In season’s early days, Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse already making strides

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse team hasn’t played as many games as most of the other WPIAL teams. But when the Bulldogs kicked off the season with two section matches, they showed off their potential.

The Bulldogs opened with wins over Shaler and Seneca Valley and scored a combined 32 goals.

“We had a lot of things to learn when we started the season coming off spring break,” Shady Side coach Sarah Lamphier said. “We have some areas to grow in, but we are doing a great job already.”

The Bulldogs (2-0, 2-0) might flourish in the attack. Shady Side has seven players capable of scoring. Senior captain Elsa Blodgett leads the team with eight goals.

The Bulldogs built a lot of momentum last season when they made a run to the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals as a No. 4 seed. Shady Side Academy then was eliminated by top-seeded Mt. Lebanon, 13-10.

“I feel like one of the things we are successful with is we are a balanced team,” Lamphier said. “We have a great deal of depth and talent. I feel like my team is good with how they communicate. They have their heads in the passing lanes and are able to find open teammates.”

Ava Orie has returned from injury and will play a significant role in the attack. Kara Orie, Mary Boyd Barker, Nola Vadnais, Marcelle Minutolo and Samantha Recchi also will be counted on to score goals.

Lamphier believes the offense will be accompanied by a strong defense.

“I think from top to bottom, in terms of defensive play, we play a good double team,” Lamphier said. “We doubled the ball well.”

The Bulldogs most recently defeated Seneca Valley, 18-3. Lamphier said the Bulldogs have been calm and composed early in the season.

She believes that will translate as the competition gets tougher as the season goes on.

“I think in our last two games, our composure has been good,” Lamphier said. “Even with us having some younger players, we are focusing on the mental part of the game. We spent our spring break doing team bonding and recovering from mistakes. I’m already seeing in two games our team can keep composure when they’ve faced challenges and adversity.”

Tags: Shady Side Academy