Lion got the scoring started on a great off-ball cut to get open and finish off a feed from sophomore Sophia Pratt. It’s even more impressive to watch Young contribute in a number of ways. Everyone takes notice when she gets the ball up top and looks to dodge. She draws early slides and commands the defense’s attention. Young also made her presence felt on ground balls and on the defensive end, making her a true midfielder that makes an impact all over the field.