Follow One Percent Lacrosse on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Nora Bailer‘s always been a presence in the draw circle for Episcopal Academy.
It wasn’t a surprise to see the senior, an Army commit, rack up a bunch of draw controls in Tuesday’s 11-9 win over Inter-Ac rival the Academy of Notre Dame. After all, she’s been averaging double digits draw controls all season long as EA has battled through a gauntlet of a schedule and come out of it relatively unscathed with a 9-2 record.
Bailer Does it All for Episcopal Academy
Fourteen draw controls in one game, though? That’s something special, particularly considering the fact that EA had to contend with a formidable Irish draw crew that includes consensus No. 1 class of 2027 recruit Riley Davis and Boston College signee Keira McHugh.
“Last game, we were pretty even,” Bailer said of her matchup with Davis. “She’s really good at getting the balls that are 50-50, those jump balls. I think before this game, it was just specifically that that’s what I had to work on. I like to dumb it down for myself, so if I’m getting in my head or starting to lose some, I just focus on the basics. That helps me regain momentum and confidence.”
Oh, and if that dominance that highlighted a 15-for-22 day in the circle wasn’t enough, Bailer also found the time to score four times and set up a Sofia Gagliardi (Maryland) goal. Bailer got the scoring started for EA with a pair of impressive tallies. She later scored twice to cap a 4-0 Churchwomen run that stretched their lead to as large as 9-2.
Have yourself a day, 19.
“They started in man (coverage), so it’s just seeing your matchups. We had our plays going in the first quarter,” Bailer said. “We were running through them and those were the looks that were there, and then we were just finding them throughout the game.”
Another Title in the Cards for EA?
The preseason expectation from those around the league is that four teams – EA, ND, Penn Charter and Agnes Irwin – all had a realistic chance to be the league champion. Everybody plays the other team twice, with the Churchwomen making it through the first round of games unbeaten before finishing the sweep of the Irish on Tuesday. May dates with the Quakers and Owls still loom, but EA has put itself in an enviable spot as it heads down the stretch. The Churchwomen have claimed at least a share of the league championship every year that it’s been awarded since 2017, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down.
“I think this win is super important because there’s not that many Inter-Ac games, so losing one game can make you fall behind for the rest of the season,” Gagliardi said. “It’s crucial to beat every single team you can because if you fall behind, you’re sort of out of it. I think we just never give up, which is our best quality. We have so many young players and then older players that are great leaders on the team. We work together really well and we’re finally getting in our groove where we know each other and we’re building that chemistry. I’m really excited and looking forward to seeing the chemistry keep clicking.”
Standout sophomore Maeve Irish and Gagliardi joined Bailer as the offensive leaders for EA. Irish finished with three goals and three assists, while Gagliardi paired three goals with an assist. Notre Dame got three goals and an assist from McHugh, while Madyn Arata stopped eight shots.
Episcopal Academy vs. Notre Dame Standouts
Sofia Gagliardi ’26, midfield, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) / Philly Blast – Maryland
You name it, Gagliardi does it for the Churchwomen. The future Terp was all over the field for EA to the tune of three goals, one assist, a draw control, two ground balls and a caused turnover. She runs the field really well and is smart in her off-ball cuts to get herself open. Gagliardi tossed home a pair of fourth-quarter goals to seal the win for EA. On both, she showed that off-ball awareness to get open and finish off feeds from Bailer and Maeve Irish (see below). Gagliardi’s been through a lot of winning for the Churchwomen, and she’s the type of player that’s adept at making all kinds of plays that help get those victories.
Maeve Irish ’28, attack, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH
So quick. So fast. SO fast. Asking anyone to cover Irish 1v1 with no help is simply unfair. She will run by anybody if there isn’t a slide, and you better make sure that that slide comes quickly. Irish staked the Churchwomen to a 5-1 lead with a natural hat trick. On the first goal, she used her quickness to set up a spin move and finish a high-to-low shot. She followed it up with pure speed on a topside sweep and a high-to-high finish. Finally, she showed a ridiculous split and canned the shot to complete the hat trick. Irish isn’t tall, but it works to her advantage because she’s so explosive that she can dart under defenders and make them lose the leverage battle.
Irish also showed her chops as a passer, setting up a pair of goals from Bailer and one from Sofia Gagliardi. Irish seems to be more comfortable at GLE and X as a passer. Then when she gets to space up top, she’s definitely looking to score goals. Have fun covering her.
Keira McHugh ’26, midfield, Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH – Boston College
It’s hard to miss No. 1 absolutely buzzing around out there all over the field for the Irish. She has an outstanding first step and it’s good night if you let her hit the open field. McHugh was all of the first-half offense for Notre Dame, scoring twice to help slow down EA runs. She got her scoring started on a nice cut, and then had a tally that should be one of the first plays on her senior year highlights. McHugh split to the right and uncorked a mid-to-high bardown rip to cut the deficit to 5-2. McHugh was also the Irish’s most consistent presence on the draw, coming away with four draw controls in an otherwise dominant performance from the Churchwomen in the circle. That was how she capped her scoring, too, snagging a draw out of the air, sprinting past everyone and hammering home a shot.