It wasn’t the case during her record-setting career at Spring-Ford. Nor was it the case during her first three years at Villanova where she grew into the nation’s No. 3-leading scorer this past winter.

Olsen, the 5-9 point guard from Collegeville, announced her decision to transfer to Iowa from Villanova on Wednesday, committing to the national finalist Hawkeyes.

She’ll be taking on her biggest challenge yet: replacing two-time national player of the year Caitlin Clark, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday.

New beginnings @IowaWBB #Hawkeyes #letsgo pic.twitter.com/CmlhzmCYGd

— Lucy Olsen (@LucyOlsenbball) April 17, 2024

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Olsen entered the NCAA transfer portal last Tuesday and within 60 seconds she received a call from Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder.

“I think that just gave me the confidence that they really believe in me,” Olsen told The Mercury in her first interview upon choosing Iowa. “The whole coaching staff, we got on a Zoom with them right away and we just visited (on Tuesday) and they’re just the nicest people ever. You can tell they care about you.

“They’re so confident in me. I think that that’s why I’m not overwhelmed because I know that they’ve got my back.”

Olsen, who has one year of eligibility remaining, was named first-team All-Big East and earned the league’s Most Improved Player Award. She also registered team highs in steals (65) and assists (134) and pulled down 4.8 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. Olsen averaged 43.8 percent shooting and 29.4 percent from 3-point range.

Olsen played a complementary role to star Maddie Siegrist in her sophomore season when Villanova finished 30-7 and reached the NCAA tournament Sweet 16.

With Siegrist off to the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, Olsen carried the load this past winter and was the lone double-digit scorer for a Villanova team that finished 22-13 and advanced to the WBIT finals, where it lost to Illinois.

Olsen spent her time at Villanova as the hometown hero playing just 20 miles from home and has no regrets about that experience.

“Villanova was definitely awesome for me over the three years. I couldn’t have been happier that I ended up there. It was the perfect place for me for those three years. It’s so sad to be leaving but my teammates are all so supportive. The VIllanova community was incredible.

“We made it to March Madness my first two years then the final of the WBIT, we’ve had so much success and it’s been so much fun. It was definitely a hard choice to leave.”

Olsen has been a scoring point guard since her high school days at Spring-Ford where she set the program scoring record and finished third all-time in Pioneer Athletic Conference history (1,699 points).

Her scoring was never higher than as a junior when she was an Associated Press honorable-mention All-American.

Still, despite finishing No. 3 in scoring in Division I, she viewed entering the transfer portal as taking a leap of faith in pursuit of raising her stock for the future.

“By the end of the season I was like, ‘Wow, I was third in the nation, that’s crazy,’” she said. “But even then I’m like, ‘I hope someone wants me in the portal.’ And then Lisa Bluder called. I thought ‘Whoa, Iowa wants me? This is crazy.’ I couldn’t be happier that they reached out.”

Olsen doesn’t have visions on replicating Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer who holds record in single-season and career 3-pointers and was three-time NCAA scoring and assists leader during her storied career.

But the vacancy in the Hawkeyes’ backcourt called to Olsen.

“Caitlin Clark is gone and Iowa needs a point guard. It kind of just worked out perfectly,” Olsen said. “Obviously Caitlin Clark was amazing. There’s not going to be another Caitlin Clark. I’m not trying to go in and start shooting logo shots. But they need a point guard and this is a great opportunity. It just fell into place.

“Big crowds, bigger school, big arena, big games every night, good competition, everything fell into place.”

The Hawkeyes will look different next fall besides Olsen and Clark. Four primary starters have moved on, including guard Kate Martin (13.1 points per game), who was a WNBA second-round pick.

With a single year of college basketball remaining, Olsen has an eye toward the future and seeing two players drafted was a difference-maker for the Iowa City school.

“They just put two players in the WNBA and that’s definitely a part of my goal, to become a pro, go to the WNBA so they’ve had success in that and they’re a successful program,” Olsen said.

Iowa, which was 34-5, has some quality players returning beginning with second-team All-Big Ten forward Hannah Stuelke (14.0 points per game) and All-Big Ten Tournament team guard Sydney Affolter (8.4).

Olsen also received interest from LSU and Maryland.

Villanova will also look different next season with six players who entered the transfer portal: Olsen, Christina Dalce, Zanai Jones, Megan Olbrys, Kylie Swider and Abby Jegede.

Olsen left her Iowa visit and was traveling to Springfield, Mass., to try out for the USA Basketball 3×3 women’s team that will compete in the Paris Olympics. The 17-player tryouts are being held from April 17-20.

Training camp will feature 2020 Olympic 3×3 gold medalist Allisha Gray and all four members of the gold-medal-winning 2023 FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Cup Team, which includes Cameron Brink, Cierra Burdick, Linnae Harper and Hailey Van Lith.

Olsen, in her first year with USA Basketball, won a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 U23 Nations League as a member of USA U21. In addition to her Nations League experience, she also competed at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series stop in Edmonton, placing sixth with USA U24.

The USA 3×3 experience served her well entering last season and will continue to pay off.

“Because the game is so fast and a lot of it is reading the defense and learning the 3-on-3 game, it helped me anticipate and have the next step,” Olsen said. “I think my mind got faster.”

Price put The Hill School boys’ lacrosse program on the map during his two tenures as head coach over 27 seasons. His Blues teams reached the Pennsylvania championship game on three occasions, winning the championship in 1986 after finals appearances in 1973 and 1984.

Price was an All-American player at Swarthmore College in 1960 before graduating and finding his way to The Hill School.

