Episcopal Academy returns to PAISAA final with 4-2 win over SCH

In a season where some thought it would be a rebuilding year, Episcopal Academy’s girls team soccer reloaded instead, completing an unbeaten Inter-Ac season capped by a third win over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on Tuesday afternoon in Newtown Square to advance to the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association final.

Devon Stewart and Caroline Johnston opened the scoring in the first half and after an Ava Cavanaugh goal made it 3-0 in the second half, Cali Smith had a brace off a pair of set pieces to bring the Blue Devils back to within one, only to concede a late goal by Maya Le after a defender stumbled in a 1v1 situation in the open field.

“We knew coming into this game, beating the same team three times in the season, let alone a very talented SCH team, was not going to be easy, but we knew it was on our field and we already beat them twice,” senior defender Caitlin McCarthy said after the match. “We knew we had it, we just had to bring it.”

EA improved to 17-3-1 overall on the season and an incredible 13-0 record against Inter-Ac opponents in all competitions. They’ll have one more game to play with league rival Agnes Irwin on Friday before next Wednesday’s PAISAA final against defending champions Westtown School, which beat Agnes Irwin 3-0 to advance to the final.

Westtown was one of just three teams to beat the Churchwomen this season: Central League and District 1 champions Radnor and Maryland school McDonogh were the other two.

EA’s return to the PAISAA final comes two years after they last won it, this time with a very different cast of characters.

“We’ve had players waiting in the wings, ready for their moment,” head coach Andrew Fraggos said after Tuesday’s win. “I think they knew that this was their year, and especially our seniors and our three captains are knowing that this is their chance, and they had been behind last year’s senior class of 15, the largest class we’ve ever had here. They knew this had to be the year.”

McCarthy along with fellow senior captains Caroline Johnston and Charlotte Franklin were integral in Tuesday’s win, especially after SCH had mounted their comeback.

“We talked about it at halftime about how it was all about management and not letting them get on a roll and get back into the game,” McCarthy said. “We let up the goals but we were able to really fight to the end and pull out the win.”

SCH’s two goals marked just the second time this season a team has scored more than once in a game against Episcopal Academy. The only other time was in Maryland in a 2-1 loss to McDonogh.

“We knew this was going to be a tough go for us today, but this team’s kind of fed off those adrenaline moments this season,” Fraggos said. “They’ve been getting up for every game and and so I think they have all that in their back pocket and they have the confidence stepping onto the field.”