Friendly foes meet on girls LAX field as Bellefonte outlasts MC in nailbiter

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: April 4, 2024

Photos by Jeff Shomo

By Kenny Varner

BELLEFONTE- The Bellefonte girls lacrosse team held Its Annual Pink out contest for Breast Cancer awareness Thursday against friendly foe Mifflin County.

Drama played a role for much of the contest as the game wouldn’t be decided to late in the final stanza where the Lady Raiders would pull out a hard fought 10-8 victory in a quagmire of constant rain and wind.

Leading the way for Bellefonte was

Makena Lake who finished with four goals.

Mifflin County was led by a 5-goal evening by Mara Gallo.

In goal, the Red Raiders got a strong effort from freshman Ava Hill who finished with four saves while Mifflin County keeper Zoey Foltz stopped six.

“With eight minutes left on the clock I told them(Bellefonte) I need eight minutes of every ounce of energy you have,” said Bellefonte coach Kerry O’Hara. “The weather didn’t help. I had to take a couple of my starters out because their hands were too cold. but I give the girls a lot of credit. They dug deep for me and I appreciate it.”

Mifflin County went into the last period leading by a slim 8-7 advantage.

However, the Red Raiders scrapped and clawed their way back into the scoring column.

With pressure going right to the MIfflin County end, Bellefonte was able to capitalize minutes into the period as Lake blasted a corner shot at 8:02, tying things at seven.

Minutes later, teammate Aubrey Barnard put her team back into the lead less than a minute later, making the most of taking control in the faceoff at midfield.

But the Huskies would not go away without a fight and with the Red Raiders doubling and tripling up on Gallo, the Huskies got the ball in front of the cage to Gracelynn Beckenbaugh at 5:30, sneaking one past Hill.

With the rain continuing to bombard both teams, the game remained tied at eight until the final five minutes when they got the ball to their hot handed shooter in Lake. Lake did not disappoint as she blazed a laser shot to give her team back the advantage, 9-8.

Bellefonte’s defense made some clutch momentum shifts in the final minutes keeping the ball out of the Huskies offense.

As the game dipped below the 1:10 mark, the Red Raiders Lila Dawson gave her team an insurance goal at 10-8.

That would be all Bellefonte would need as they were able to maintain its defensive prowess en route to the victory.

Early on in the Bellefonte was quick to the ball on both offense and defense, breaking out to an early 2-0 advantage thanks to two goals by

Ryleigh Berzonsky

With a strong force like Gallo on offense MIfflin County, the Huskies wasted no time getting her the ball. She did not disappoint as she notched two of her goals in the opening moments.

As the first period dropped below five minutes, the Huskies took the ball up to field thanks to a breakaway attempt by Issabella Snyder. Snyder slowed the tempo down and found a wide open Gallo, who took the ball and performed a spin move and a shot and sent it home, giving the visitors a 3-2 advantage with 4:26 left.

But the Red Raiders looked to have the last laugh as Lake once again broke lose and put it away at 1:08 The goal ended the first quarter at a 3-3 stalemate.

“We were just flat out out hustled from the first whistle. They just out hustled us. I thought it was an aggressive game. But we have the ability to play aggressively and assertively,” said MIfflin County coach Theresa Lamont. “We are going to continue passing and catching. It was a good game and it was a competitive game. Bellefonte was coming for us.”

MC brought out a strong defensive stand to start the second quarter.

Lake was just beginning to heat up as she scored to swap the lead back into their favor.

Back battled MIfflin County as they once again knotted things on the scoreboard. Joshlynn Tate was wide open down inside when she got the ball and the shot at the 5:22 mark with Bellefonte was down one players on a power play, making it 4-4.

Lila Dawson’s blast at the goal with 4:46 again put the home team back in front.

Despite the wet conditions and slippery playing field, Mifflin County ended the first half with the slim 6-5 advantage thanks to goals by Loryn Knepp with 58 ticks on clock and

Gallo with just nine seconds.

When the two teams went into the intermission, the Lady Huskies held a 6-5 advantage.

In the third both teams scored just once to add to the dramatic last 12 minutes of the contest.

Bellefonte’s Makenna Williams hit the lone goal of the third while Gallo scored her’s at the 5:48 mark.

Mifflin County and Bellefonte shared a night to bring awareness to the devastating illness of breast cancer. Both coaching staffs have someone struggling with the disease!, said Lamont. “Both teams joined for a group picture demonstrating the spirit of competition, love for the game, and love for those in the fight for their lives enduring cancer.”