During his two stints leading the Blues, Price was twice named Pennsylvania Coach of the Year and his teams played in three state finals, reached the semifinals on four other occasions (1975, 1985, 1989, 1995), and the quarterfinals three times (1987, 1990, 1994).

Price’s tournament runs were at a time when it was a true Pennsylvania championship with public and private programs combined.

He spent two years as head coach at Lehigh University (1979-80) before coming home to The Hill for his second storied run.

Price’s commitment to teaching the game continued even after retirement from The Hill School. Price was the inaugural coach of the Pottsgrove boys team from 2002-06.

Price coached 11 High School All-Americans and 11 who would become College All-Americans.

Accolades for his coaching service include induction to the Tri-County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1999; a Summit Award in 2006; and induction into the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2007. Additionally, Price was an inaugural inductee into The Hill’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012, one of 17 to be selected to its Founders Hall.

Price was a dedicated mainstay at the prestigious boarding school from 1965 to 2000. He served as a mathematics instructor, football and lacrosse coach, dorm parent, director of college advising, director of admission, director of development, dean of faculty, assistant headmaster, and associate headmaster.

Price’s commitment to education was known outside the walls of Hill as well. He served as host of the Lehigh Valley educational quiz show “Scholastic Scrimmage,” which was televised from 1973 until 1995, when he was appointed associate headmaster.

His daughter Bronwyn joked that stint on the program “made him almost famous. We would be out for dinner in Bethlehem and people were always recognizing him and coming up to talk to him.”

In celebration of The Hill’s 150th anniversary and recognition of the Prices’ retirement, the first floor of Wendell Dormitory was named Price Hall. The Prices served as dorm parents in Wendell from 1967 to 1970 and before that lived in Upper School from 1965 to 1967.

In 1999, before his final season as head coach of varsity boys’ lacrosse, an endowment of the head coaching position was established in Harry Price’s honor.

Price’s legacy will live on through the field named in his honor, the Harry L. Price Field where the boys’ lacrosse and soccer teams compete.

Price was also a civil leader, serving on the Pottstown School Board as well as a member of the Pottstown Borough Council. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce and American Red Cross, and he was inducted into the Pottstown Hall of Fame.

He was born in Chestertown, Md., on Feb. 26, 1938, in to the late Kent S. Price Sr. and Lucia Acquaviva Price. He was raised on a dairy farm in Chestertown and attended Swarthmore College and Lehigh University where he earned a master’s degree.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1964.

He is survived by his daughter, Bronwyn DeMaso; daughter-in-law, Stephanie Price; grandchildren, Matteo, Lucia, Luca, Stella, and Jillian; and brothers, Col. Charles F. Price, USAF (Ret.) and the Hon. John Frederick Price, and their families.

Price was predeceased by his son, Job, a decorated Navy Seal, and brother, Kent, in 2012; and his wife, Nancy, in 2016.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be sent to The Hill School, 860 Beech St, Pottstown, PA 19464, to support lacrosse in honor of Harry. Online donations can be made at https://alumni.thehill.org/InMemoryofHarryPrice

Mercury Staff writer Evan Brandt contributed to this article.

WrestleMania XL, a two-night extravaganza to be held Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 at Lincoln Financial Field, is the main attraction for a week of events that has expanded into a holiday for WWE’s global fanbase.

Three corresponding events will be held at Wells Fargo Center, including Smackdown and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony (April 5), NXT Stand and Deliver (April 6) and Raw (April 8).

Friday night Smackdown and Monday night Raw are WWE’s weekly television programs; NXT Stand and Deliver is a premium live event for WWE’s developmental brand, NXT.

“On April 6 and 7 in Philadelphia, we’re going to take it to a whole new level,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque said at the WrestleMania XL Kickoff event in February. “It is a new time, it is a new era and it is an all-new WWE.”

Other fan events will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, including WWE World at WrestleMania, a five-day fan exposition that will feature roundtable discussions with in-ring talent, a WWE 2K24 gaming tournament, and memorabilia and autograph sales from Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8.

WWE will also host multiple community outreach events, including a Make-A-Wish event with WWE Superstars, hospital visits and ‘Be a STAR’ bullying prevention rallies, designed to give back to the local region.

WrestleMania was last held in Philadelphia in 1999 at the then-First Union Center. The main event featured The Rock against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in a no disqualification match.

Twenty-five years later, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson still holds main-event status.

The Rock will team with Roman Reigns in a tag-team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of Night 1.

In the Night 2 main event, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Reigns will defend his title against Rhodes, a rematch of the WrestleMania 39 finale.

Both men share a common bond as sons of former pro wrestlers. Cody Rhodes is the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Reigns is the son of Sika, one half of “The Wild Samoans” tag team in the 1980s, and the real-life cousin of The Rock.

Johnson, the 51-year-old with ties to eastern Pennsylvania – he is a 1990 graduate of Freedom High School in Bethlehem – left WWE for Hollywood in the mid-2000s and has had a hugely successful career in movies, most notably in the Fast & Furious series, Jumanji and Disney’s Moana.

The Rock has appeared in WWE only in cameo appearances since 2014 until February when he returned and joined Reigns’ Bloodline faction.

It has been an unprecedented year for WWE since last year’s WrestleMania in Los Angeles with significant moves behind the scenes, including the departure of founder Vince McMahon.

McMahon sold his controlling stake of WWE, valued at $9.1 billion, to Endeavor on April 3, 2023, merging with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to create TKO Group Holdings.

