Highlanders face Lick-Wilmerding next
Peyton Watson scored eight goals to help lead the Piedmont High School girls lacrosse team to a 16-3 win over Cardinal Newman at Witter Field in the first round of the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs on May 6.
The sixth-seeded Highlanders advance to the second round where they will face No. 3 Lick-Wilmerding at the Beach Chalet fields at 5:30 p.m. on May 8.
“I think it just kind of happens,” Watson said of her big night, which also included an assist. “Some games I do a little worse, some games I just find the spot where I can get the shots off.”
Said Piedmont coach Carlton Chan, “She did a great job. A lot of setups is really for her to score or her to look. We ran two isos for her and our one play where we were weaving. The weave is really to keep the defense off and when she gets the ball, we want her to go.
“It was working.”
The game started fairly even with the Cardinals controlling several draws and the Highlanders leading 2-1 when Chloe Graham set up Watson for a goal with two minutes left. Then, Olive Litwin scored for Piedmont with 31.9 seconds left in the period. A quick turnover by Cardinal Newman, then led to Watson scoring at the other end with 19.7 seconds to go.
“The last two minutes of the first quarter has been our downfall all season,” Cardinals coach Taylor Hextrum said. “I have a very young team. I have three seniors this year. I think it’s that push that you have to play the whole quarter. You can’t just play 10 minutes and then lose out on the last two.”
Said Friedie Schickedanz, “I think in that moment getting those two goals really quickly and getting that momentum heading into the second quarter gave us a little bit more room to breathe and confidence in our abilities.”
Schickedanz assisted on Graham’s goal to open the scoring with 6:17 remaining in the first quarter. Cardinal Newman answered when Reagan McIntosh scored at 5:16. Piedmont then scored the next seven goals to take control of the game.
“I think the first half we came so out strong because we were dominating the draw and that’s a huge part of the women’s lacrosse game,” Hextrum said. “The fact that we weren’t capitalizing on that draw opportunity, that’s when we should have really attacked. We had great looks on goal but they unfortunately weren’t falling. In the second half, they were able to correct their draw.”
Piedmont’s Friedie Schickedanz (55) guards Cardinal Newman’s Marika Turbeville (9) with Piedmont’s Peyton Watson in the background. 
Piedmont’s Chloe Graham (2), Emily Williamson (8) and Reni Suhr surround Cardinal Newman’s Marika Turbeville (red) while the Highlanders Sophia Santander (far right) defends the goal. 
Piedmont’s Mary Schickedanz (17) chases Cardinal Newman’s Avery Farrell (33) during an NCS playoff game. The Highlanders next face Lick-Wilmerding in San Francisco on May 8. 
Piedmont’s Friedie Schickedanz reaches for the ball after a draw against Cardinal Newman’s Reagan McIntosh (11) during a May 6 NCS playoff game at Witter Field.
Graham finished with four goals and two assists. Schickedanz had two goals and an assist while Litwin also had two goals. Sophie Santander had five saves.
“I think the defense played really well today,” Santander said. “They were really connected, everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. They were communicating really [well] and we ended up with a lot of good defensive stops.”
McIntosh finished with two goals for the Cardinals. Curren Muckenfuss had the other goal and Marika Turbeville had an assist. Sophia Budginas had two saves. Cardinal Newman finished the season 8-8.
Piedmont (9-9) hosted Lick-Wilmerding back on April 1 and came away with a 10-4 win.
“I felt we played a game like tonight, where everybody was connected,” Chan said. “We’re a much different team defensively than when we played Lick the first time.”
Schickedanz didn’t make too much of the team’s prior meeting.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” she said. “Anything can happen. I think all of us know that but we also believe that we have the ability to win this game. How we step out onto that field on Thursday will determine whether we win or lose that game and not a past result.”