Living the dream: Upper Moreland lacrosse makes history with first PIAA playoff appearance
After ending last season with unfinished business, Reagan Cummins couldn’t wait for the spring lacrosse season to begin. The senior captain didn’t want to wait until practice started to get to work. So, over the winter, she began contemplating a very serious topic: what should the Upper Moreland girl lacrosse team’s motto be?
It’s a tradition for the team’s seniors to choose a new slogan each season, and Cummins gave it plenty of thought when the idea came to her.
“I had a lanyard that said 'One team, one dream' and I kept going back to that,” Cummins said. “I brought it up at a winter practice and everyone loved the idea.”
That “one dream” was to win the Suburban One League American Conference title — something the Golden Bears hadn’t done since 2001.
Bad dreams turned into inspiration
Last year was a good season for the Golden Bears, who went 14-5, won a first-round district playoff game, and came close to capturing the conference title.
“Last year we took one loss really hard,” sophomore Annalise Messina said. “We lost to Wissahickon in overtime and that decided the conference.”
With that setback still on their minds, the Golden Bears returned this season as a team with a dream. They were 7-2 when they faced Wissahickon in mid-April.
“The defining moment of this season was our win against Wissahickon,” Cummins said of the 14-9 victory.
“That was the turning point that showed us that we can be one of the best teams in the league,” Messina said.
The dream team
Upper Moreland finished the regular season 16-2 and clinched that elusive SOL American championship. It had to share the title with Springfield and Upper Dublin, but as Messina says, “it still counts just the same.”
The Golden Bears, whose lineup includes a mix of sophomores and seniors, took their team slogan seriously and wore it emblazoned on T-shirts during practices, many of which were at 6 a.m. or on Sundays.
Those practices began with what head coach Kim Frantz calls “our epic 2020 team.” That squad never got to show how good it could be as the season was canceled due to the pandemic, but it left a lasting impression.
“When I was a freshman I looked up to those seniors so much,” said Cummins, who will be playing for Pace University next year while she pursues a degree in health sciences. “Now that I’m a captain, I try to be a positive influence and I like giving my teammates the opportunity to achieve milestones.”
“Reagan has been one of my biggest role models on the team,” said Messina, who scored her 100th goal this season and is closing in on her 200th. “She just loves playing and it really shows.”
Daring to dream even bigger…
After they accomplished their initial goal of a conference title, the players realized they wanted more.
“We decided we really wanted to win at least two games in districts,” said Messina. “And then we wanted to play in states.”
“It ended up turning into 'One team, three dreams,'” said Frantz.
The Golden Bears accomplished their second goal, advancing to the District One Class 2A semifinals. Though they didn’t win their semifinal game, they clinched a spot in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs, and defeated Gwynedd Mercy in the third-place playback game.
Frantz knew that the team hadn’t earned a state playoff berth in quite a while. In fact, no one could recall when it had happened last. So Frantz did a little research and discovered that the team had never played in a state playoff game before.
“Everyone was so excited when our coach told us that we would be the first team to go to states,” Cummins said. “Our athletic director and people at the school were really excited, too.”
Teamwork makes the dream work
The Golden Bears outscored opponents 50-26 in four district playoff games thanks to a great mix of offense, defense and goaltending. Cummins led the way with 15 goals, while Messina scored 14 and assisted on 11 more.
“Annalise is such a hard worker and is already a leader,” said Frantz. “In addition to scoring, she leads the team in draw controls and ground balls.”
Sophomore Addi Hurley, who took over as starting goalie this season after her sister Emma graduated, has been exceptional and “a huge part of the team’s success,” according to Frantz.
She also credits her defense, which includes Kellen Distel, Avery Adamski and Cambrie Richmond, as a major factor. “We made some changes on defense and they responded beautifully.”
The Golden Bears will face Archbishop Carroll, the Philadelphia Catholic League and District 12 champion, in Tuesday’s first-round game. Carroll is also the defending PIAA Class 2A state champion.
“Everyone knows the matchup is tough,” said Cummins. “But we are just excited to be there.”
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Upper Moreland girls lacrosse makes PIAA playoffs for first time