This marks the first WrestleMania under the TKO banner and with WWE not under McMahon family control.

McMahon had stepped down from his role as chairman and CEO on June 17, 2022, amid allegations he paid more than $12 million over 16 years in hush money to suppress claims of workplace sexual misconduct.

McMahon reinstalled himself as WWE chairman to see through the sale to Endeavor and was given the role of TKO executive chairman.

In January, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a sex trafficking lawsuit that named McMahon, longtime executive John Laurinaitis, and WWE as defendants. McMahon resigned from TKO the next day.

Also in January, WWE struck a deal with Netflix worth $5 billion to bring weekly flagship show Raw and other original programming to the streaming titan beginning in January 2025. Raw has been a Monday night institution, primarily on USA Network, throughout its 31 years of existence.

With McMahon’s exit and full creative control now in the hands of Levesque, the former 14-time WWE champion, the in-ring product is the most popular it has been in more than 20 years since the famed ‘Attitude Era’ on the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The WWE Hall of Fame class will be headlined by Paul Heyman, the longtime manager, promoter and executive who brought pro wrestling to prominence in Philadelphia as owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling. Bull Nakano, Thunderbolt Patterson, the U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham) and Muhammad Ali, the late boxing legend who was a special guest referee at WrestleMania I, will also be inducted.

Heyman currently holds an on-screen role as special counsel to Reigns and the Bloodline and will presumably feature heavily throughout WrestleMania.

The Rock-Reigns vs. Rhodes-Rollins Night 1 headliner will be only the third time a tag team match closes WrestleMania. The first occurred in the inaugural event at Madison Square Garden, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper versus Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.

Other marquee matches include Rollins against Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship and Rhea Ripley versus Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship.

WWE’s influence will turn Philadelphia into a mecca of professional wrestling for the week, with many non-WWE events also scheduled.

Fan convention WrestleCon will be held April 4-7 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown and will have appearances by Sting, former UFC and WWE champion Ronda Rousey, Ric Flair, and many performers of the past, plus current wrestlers in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

WrestleCon’s corresponding live event, The Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow, will be held on Thursday, April 4 at the 2300 Arena and is one of dozens of live wrestling events to be held throughout the week.

How to watch

WrestleMania XL

When: Saturday April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 7 p.m. ETWhere: Lincoln Financial FieldTV: Peacock (streaming service)Tickets

Smackdown

When: Friday, April 5Where: Wells Fargo CenterTV: FOXTickets

NXT Stand and Deliver

When: Saturday April 6, 11:30 a.m.Where: Wells Fargo CenterTV: Peacock (streaming service)Tickets

Raw

When: Monday, April 8Where: Wells Fargo CenterTV: USATickets

Other events

April 4-8 – WWE World (Pennsylvania Convention Center)

April 4-7 – WrestleCon Philadelphia (Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown)

Thursday, April 4 – Walemania (Franklin Music Hall)

Thursday, April 4 – Mark Hitchcock Memorial Wrestlecon Supershow (2300 Arena)

Thursday, April 4 – UNDERTAKER 1deadMAN SHOW (The Fillmore Philadelphia)

Friday, April 5 – Battleground Championship Wrestling: A Tribute To The Extreme 2 (2300 Arena)

Friday, April 5 – Wrestling REVOLVER & House Of Glory Wrestling (Trinity Center for Urban Life)

Friday, April 5 – Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor 2024 (Liacouras Center)

That description fit Thursday’s PAISAA field hockey semifinal between Agnes Irwin and host Hill School. In the back of their minds, both had another marquee meeting in the recesses of their minds.

The only difference: The Hill School needed a victory to set up theirs.

The reigning Pa. Independent Schools Athletic Association champions earned their place back in the state final Thursday thanks to Riley Savage’s third-quarter score that was the difference in a 2-1 triumph over Agnes Irwin.

Hill (16-2), the No. 4 ranked team in Max FIeld Hockey’s national top 25 rankings, advanced to earn its rematch with Academy of Notre Dame. Notre Dame, which dispatched last year’s finalist Episcopal Academy 5-0 in the other semifinal, overtook Hill for No. 1 in Max’s national ranking after their head-to-head meeting.

Getting another crack at Notre Dame was on the wishlist for Opal Sparling, who celebrated her 16th birthday by scoring Hill’s opening goal in the first quarter. Despite a 16-2 record and top 5 national ranking, the loss to Notre Dame weighs heavily on Hill.

“There’s definitely been some rocky roads with being No. 1 and then dropping all the way to five,” she said. “It’s definitely been a tough one at times, but having a rematch against Notre Dame will be really good and we definitely think we can take them this time. I think it’s all up from here.”

Agnes Irwin’s rivalry date was already set, whether a win or loss came Thursday. A pep rally Thursday night leading into their season finale with rival Episcopal Academy quickly shifted the Owls’ focus.

“We have our rival day (Friday) against EA, so that’s a really big game. We beat them earlier this season 2-1 (on Oct. 10),” said junior Caroline Chisholm. “So it’ll be another tight game. We’re ready.”

Chisholm, a Boston College commit, impressed for Agnes Irwin. She was a danger for the Owls and set up the team’s lone goal, her blast from a penalty corner tipped in by Ali Gerber to cut the Hill lead to one at the 7:02 mark of the third quarter.

The No. 3 seeded Owls showed their quality against the touted Blues, which were 9-0 winners over Academy of the New Church in the first round.

“They’re obviously a great team,” said Chisholm. “I think they’re the top team in the country. They have a ton of skill and they have a ton of skilled players. But we brought the hustle and everyone on this team wants to be here. We love the sport and we play because we love each other and not because we’re told to.”

