Penn State lax commit Carolyn Jones
Conestoga's girls lacrosse team has won two state championships in the past three seasons. After losing 17 seniors from last year's squad, the Pioneers have taken a different approach this spring. Junior Carolyn Jones says they view themselves as underdogs. Don't be fooled, however, Conestoga is still a force to be reckoned with in the PIAA-3A tournament. The Pioneers went on the road in the first round and left Wilson with a hard-fought 10-7 victory on Tuesday. "They were killing the draw in the first half and their defense was really awesome. They really showed up good," remarked Jones. The Bulldogs led 2-0 seven minutes into the game. The District 3 runner-up tied it at 5-5 early in the third quarter on a goal by sophomore Ryan Leaman. Jones answered one minute later and Conestoga would never trail again. Freshman Price Orcutt scored for the fourth time with 10:18 left to put the Pioneers in front 9-7. "She's gonna be awesome, especially when she's an upperclassman. What she's doing right now is incredible," Jones told SV Sports' Paul Roberts. Georgia Rios, a Colorado commit, gave Conestoga a 10-7 cushion with 2:51 remaining. Jones finished with a pair of goals and an assist. She's committed to Penn State. "It was really the school spirit, the campus, and the amazing lacrosse team. All the vibes I loved," explained Jones. Leaman racked up three goals and two assists for Wilson. Brooke Prentiss found the back of the net twice for the (15-9) Bulldogs. The (18-6) Pioneers are moving on to the state quarterfinals under head coach Amy Orcutt. The 1997 Conestoga graduate is in her 13th season at the helm. Orcutt reached 300 career wins in mid-April. "She's been amazing. She always has the best advice. It's crazy she got 300 wins," said Jones about her coach. The Pioneers, ranked #4 in the state by PA Lax News, have a big test on Saturday. They face District 12 champion Archbishop Carroll at 2pm at West Chester East. Carroll has claimed four consecutive PIAA-2A titles. The winner will advance to the state semifinals on Tuesday.