There was plenty on Meg Delaney’s mind when she was preparing for Fox Chapel’s lacrosse match with rival Shady Side Academy. The senior wanted to win to get back at the Bulldogs for eliminating Fox Chapel from the playoffs last season.

Delaney and teammate Caroline Grimsley were closing in on the 100-goal mark for their careers and were hoping to hit the milestone together.

Delaney scored four times to reach the milestone and had an assist to help the Foxes beat the Bulldogs, 11-10, in overtime.

“Last year, we faced them in a section game and won by one,” Delaney said. “We lost them in the playoffs by one. It was a 20-20 score. Getting this win was to prove to ourselves from last year we were the better team.”

Grimsley ended up hitting the 100-goal mark in Fox Chapel’s next game, a 9-8 loss to Walsh Jesuit (Ohio). Grimsley said she was disappointed not to hit the milestone the same night as Delaney. She is happy with how they work together.

“I think mainly our positions, I’m in the low attack, and she’s up top,” Grimsley said. “She passes low down to me, and I can feed her through a cut. Those positions help us work well together. We’ve had a strong bond like that since our freshman year.”

Delaney said she and Grimsley communicate well with each other. They don’t always need to be shouting out instructions to understand what is going on.

“We give each other the look that I’m going to cut, or she’s going to cut,” Delaney said. “We’re able to pass off each other and score off each other.”

Fox Chapel (8-4, 5-2) developing a strong one-two combination at the top of its offense has helped open up the entire field. Coach Kellee Cribby said Fox Chapel’s attack has proven to be more dynamic this season.

“We’ve found a more fluid offense,” Cribby said. “The girls are learning to trust each other and work with each other.”

That continuity on offense has been important as Fox Chapel worked in an inexperienced defense. The Foxes entered this season with three new starters on defense and also a first-time goalie, Emilia Sutkowski.

Grimsley said the entire team has adjusted after some expected learning pains to start the season.

“The beginning of the season was a rough start. We lost a couple of games we could have won,” Grimsley said. “We switched up how we played on defense and attack. The losses helped us realize that we are a stronger team and can work more effectively together. It was a wake-up call that helped us work harder during practices and games.”