Hill came out strong in the third quarter after a substandard second quarter and cashed in for the eventual game-winner when junior Aubrey Turner drove down the right side before making a centering pass that found Savage toward the back post. The junior from Charlotte, N.C., made the play of the day with her lofted reverse shot that elevated past AIS goalie Sara Davis, who patrolled the goal well throughout (12 saves).

“They’re a very good and aggressive team, so we’ve really had to work our way around them and not get too stressed out,” said Sparling (Chester Springs). “We had to focus and not get freaked out. Once we did that, once we started not forcing the ball, we could easily get around them again to the circle.

“In the second half we definitely stood our ground and we took the game back.”

Hill’s overall quality shone through down the stretch, with strong play crucial contributions all over the lineup, whether on defense from junior goalie Natane King and sophomores Sofia Ferri (Phoenixville) and Mae Dixon, freshman Claire Turner (Downingtown); midfielders Abigail Gerdeman (Chester Springs), Haley Elliott and Sparling; and forwards Anna Cowan and Jaedyn Scarlatos – Hill’s only two seniors – alongside Aubrey Turner and Savage.

It was a magical run for Hill winning its first PAISAA championship in 2022. Yet, with 12 seniors and an arc built for the moment, it was meant to be. With only two seniors, a new head coach in Gabby Gomez and the target of being reigning champions this year, the degree of difficulty has risen and still the Blues have come through.

“Gomez is a great coach, so she kept the vibe pretty strong,” Sparling said. “We had 12 and we only have two this year. So I think that the (quantity of senior) leadership is lacking in our group. But our seniors (Cowan, Scarlatos) are still doing a great job.”

As a freshman, Sparling scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of last year’s PAISAA final, an epic start to her scholastic career. A year later, she’s a central figure for Hill in all it does.

“Now that I’m someone who’s been here before, I feel like I’m obligated to have more of a leadership role on the team and I feel like I’m being successful,” she said.

Next Wednesday’s PAISAA championship game will be held at Ursinus College (4 p.m.), pitting two of the top 5 teams in the country against each other. Hill may enter as underdogs while trailing the season head-to-head with ND, but the Blues feel they are better because of the earlier setback.

“it hurt, but it was something that probably needed to happen,” Sparling said. “It was a lesson that we needed to learn because we were maybe getting a little too cocky from being the No. 1 team for so long. It’s a good challenge for us to work our way back up.”

The 28-year-old tennis teaching professional will be the focal point for Season 28 of ABC’s dating reality series after Graziadei was not selected by Charity Lawson in the Aug. 21 season finale of “The Bachelorette.”

Graziadei, a 2013 graduate of Spring-Ford, became a fan favorite during his time on “The Bachelorette”, which included a visit to Royersford and Collegeville for the contestant’s hometown visit. During the trip, Graziadei gave Lawson a tennis lesson at Kinetix Racquet Club in Fairview Village.

Graziadei played tennis at Spring-Ford and was a past Pioneer Athletic Conference doubles champion, in 2012 as a junior teaming with Tyler Triolo. He went on to graduate from West Chester University, where he was also a member of the tennis team.

Graziadei resides in Hawaii where he is a tennis teaching professional and Lifestyle and Experience Ambassador for Kukuiula Development Company in Koloa, Hawaii, according to his LinkedIn.

“I’m looking for someone that’s just themselves. Someone that challenges me. Someone to do life with,” Graziadei told host Jesse Palmer after the announcement.

Season 28 of “The Bachelor” will not air until 2024.

Villanova knows better than anyone how unique it is.

It had been 35 years since the Villanova women last hosted NCAA Tournament games before Saturday and why Finneran Pavilion was packed Monday night when the Wildcats hosted No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA second round.

It was appropriately home sweet home for No. 4 seed Villanova on a night it advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 76-57 victory over No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast and set the program record for wins in a season by improving to 30-6.

Every team loves home-court advantage. But it’s especially meaningful for the current Villanova squad, the homegrown home team.Seven of the Wildcats’ 14 players grew up within an hour of Villanova, including three starters, senior guard Brooke Mullin (Langhorne/Neshaminy), sophomore point guard Lucy Olsen (Collegeville/Spring-Ford) and junior guard Maddie Burke (Doylestown/Central Bucks West).

Add in the next two in the rotation, junior Bella Runyan (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown Friends) and sophomore Kaitlyn Orihel (Newtown/Archbishop Wood). Freshmen Annie Welde (Havertown/Cardinal O’Hara) and Maggie Grant (Downingtown/Archbishop Carroll) are ones for the future.

And that list doesn’t count sophomore starting forward Christina Dalce, who merits partial credit as a Edison, N.J., native who played AAU with Orihel and the Philadelphia Belles.

Put it all together and there’s a genuine regional construction to a team making national noise as No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25, the program’s highest ranking ever.

Consider their opponent Monday, ASUN conference champion Florida Gulf Coast (33-4), which featured one player from Florida on its roster, or the program Villanova measures itself against, Big East powerhouse UConn, which features six international players and one member from the region. Or their next opponent, Miami, which features two Florida-born players on its roster. The No. 9 seed Miami, which upset No. 1 Indiana on Monday, and Villanova square off in a Sweet 16 Friday matinee (2:30 p.m.) in Greenville, S.C.

College teams and pros alike are celebrated as a representation of their city or region, yet few have a roster that truly represents.

It’s not just cheering for laundry on Lancaster Ave.

