From Phillylacrosse.com
Twenty-seven teams and 185 girls in Grades 5 through 9 participated in the 3rd Annual Stoga 5v5 Girls Lax Fest, hosted by the Conestoga Girls’ Lacrosse Team and the Lady Pioneer Booster Club. The Lax Fest took place under blue skies at Conestoga’s Teamer Field on October 16th.
The teams enjoyed a novel format that was participatory and fast-paced, and which required the girls to play offense, defense and in transition, often in quick succession.
Programs that sent teams to support the event included Cape Henlopen, Xtreme, Quix Stix, HHH, NXT, Lower Bucks, Strath Haven, Conestoga, Blue 22, Radnor and Dynasty. The event also featured two teams from the Eyekonz Program in Philadelphia, a diversity and inclusion initiative that was made possible through the efforts of the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association. The PLA, the local chapter of US Lacrosse, helped underwrite its participation by providing a grant to permit each Eyekonz player to become a member of US Lacrosse. All teams acquitted themselves well.
[The event also collected an abundance of lacrosse sticks, equipment, and gear donated by participants to help grow the game in Philadelphia.]
The event raised funds for the Conestoga Girls’ Lacrosse Team while also generating approximately $15,000 in sponsorship proceeds for the Fighting Back Scholarship Program and its Peter Kienzle Fund. Those proceeds will provide individuals with financial scholarships to participate in rehabilitative exercise programs to manage their chronic afflictions or injuries. The Lady Pioneers are proud to honor Pete Kienzle and to support the FBSP mission in his memory. Special thanks to invited guest and beneficiary of an FBSP scholarship, Cory Pannell, for speaking to the girls about the meaning of “Perseverance.”
The Lady Pioneer Booster Club extends its thanks to Coaches Colleen Magarity, Sarah Priem, Kim Wenger and Amy Orcutt (and the rest of the Conestoga coaching staff and team members ), for conducting the clinic sessions, and to Mike McGee and C4 Performance Training for running the dynamic warm-up. Thanks also to Aspire Sports Medicine for providing the event trainer, the PLA, and to the event vendors, including Longstreth Sporting Goods, Go Fitz Bands and Wear Your Passion. Most of all, thanks to all the coaches, players, parents and sponsors who participated this year. Corporate sponsors included the following:
• Aspire Sports Medicine
• Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
• Bounce Back Physical Therapy
• C4 Performance Training
• Delaney Designs
• Longstreth Sporting Goods
• Patient First
• Pediatric Associates of Paoli
• Phillips, Campbell & Phillips LLP
• Quantico Asset Management of Wells Fargo Advisors
• Sandra E. Grzybicki , Pediatric Dentist
• Stifel
• Topspeed Performance School
• Valerie Grant Interiors
• Wilkes & Buttenbaum Orthodontics
Finally, congratulations to the winners of the fastest shot competition: 5th Grade – Grace Walter (44); 6th Grade – Piper Kienzle (48); 7th Grade – Lucy Peterson (54); 8th Grade – Josie Darrich (55); and 9th Grade – Alex Aufiero (64).