By TIM IRVING
This fall, Grace O’Hara will put on soccer cleats and play Division I soccer for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
Next spring, who knows? She might end up on the Pioneers lacrosse team.
O’Hara scored four goals, the last one with 13.7 seconds to play as Pittsford held off Rush-Henrietta 7-6 to win the Section V Class A girls lacrosse title.
The first half, the Royal Comets dominated at both ends of the field. UConn signee Rayea Davis scored two free position goals and Ally Garrett also scored from eight meters and Rush-Henrietta led 3-1 at the half.
Freshman goalie Angelia Oechsle stopped all but one shot.
Then Pittsford coach Donovan Lopez turned O’Hara loose.
“We have no one in practice that can keep up with her, she’s a different kind of fast,” Lopez said.
O’Hara’s speed drew two free position opportunities and she converted both of them to tie the game 3-3.
Ella Wilmot then spotted Jessica Robinson cutting across the front of the goal and overshot her, right to Dylan Madigan who gave the Panthers their first lead of the game with under 15 minutes left.
It was short-lived as Megan Schillinger muscled her way through five Pittsford defenders and scored the equalizer.
The Panthers then took a two-goal lead on free position goals by Ellie Bergin and O’Hara and with just under seven minutes left, Pittsford had a 6-4 lead and went into slowdown mode.
And it didn’t work.
Lena Cox stole the ball and scored with 3:02 to cut the lead to 6-5.
With 1:36 left, Maddy Schmitz stole the ball and drew a free position chance, which she converted to tie the game 6-6.
The Panthers won the draw and ran the clock down, getting the ball to O’Hara.
“I heard coach yell 20 seconds and in my head I was like, we just gotta score because I don’t wanna go to overtime, “ the Pittsford Mendon senior said later.
She got the ball from Wilmot, drove down behind the net and spun back to her right and out in front, scoring the go-ahead goal.
The Royal Comets won the ensuing draw but junior goalie Grace Cincebox fielded a ball up over the goal and ran out the clock.
“We push them so hard in practice that we prepare them for those moments,” Lopez said after admitting he was worried late in the game. “We do it to condition them for these games so they don’t panic. We had a little panic but they’re (R-H) a good team.”
Despite earning a Division I soccer scholarship and leading the Vikings to the Sectional finals in 2019, MVP O’Hara earned her first Section V title in her final high school game.
“Playing this year has definitely made me reconsider playing lacrosse,” O’Hara said while clutching the Section V block. “I’m just so happy I got to be a part of something special with so many great girls, I still can’t believe we won, this was such an amazing win.”
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