To head coach Denise Dillon, who earned her 400th career victory Monday, the organic build of her roster stems from simplicity.

“I always think it’s important to try to get the best in your area. Don’t overthink it. Look right in your backyard, and then expand out,” Dillon said.

“I think some of the best basketball you have is on the East Coast here. So if you can stay in that region, the distance, it’s not too far, their families are here, they can go home and escape. … I think Villanova is the best in the city so you’re going to draw the attention of the best players out of high school.”

The Philadelphia region doesn’t get to claim Siegrist — she’s from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — and it’s hard to dispute that she is the leading reason for Nova playing into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003. The Villanova and Big 5 all-time leading scorer added another record in her transcendent career Monday with her 36th consecutive 20-point game, the most by any Division I player this century, while cruising to a 31-point performance.

The standing ovation Siegrist received when her record was announced or the roar when she checked out of the game for possibly the final time at the Pavilion might make her an honorary Philadelphian just yet.

But the second-leading reason for the Wildcats’ success is their connectivity, both on and off court.

“It’s a good vibe to the team,” Burke said. “Especially off the court, it’s a great group and the fact that we’ve known each other for a long time, that translates on the court. It’s been really special.”

Burke is in her first year with Villanova after transferring from Penn State, but with longstanding relationships with new teammates, the Central Bucks West product was immediately at home.

“We’ve all known each other since we were in middle school and through high school,” Burke said. “Being able to know their families, know a lot of the same people, Philly basketball is just different. It’s a connection. If you know Philly basketball people, everybody knows everybody in that group.”

When Burke joined this year, she brought along a photo with her and Runyan together at a camp in middle school – ‘We look like babies,’ Burke said.

That connection is how Burke (36 starts, 7.2 ppg) could sit at her locker in the afterglow of Monday’s win, look at Olsen sitting next to her and playfully remind her about the District 1 semifinals in 2020 when Burke’s CB West beat Olsen’s Spring-Ford on the way to the Bucks’ district title and Burke earning Pa. 6A Player of the Year.

Olsen prefers these days of joining forces.

“Playing against them, I never wanted to go up against them. Now that I get to play with them, it’s amazing,” Olsen said. “And all of our families get to come to these games, being right around home. So it’s just awesome.”

Olsen had a special high school career as Spring-Ford’s all-time leading scorer, three-time Pottstown Mercury Player of the Year, two-time All-State first team and 2021 Miss PA Basketball.

She put a marker down on what may become a special career at Villanova after putting up her second career double-double with a career-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting and 10 rebounds along with seven assists. Her sophomore progression garnered second team All-Big East honors while scoring 12.5 points per game (second on the team) to go with team-bests in assists (162) and steals (49).

Mullin is the longtime local fixture in the Wildcats’ starting five, a three-year starter coinciding with Dillon’s three seasons in charge. Back in 2019, she was second-team All-State averaging 15.9 ppg while leading Neshaminy to the PIAA semifinals.

Now, she is looked upon as the Wildcats’ shutdown defender.

“Every single night she’s on the other team’s best player, and that’s her role, and you know she’s going to do it great,” Siegrist says.

Monday’s closing moments weren’t lost on Nova’s two seniors, Mullin and Siegrist.

“It really hit me at the end of the game,” Mullin said. “Maddy was like, ‘Look around. We’re going to the Sweet 16.’ It was great, looking out and seeing my parents, it’s very special.”

Having those closest nearby and in support enhances what has been brewing for the Villanova women and what was earned by throwing their own Pavilion party the previous three days.

“It’s really special, especially now because a lot of my friends and family are coming to the games. It’s great to see because I only live 35 minutes away from school and I always get to go home,” Mullin said. “It’s special to get to play for the people in your area and representing them.”

In a year where only one Philadelphia school made the NCAA tournament, there’s no better representative.

It took one of their own to put them down.

Goalkeeper John McCarthy got his professional start in Philadelphia, a Philly-born kid who grew up in Cinnaminson, N.J., and attended Northeast Catholic and La Salle University. He spent years in the lower leagues with the Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United and Rochester Rhinos before the Union and manager Jim Curtin gave him a shot.

That shot that began in 2015 and spanned to 2018 led to Saturday and McCarthy, Los Angeles FC’s backup goalkeeper, delivering an unwanted shot to the heart of the hometown club.

McCarthy was selected MLS Cup MVP for his late-game heroics after entering in the 117th minute after starting goalie Maxime Crepeau receiving a red card following a collision with Union super sub Cory Burke.

From bench to immediate spotlight, McCarthy’s moment could have been spoiled by Philly center back Jack Elliott’s goal, which gave the Union its first lead in the 124th minute. But megastar Gareth Bale gave LAFC new life and McCarthy did the rest.

No penalty kick try from the Union touched his goal, McCarthy getting a shot over the bar from Daniel Gazdag and saves on shots from Jose Martinez and Kai Wagner, lifting LAFC to its first MLS Cup championship, 3-3 (3-0 on penalty kicks) over the Union.

McCarthy hated to do it to the visitors, but between the lines, there is only one way to be.

“I would root for them any day of the week besides today, and I genuinely mean that. There’s a lot of good people in that organization, and they mean a lot to me,” he said. “From that aspect, they have a lot of meaning in my heart, but there’s something that the group of people there actually taught me: When you cross a white line, doesn’t matter who you are playing against, you play to win.

“That was the mentality for everyone from start to finish, and that was my mentality and it worked. … I don’t care who I play against. I genuinely, I liked winning. I loved winning.”

McCarthy, in his first year with LA and playing for only the third time for the side, even has friends in Union supporters group the Sons of Ben and was getting some healthy ribbing from them pregame.

“I’m a Philly kid through and throughout,” McCarthy said. “I grew up in Philly my whole life, grade school, high school, college. I know the people from that city. I know a lot of guys on that team, some of the fans. Some of the guys in Sons of Ben were texting me beforehand some funny jokes and talking (trash) and whatnot. But it was – it was just a moment that you dream of as a kid, to play in a final, first off, and then to play against a team that pushed us all the way until the last game of the season, to be in the final.”

“I wish it was against somebody else, honestly, because I feel for the team and the city because if it was against — if we weren’t in and Philly was in the final, I would for sure root for them.”

It wasn’t just at the Union’s expense. McCarthy’s entry came at the expense of starter Crepeau, whose serious injury will now likely cost Canada’s No. 1 goalkeeper his World Cup place.

McCarthy was possibly going to enter as the Black and Gold’s best penalty stopper, but it wasn’t a sure thing. He was in discussion with Oka Nikolov, LAFC head of goalkeeping, about whether he would enter to have time for ample warmup. It was then taken out of his control.

“Minutes later, devastation. Devastated for, like I said before, what happened to Max,” McCarthy said. “Oka leaned over and said, ‘There you go.’”

For Curtin’s part, there could at least be some passing thought of satisfaction amid the heartbreak that his belief in a player parlayed into a peak moment.

“Johnny is a great kid, a Philly kid. A guy that did great things here in Philadelphia,” Curtin said.

“Look, soccer gods have a funny way of working. As soon as the injury happened, I started the half-joke with my staff that I can’t believe Johnny is going to be in there and this is probably going to go to PKs, or something along those lines when it happened.”

McCarthy earned the belief of his team with penalty kicks earlier in the season during a friendly against Club America. The result didn’t go in LAFC’s favor, but the confidence rose.

“That game, it gave us the idea that John was really good in PKs,” said LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez. “He was unlucky against América, but today, being really good at PKs and also being lucky, he got three penalties out. Everything we did this season prepared us for this moment.”

McCarthy’s ties back east were the last time he was a trophy-lifting champion.

“I haven’t lifted a trophy since I was 15 years old at Northeast Catholic. I was with a bunch of goofballs from Philly just playing soccer,” he said. “I had a final at La Salle, I had a final in Philly in the Open Cup. For you to say that I would hold that thing, it still doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up. I believed that I would lift a trophy one day. I didn’t know when or where but I believe that hard work pays off. It’s a dream come true.”

Philly had a hero Saturday. He just wasn’t wearing blue.

Unfortunately for the Union, they wound up with an understudy role.

Behind enemy lines against the best opponent Major League Soccer had to offer, the Union took a stunning 124th minute lead on a header from Jack Elliott, hushing the raucous Banc of California Stadium crowd. Yet somehow, it was only the start of star-driven LAFC’s almost-absurd script receiving the green light.

First, super sub and former Champions League winner Gareth Bale delivered a leveler off his head in the 128th minute, forcing the game to penalty kicks despite LA down a man due to starting goalie Maxime Crepeau receiving a red card. Then, the Union didn’t have a choice in penalty kicks against LAFC’s backup goalkeeper John McCarthy, a Philadelphia native and former Union player, who inflicted the ultimate pain on his former team.

McCarthy made two saves, Ilie Sanchez scored the decisive try and Los Angeles FC captured its first MLS Cup championship, 3-3 (3-0 on penalty kicks) at the expense of the Union.

“We did everything in our power and pushed as hard as we could, but it wasn’t meant to be today,” Union manager Jim Curtin said. “We were close. I’m gutted for our players. They obviously give everything for the badge and for the club and for the city, but kind of at a loss for words because this is a heartbreaking loss, no question.”

To say the match had everything would be an understatement. It was edge-of-your-seat, Hollywood stars on hand. The almost-to-script nature wasn’t lost on LA’s top forward Carlos Vela.

“It started out as a Halloween (horror) movie, and ended as a Hollywood movie,” he said.

The week leading up had the narratives talking about LA’s potent attack, rather than the Union’s. Saturday proved both had the goods, trading goals back and forth three times. The Union’s organic growth in its 13 seasons and skyward trajectory of the last three seasons couldn’t match the resurgence of fifth-year Los Angeles, which went from ninth place and outside the playoffs in 2021 to Supporters’ Shield winners and league champions a year later.

LAFC’s talent is so rich, the biggest global names of the squad, Bale and Giorgio Chiellini, didn’t even start Saturday. But Bale still managed to be one of the heroes.

It was a cagey match early, turned in LA’s favor in the 28th minute when defensive midfielder Jose Martinez’s wild-card style bit Philly. Martinez fouled Cristian Arango in a dangerous position, leading to U.S. international Kellyn Acosta’s 23-yard shot ricocheting off the wall and bouncing in the right side of Andre Blake’s goal.

For all the fan adoration, Martinez loves to take on an audacious shot. His first-half attempt would have been bound for Dodger Stadium. His second-half attempt similarly left a lot to be desired, except for the fact the scuffed attempt rolled right at the foot of Daniel Gazdag playing even with the back line. The Union leading scorer netted his 23rd of the season, blasting high and by Crepeau.

The first supposed-title clincher came in the 82nd minute off the head of Jesus David Murillo, a soaring smash across goal from a Carlos Vela corner kick to put LA up 2-1.

Yet two-goal center back Elliott stunned the home crowd again with his headed effort in the 85th from a set piece delivery off the left from Kai Wagner.

Elliott was on course for legendary status – he’s the third-most tenured Union player behind Blake and captain Alejandro Bedoya, who missed out with a hip injury.

“So many others got individual accolades this year and sometimes they can’t choose so many players from one team, and I understand that,” Curtin said. “Maybe he got overlooked quite a bit. An incredible final from Jack, a great performance.”

An already-wild contest saw LAFC keeper Crepeau see a red card for taking out Cory Burke on a breakaway in the 110th minute. Crepeau was seriously injured and was carted off after VAR converted the initial yellow card to red. It brought on backup McCarthy, a Philly native, La Salle graduate and Union player from 2015-18, to man the LA  net.

Elliott’s 123rd minute take in traffic looked like the Union were bound for glory, but four minutes later Bale rescued the Black and Gold.

“It’s Gareth being Gareth,” Cherundolo said. “He’s a guy with big qualities and a guy who makes big plays. … When he’s feeling well and healthy, he makes a difference in games. That’s why we bring him in in those moments.”

The Union failed to make a penalty kick against McCarthy, Gazdag slipping on the penalty spot while Jose Martinez and Kai Wagner’s attempts were saved. Meanwhile, after Blake saved Cristian Tello’s opener, Denis Bouanga, Ryan Hollingshead and Sanchez were successful, delivering the jubilant home fans the Cup they got to keep.

“The soccer gods have a funny way of working. As soon as the injury happened (to Crepeau), I started the half-joke with my staff that I can’t believe Johnny is going to be in there and this is probably going to go to PKs,” Curtin said. “We didn’t have Johnny and Gareth Bale being the ones that did us in today. Soccer is a funny sport that way. Guys stepped up in the big spot, and we were probably about two or three minutes away from lifting our trophy in the MLS Cup, which would have been amazing.”

That heart has been tugged in many directions this week.

The week began with the greatest triumph of Bedoya’s club career when the Union exorcised some demons with its second-half shellacking of New York City FC in the MLS Eastern Conference final. But it came with a caveat: he was forced to sub off at halftime, limited after a bright start because of the ailing hip flexor that has stunted his postseason.

The good vibes have continued this week as the leading voice of the Union’s first trip to MLS Cup and all the fanfare that goes into the league’s marquee event, which will be staged Saturday (4 p.m., FOX) in sunny Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium against high-profile LAFC.

On Friday, he received his flowers in a different way when Bedoya was selected MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year for his activism surrounding gun violence.

Bedoya led the Union’s statement of wearing “End Gun Violence” t-shirts ahead of a May 28 match against New England Revolution following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. It wasn’t Bedoya’s first call to action over the gun violence epidemic. It dates back to 2019 when he urged Congress via on-field microphone to act on gun control after scoring a goal against D.C. United.

He’s a member of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization advocating gun control and against gun violence in America. The former U.S. national team midfielder attended a White House ceremony this year upon the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

“It’s a strange one for me because I don’t do it to be recognized with an award,” Bedoya said Friday ahead of the team’s final matchday training. “I do things because I feel a moral obligation based on my values and my upbringing. I sometimes speak out and stand up for what I believe is the right thing to do. I’m grateful that people think I deserve something like (Humanitarian of the Year).”

He credited his wife, Beatrice, for helping him ‘see different perspectives’ and looks at his time in Europe with clubs in Sweden, Scotland and France as influential on his world view.

“It wasn’t always easy trying to explain to the Europeans why all this gun violence happens in America,” he said. “It’s supposed to be the best country in the world, right?

“I’ve felt more and more comfortable as I’ve matured to be able to understand certain issues and speak out on them.”

It’s why he didn’t shudder when asked about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar and the conflict it presents with the sportswashing of the global tournament.

“We all know the human rights violations over there that occurred,” said Bedoya, alluding to the deaths of 6,500 migrant workers related to the building of the stadiums. “Everybody’s aware of how Qatar got awarded (the World Cup). But I’m sure there are going to be plenty of teams and fans that are going to have a say over there in Qatar and I give them a lot of credit for sticking their neck out. We’ve seen it from the Danish federation with their uniforms. We live in an age of social media and digital presence and I think more and more things have come to light.

You can never fully separate sports and soccer from politics. They’re intertwined.”

The recognition of Bedoya’s outspokenness and activism the day before MLS Cup is offset by his limited availability.

Read between the lines of Curtin’s comments, it appears Bedoya may only be available for a cameo.

“He’s doing everything to be a part of the game. We talk about it all the time, you never know when you get another opportunitylike this,” Curtin said.

“Even if it’s for five minutes to close out the game, he wants to be a part of it, and he’s going to do everything he possibly can to be prepared for it. I can say now it will be difficult to start the match, so we’ll navigate that.”

In Bedoya’s words: “I’m training on the side still, but I’m going to be doing everything I can to get out on the field.”

But there is a silver lining when it comes to a leader like the 35-year-old: he’s got a big part to play whether he’s between the lines or not.

“He’ll still do all the things in the locker room to help us out, to calm the guys down, to get them amped up when they need to get amped up,” said Curtin. “He’s the heart and soul of our club. If he’s not able to start and be part of it, I think the guys will have a little extra in there for Alejandro.”

That was the second half of the Union’s MLS Cup Eastern Conference final victory, 3-1 over New York City FC last Sunday, which the Union manager would classify as the “biggest win in club history.”

A shock to the system from NYCFC’s goal early in the second half ignited a Philadelphia response of three goals in 11 minutes that was part resilience, part collective work rate and part atmospheric pressure from a record 19,770 raucous supporters.

The Union have an opportunity to slot that result to second-best in the club’s 13-year existence on Saturday (4 p.m., FOX) when they face Los Angeles FC for MLS Cup 2022 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s a legitimate clash of East vs. West heavyweights, the first time in 19 years that both top seeds advanced to the final. A win would take all the elements that went into a dominant run through the East (19-5-10, 67 points) and the Union’s playoff victories over FC Cincinnati and NYCFC.

The historical context added with the high-scoring thrust of LAFC arguably casts the Union in the role that’s become rare over the last three years. Could the Union be underdogs?

“We’re excited. We know we’re probably the underdog, a position that we’re comfortable with and used to,” Curtin said Friday. “I think home-field advantage is what skews it in their favor because they’re an incredible team in this building.

“We know how difficult it will be and how hard they make it for you here with their crowd behind them, but our group is brave. I want our guys to go on the field with courage, to not be scared. I think we’ve taken pride in ourselves that we respect every team, but we fear nobody.”

Supporters’ Shield winners LAFC hold home-field advantage for the Cup final by the slimmest of margins; they earned hosting rights via a tiebreaker (regular season wins: LAFC 21, Union 19) after both sides finished at 67 points.

History has not been kind to MLS Cup visiting teams: only three of 10 away clubs have lifted the cup since the league shifted to higher seeds hosting the final in 2012. Of those three, only the Portland Timbers in 2015 won without penalty kicks. The other two, both champions via PKs, were Seattle Sounders in 2016 and NYCFC a year ago.

Playing the underdog card, one LAFC first-year manager and former U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo downplayed as ‘self made,’ has well suited recent championship-contending Philadelphia squads, but it’s not quite a match for a Union outfit that conceded an MLS-record 26 goals against and scored a league-best 72 goals.

Captain Alejandro Bedoya has no problem wearing that coat.

“We’re playing in L.A.; the home team is always the favored team normally in MLS,” Bedoya said Friday. “I think the media narrative is, and the questions we get asked are, ‘How do you defend LAFC’s offensive weapons?’ But who scored the most goals? Why isn’t our offense getting the same attention as their offense? I’ll take the ‘underdog’ all the time.

“We like being underdogs out there in Philly. We just use that as motivation and we’re going to do our best to win this game.”

Yet the Union have never beaten the Black and Gold. In four meetings, Philly is 0-1-3, the most recent three ending in draws, including a 2-2 thriller on May 7 in Los Angeles. Unlike last week, it’s the Union’s turn to be on the receiving end of a hostile atmosphere.

“LAFC’s fans, every time we come here they make it as intimidating an environment as there is,” Curtin said. “They bring the best out of us in this building.”

This week the Union placed four on MLS’ Best XI: three-time Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake, defenders Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner, the top 2 in Defender of the Year voting, and top-scoring midfielder Daniel Gazdag (22 goals, 10 assists).

LAFC placed only one: Carlos Vela (12 goals, 11 assists) earned his third selection in five seasons with LA.

For all the Union’s excellence, it’s not done with ball dominance. Philly has the third-lowest possession percentage in MLS (43.9) compared to LAFC’s 51.8 (10th). It’s done with counter-pressing, counter-attacking quality from front to back of its 4-4-2 diamond formation that wants to wear down the opposition. LAFC is also known for its pressing, making it a matchup of who can force the other into errors.

That’s possible with a hard-working front trio of Gazdag, Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza, the latter two first-year revelations for different reasons.

Captain and spiritual leader Bedoya and Leon Flach patrol the right and left side of midfield, respectively, while confrontational defensive midfielder Jose Martinez sits at the 6 spot. Bedoya’s status is in question after he departed at halftime last Sunday because of his ailing hip flexor. Jack McGlynn, the 19-year-old Homegrown, stepped into the second half against NYCFC and looked capable.

World Cup-bound Olivier Mbaizo is joined across the back four by Glesnes, center back mainstay Jack Elliott and Wagner, all backed by main man Blake, who recorded an MLS-best 15 clean sheets in 2022. The defensive foundation will be the toughest to break down for the star power of LAFC that includes former Champions League winner Gareth Bale and Italian legend Giorgi Chiellini. But it begins up top with 2019 MVP Vela, Cristian Arango (16 goals) and Dénis Bouanga, an August acquisition from Saint Etienne in Ligue 1.

Ilie Sánchez is their holding midfielder and tempo-setter, while José Cifuentes is the total package higher up the midfield along with U.S. international Kellyn Acosta. Fellow Ecuador international Diego Palacios leads the back line, next to a combination of Chiellini, Ryan Hollingshead, Eddie Segura and Jesus Murillo.

LAFC’s 17 goals scored on restarts is third-best in MLS while Philly scored 13 and had the highest xG (expected goals) off of dead-ball situations. The Union conceded just five off of restarts all year. LAFC burst onto the scene in 2018 and quickly became one of the marquee franchises in MLS. Yet this is their first trip to the final.

The same goes for the Union, whose growth since arriving in 2010 began to bear fruit with the 2018 arrival of sporting director Ernst Tanner. There have been appearances in the U.S. Open Cup Final, the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals and Eastern Conference final in 2021, but it’s never been bigger than Saturday.

“We want to be one of those clubs that every time you talk about MLS, our name pops up,” Blake said. “I think the owners and the technical directors have done a really good job bringing in players who want to win. I’m really proud of this group. We’re still going to try to get even better. We’re still not where we want to be.”